PIAA passes vote to expand to 6 classifications in football, baseball, basketball, softball

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association voted Wednesday to expand from four to six classifications in football.

The measure passed 26-4 in a vote held at the PIAA Board of Directors’ Meeting in Mechanicsburg.

Basketball, baseball, softball will also expand to six classifications beginning in 2016, a move passed in a 23-7 vote.

In other votes to pass Wednesday, boys and girls soccer will expand to four classes, as will girls volleyball. Field hockey will expand to three classifications. Boys and girls lacrosse expands to two classifications.

Last month, representatives from the PIAA Strategic Planning and Football Steering Committee recommended a move to six classifications with an even distribution of roughly 96 football teams per classification.

According to PennLive, there are currently 576 high school football teams statewide.The change will take effect for the 2016-2017 season.

In December, a proposal was introduced by District 9 representative Bob Tonkin to expand Pennsylvania football.

Enrollment figures for the next cycle (2016-2018) will become official later this month. Classifications will be made official by December after schools have been given the option to play up in classification.

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