Sports

MHSAA classifications announced for 2008-2009 school year

Tuesday, April 1, 2008 10:43 AM EDT

EAST LANSING - Classifications for Michigan High School Athletic Association elections and post-season tournaments in traditionally classified sports (A, B, C, D) for the 2008-09 school year have been announced, and the enrollment breaks for post-season tournaments set up by divisions will be announced Wednesday (April 2) on the MHSAA Web site.

Classifications for the upcoming school year are based on a second semester count date, which for MHSAA purposes was February 27.

The enrollment figure submitted for athletic classification purposes may be different from the count submitted for school aid purposes, as it does not include students ineligible for athletic competition because they reached their 19th birthday prior to Sept. 1 of the current school year and will not include alternative education students if none are allowed athletic eligibility by the local school district.

After all the counts are submitted, the 766 tournament-qualified member schools were ranked according to enrollment, and then split as closely into quarters as possible. For 2008-09, there are 190 schools each in Class A, and 192 schools each in Classes B, C and D.

Effective with the 2008-09 school year, schools with 1,017 or more students are in Class A in MHSAA competition. The enrollment limits for Class B are 498 to 1,016; Class C is 234 to 497; and schools with enrollments of 233 and under are Class D. The breaks decreased 38 students between Classes A and B; 9 student between Classes B and C; and 15 students between Classes C and D.

The new classification breaks will see 23 schools move up in class for 2008-09, while 17 schools will move down.

Schools were recently notified of their classification. MHSAA Executive Director John E. "Jack" Roberts said that schools may not subsequently lower their enrollment figure. However, if revised enrollment figures should be higher and indicate that a school should be playing in a higher class, that school would be moved up.

Schools have the option to play at any higher classification for a minimum of two years, but must exercise the option by April 15 for fall sports, August 15 for winter sports, and October 15 for spring sports.

MHSAA tournament sports conducted in traditional classifications for 2008-09 are Basketball and Girls Volleyball. Football will use traditional classifications to determine playoff points.

Sports which will compete in nearly equal divisions are: Baseball, Bowling, Girls Competitive Cheer, Cross Country, Golf, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Skiing, Softball, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Track and Field, and Wrestling. Soccer will have 20 percent of sponsoring schools in Division 4 and the remaining schools divided equally into Divisions 1, 2 and 3. Visit the respective sports pages on the MHSAA Web Site to review the divisional alignments.

The eight divisions of the MHSAA Football Playoffs will be announced on Selection Sunday, Oct. 26. A complete list of school enrollments used to determine classifications for the 2008-09 school year can be found on the Administrators page of the MHSAA Web site.

Here is a complete list of the schools changing classification

for 2008-09 (Note: This list does not include schools opting up in

class/division for tournaments, which can be found on the Administrators

page of the MHSAA Web site):

Moving Up From Class B To Class A

Bloomfield Hills Andover

Carleton Airport

Cedar Springs

Detroit Renaissance

Flint Northwestern Academy

Highland Park

Jackson Northwest

Lansing Waverly

Wayland Union

Moving Down From Class A To Class B

Bloomfield Hills Lahser

Detroit Finney

Detroit International Academy

Flint Central Academy

Grand Rapids Christian

Lansing Sexton

Saginaw

Tecumseh

Moving Up From Class C To Class B

Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard

Beaverton

Clawson

Detroit Communication Media Arts

Detroit Frederick Douglass

Ferndale-Academy of Oak Park

Hillsdale

Scottville Mason County Central

Shelby

South Lyon East

Moving Down From Class B To Class C

Detroit Cleveland Intermediate

Erie Mason

Montrose

Oscoda

Vermontville Maple Valley

Moving Up From Class D To Class C

Detroit Charlotte Forten Academy

Detroit City

Detroit Winans Academy

Pittsford

Moving Down From Class C To Class D

Athens

Colon

Eau Claire

Muskegon Catholic Central

New Post-Season Eligible Tournament Schools in 2008-09

Ann Arbor Skyline (Class C)

Redford-Michigan Technical Academy (Class C)

Fraser-Arts Academy In The Woods (Class C)

Harper Woods-Chandler Park Academy (Class C)

Southfield-Bradford Academy (Class C)

Dearborn-Riverside Academy West (Class D)

Taylor-Trillium Academy (Class D)

New Haven-Merritt Academy (Class D)

Traverse City College Prep Academy (Class D)

Enrollment Breaks By Classes - 2007-08

(Number of schools in parenthesis)

Class A -- 1,017 and above (190)

Class B -- 498 to 1,016 (192)

Class C -- 234 to 497 (192)

Class D -- 233 and below (192)

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary

membership by over 1,600 public and private senior high schools and

junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for

athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax

dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association

nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from

schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to

participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract approximately 1.6

million spectators each year.

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