NCS votes to keep 16-team brackets for football playoffs

There will be no change this season in the size of the North Coast Section postseason high school football tournament.

The NCS executive committee approved at a teleconference meeting Friday setting aside the “even record” clause for playoff eligility this season. That meant waiving the requirement that a school compile at least a .500 record in one of three categories - overall record, league record, or games against teams in the same competition division.

The change in format was made because of the large number of canceled games cause by the North Coast wildfires and the resultant poor air quality that prohibited outdoor activities.

The vote on the proposal was 9-3 in favor, with all 12 members of the executive committee participating.

A second proposal was not put forward in a motion because of the “even record” clause was set aside.

That second proposal would have constricted the size of the football tournament, with the regular 16-team brackets in each division reduced to eight teams. That would have provided an open weekend between what would have been the end of the regular season and the NCS seedings meeting, to give teams a chance to play another game and meet the “even record” requirement.

The end of the regular season will remain the weekend of Nov. 4-5, with the seedings meeting on Nov. 6. NCS football playoffs will begin as scheduled on Friday, Nov. 11.