Several members of the MIAA Football Committee confirmed assembly with the Tournament Management Committee per week in the past relating to the brand new statewide playoff proposal.
How a lot progress was made in swaying the TMC is a matter of opinion.
At Tuesday’s regularly-scheduled committee assembly, soccer chairman Jay Costa felt a three-hour assembly resulted in some wholesome dialogue, although others felt it was going to be a protracted, uphill climb to persuade the TMC that the new-look postseason format was going to succeed.
“I’m not sure it will fly right now,” Costa stated. “There may have to be some tweaking involved.”
The architect of the brand new format is Milton soccer coach Steve Dembowski. While many really feel the proposal has some good factors, one of many largest issues stems round the truth that the season would prolong into mid-December. Not surprisingly, many winter coaches have voiced their displeasure over their season probably being compromised.
“All we are looking to do is provide an equitable experience for every team, not just the (best) programs,” Dembowski stated. “I know some people don’t like cutting the number of playoff teams (from 16 to 8), but right now 33 percent of the teams making the playoffs have a losing record.”
In different information, regardless of the friction over having state championship video games held throughout the week at Gillette Stadium final December, attendance was up for the eight title contests. MIAA affiliate government director Richard Pearson stated the video games being unfold out over three days allowed groups to stay on the sphere after the sport for the championship ceremony. In previous years when 5 to 6 championship video games have been held on a Saturday, groups have been rushed off the sphere and needed to climb by way of the stands for the postgame ceremony in a cramped portion of the stadium.
There was some dialogue about groups with the ability to play 9 video games, this being a calendar 12 months by which eight video games will be performed in a nine-week window. Since it might occur once more subsequent 12 months, a number of committee members steered wanting into this additional for the 2025 season.
The match could have a special look subsequent 12 months as Scott Paine will likely be stepping down from his duties as statewide match director. Pearson lauded the work Paine has achieved in making the postseason run easily. He stated the MIAA will likely be seeking to fill the emptiness as quickly as attainable.
Source: www.bostonherald.com