XStar

Probably Pioneer. This appears to be the weak-sister sectional in the north this season. The other 3 sectionals have at least one team ranked near or inside the top 50 in Sagarin. Pioneer has the top rating in this sectional and it's 136. Not expecting whoever emerges to advance past their regional game.

High school athletics is not a for-profit function. Always consider the best interest of the kids above all else. Shame ON YOU.

No. You questioned the work ethic of high school AD's for not adopting your bad idea because you think they are simply settling for what's easiest because you can't fathom why people think this isn't the big deal you think it is.

And I don't think it's that big of a deal at all. If we're not even worried about a team getting robbed out an opportunity to win sectional/regional/semistate trophies because they aren't being seeded across the entire class, then I'm certainly not concerned about a team possibly losing just an extra game or two. At the end of the day, it's a high school sporting event. I can think of many things more worthy of the "travesty" label than a team getting 10 games instead of 11 or 12 (which goes to other teams instead) based on preconceived notions regarding the ability of those teams before a tournament designed expressly to reflect just that.

Depends on how the seeding is determined. If all we get is teams trying to schedule as easily as possible because all 9-0's are better than 8-1's or 7-2's then seeding would do a disservice to the regular season.

It doesn't change who gets the trophy and the current way allows for there to be 1 v 2 games in every round of the sectional as opposed to just the last one which I like better as a fan. Also let me clarify, it's not as much that I'm opposed to seeding it as I don't think there's a great way to do it and it also doesn't solve the much bigger problem when there are two top teams in the same sectional. So we're worried about the West Lafayette and Brebeuf playing 1 or 2 weeks too early as opposed to 4-5 weeks too early.

The reasons the south has won ............are all sitting in 3A right now...........don't like my analysis.......just look at the rankings

Done. So now you're questioning their effort rather than their intelligence?

So now you're questioning their effort rather than their intelligence?

Honestly I would not be surprised to see LCC win the south in their better years, at least as it currently stands. That said, I fully expect them to get moved to the North when they re-align sectionals.

South is the way to go in 2A. No Luers. No Andrean. No Eastbrook. No Pioneer. No RC or Lewis Cass. No Tipton. No Bremen. What's left in the south now? Mater Dei? Triton Central? Heritage Christian? Scecina? Although I think the last 6 titles were won by the team from the south, I think the last 5 of those are in 3A now in Western Boone, Southridge, and Ritter. And Monrovia has gone to 3A and come back to 2A since then.

LCC should win that sectional in most years as it stands right now.

Perhaps they are the ones that do understand and not you?

You have zero evidence to support those claims. Tons of other factors to consider. What other local championship games are being played. What the weather is like. The programs involved. Capacities and the ability to go and actually see the game if the stands are full and people are already lined around the fence while the game is also being aired online. But please tell me what it was like in 1982.

On the other hand, your argument is simply anecdotal evidence as well so I'm not sure what makes you think your argument carries any more weight than anyone else's. I didn't just start going to high school football games in the past 5 years either.

And others who think it's a good idea to seed sectionals only.

You don't have to agree with it to acknowledge that there are people that think that way. I don't agree with your logic either but I acknowledge that your position exists.

I gave you one. If you don't acknowledge it, that's on you.

No. I'm sure most fans are far more casual. I still think the vast majority aren't going anywhere after whatever "their team" is drops out. Then there are some like you described who might go see a good matchup but only if it's local and a big game. Then there are some like me that find a good matchup to go to pretty much any weekend they can. I don't think the numbers in the 2nd and 3rd groups move the needle much either way.

When Lewis Cass and Pioneer played in the first round of the playoffs in 2019 when they were two of the top teams in all of 2A, the stands weren't exactly empty. If Brebeuf and West Lafayette square off in the first round this year, I'll probably go to that game and then find another good game in other sectionals in northern Indiana in the subsequent rounds of the sectional. In fact, having a blind draw usually generates great games in every round of the sectional instead of clustering them all in one weekend. Big games = big crowds no matter when they are played.

Still see it all the time. Even in some matchups where one team is a big favorite. Some people are going to find a game and go to it. Still think those most of those people are going to find a game to be at every weekend. It's not as if there isn't a good matchup somewhere every weekend of the playoffs. I know that's how I've always operated. Already this season I've seen games in the Indy area, the Kokomo area, and the South Bend area. Going to see one near Fort Wayne in the upcoming weeks and probably one near Marion before the end of the season. Even during the regular season, there's a good game somewhere. In the postseason, it's even easier to find one.

Bigger? Probably. Significantly bigger? Doubtful.

Most people that only follow one team aren't going to keep going to games after their team is eliminated. Otherwise, the state championship games would easily sell out LOS. So I'm not concerned about the 95% of fans that only follow one team. The real question is how many fans continue to follow the tournament after their team is eliminated and, of that number, how many don't go to a game due to lack of a quality subsequent matchup. I know many people who look at the schedule and find a game to go to no matter what. So those people are already going to be at a game. The number of people who want to go to a game but aren't interested in any of the games on the schedule is likely very small.

People are going to gravitate towards the games that are expected to be good no matter when they are played. Actually, having a great game in one sectional in the first week would allow me to go watch another good matchup in another area sectional in a subsequent week rather than having to choose between the two sectionals when they both have their best matchup in the championship week.

Another great question.