State commish not in favor of split conferences

MAIDEN — Concerns over skyrocketing travel costs eight years ago led to the creation of an abundance of split-classification athletic conferences across the state.

The split conferences — those that include schools of two classifications, such as 3A and 4A, instead of one — allowed some schools to join up with more of their neighbors. As a result, bus rides became shorter in some cases, helping athletic departments save precious gas money.

But the split conferences have their critics, and one of them is Davis Whitfield, commissioner of the N.C. High School Athletic Association.

“We don’t like them,” Whitfield said Monday from the West Region realignment meeting at Maiden High School. “Obviously we’d rather have straight conferences, but also we recognize that there are some travel issues across the state. Certainly, the further west and the further east you get, those travel options reduce themselves. I’d rather have straight conferences, but obviously we recognize it’s not possible.”

The association’s next four-year realignment process took an important step this week with the region meetings. Monday’s meeting at Maiden was followed by the East Region meeting Tuesday in Greenville. The meetings gave school representatives a chance to address the NCHSAA staff and the committee charged with assigning each school to a conference. Among the members of the realignment committee is Gaston County Schools superintendent Reeves McGlohon.

This is the NCHSAA’s first realignment since Whitfield was hired in February 2010. He wouldn’t speculate on how many split conferences might appear in the realignment committee’s next draft.

“I don’t want to guess at this time since the committee hasn’t completed its work,” Whitfield said. “I don’t want to venture a guess, but I do anticipate having some split conferences.”

The NCHSAA staff’s initial realignment draft last month wasn’t devoid of split conferences. In fact, it included 13 total: eight 1A/2A and five 3A/4A.

Opponents of split conferences have complained about the difficulty they add to playoff seeding. For example, if a 3A team finishes fourth place in a conference behind three 4A teams, what kind of playoff seed does it deserve?

Whitfield instructed athletic directors and principals at Monday’s forum not to ask questions at that time about how split conferences would be handled for the playoffs.

“The idea (is) we’ll try to be as consistent as we possibly can with what we’ve done in previous years,” Whitfield said. “But, again, until you find out what your end result is as it relates to conferences and how many splits you’re going to have, you really can’t complete that work.”

In the NCHSAA staff plan released last month, all local schools except one were assigned to single-classification conferences. North Lincoln was the exception, assigned to a 3A/4A league.

Gaston County representatives on Monday presented a proposal to create two split 2A/3A leagues. One would include 2A schools Hunter Huss and new school Stuart Cramer in addition to 3A schools Ashbrook, East Gaston, Forestview, North Gaston, South Point and North Lincoln. The other proposed conference would include 2A schools Chase, East Rutherford, Shelby, R-S Central and Polk County along with 3A schools Burns, Crest and Kings Mountain.

The realignment committee will meet February 15 to review proposals from this week’s region meetings. After the next draft is release, the schools will have until March 1 to respond in writing. The committee will meet again on March 15 to finalize the conferences.

Phillip Gardner: 704-869-1843; twitter.com/gazettephil