MIAA football committee approves significant changes to playoff format, including a Super 8 tournament
Significant changes could be coming to the structure of high school football in Massachusetts.
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During a virtual meeting Thursday, the MIAA’s football committee voted, 13-4, to approve a new playoff format that includes a Super 8 component, extends the regular season a week, and cuts the number of playoff teams nearly in half.
The new format, first presented to the committee in April, would start in 2027, but still requires approval from the Tournament Management Committee and the Board of Directors.
The proposal adds a ninth week to the regular season, which would replace Round of 16 playoff games in the current structure. The top eight teams by power rankings in each of the eight divisions would qualify for the playoffs, which would begin with the quarterfinal round. Nonplayoff teams would still play a Week 10 game against another nonplayoff team, and everyone would play their traditional Thanksgiving rivalry matchups.
The Super 8 would feature the top eight teams by power rankings from Divisions 1 and 2. Lower-division teams would not be eligible. Overall, the sport would go from 128 postseason qualifiers to 72, although it would grow to nine state champions.
Stoneham AD David Pignone said District 4 was worried about that reduction in playoff teams when presented with the plan.
“There wasn’t a great appetite for that,” he said.
Seeds 9-16 have won just 8.7 percent of their first-round games, according to the proposal.
“The coaches association, for the majority of the plan, was in favor of it, at least by a survey in which we got probably 65-70 percent response,” said Milton coach Steve Dembowski, the coaches’ rep to the committee. “The primary concern is still that there would be a round of consolation games.”
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Interestingly, a week of consolation games was considered a benefit by District 1.
“The part that made it appealing was the consolation game and we could schedule a TBA and do a regional championship for the schools that don’t make the playoffs,” said Franklin County Tech athletic director Joe Gamache. “That was overwhelmingly appealing.”
Boston Public Schools assistant athletic director Billy Sittig noted that in District 6 some Catholic schools are worried about needing to schedule a ninth regular-season game when they’re already struggling to fill eight dates, and often having to look out of state.
The new format also removes the minimum number of wins needed to qualify for the tournament (previously three).
▪ The committee also voted, 13-4, to remove an MIAA rule (69.6) that restricts the use of technology on the sidelines and in the coaching booth during games. The NFHS rule will now be used, which allows for the use of electronic devices, such as tablets, on the sidelines and in coaching booths, as long as they are not used to communicate with a player on the field.
The MIAA had previously had a more restrictive rule that prevented the use of tech on sidelines, but many coaches and ADs reported it wasn’t being enforced and was often broken with no consequences.
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