AIA executive board approves initial division placements

October 18, 2010 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


The Arizona Interscholastic Association took the next step in the revamping and setting up of competition for state tournaments for the near future Monday afternoon when its executive board approved conference placements and initial division placements for the coming two-year block (2011-2013).

"We had a lot of people do a lot of work to get us to this point," AIA executive director Dr. Harold Slemmer said. "Our Sports Advisory Committees were huge in this process. They were made up of coaches in the particular sport ,and administrators who coached in those sports. They are people who really care about that sport, and want the best for the kids that participate in them."

Schools could end up competing in several different divisions depending on the sport. Placement in sports that both boys and girls play --  tennis, golf, soccer, baskeball -- must be played in the same division. For example, a boys basketball team in Division II can appeal up to Division I, but the girls basketball team must do the same.

Schools have until Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. to request an appeal of their division placement and can only appeal up, not down. Initial appeals will be heard by the Sports Advisory Committees of the sport in question and take place Oct. 25-29. On Nov. 2 division placements after appeals will be announced. A final division placement appeal is allowed for schools to the AIA's executive board and must be submitted by Nov. 5. Those final appeals will be heard Nov. 15 at the executive board's next meeting. Final division placements will be announced no later than Nov. 16. Section placements will be the next piece of the revamping process and take place from mid-November through mid-December.

Another new wrinkle coming along with divisions and sections is computer scheduling.

"Computer scheduling will allow the best possible scenario to reduce travel for schools and allow them a schedule that is under their control," AIA chief operations officer Chuck Schmidt said.

"In the past with say seven teams in a region a schedule was locked in," Schmidt said. "Now you may be in a sectional with 15 or 20 schools in it. You have more choices. You can cross sections for opponents. If you want to travel a great distance to play, you can do that ,too."

For complete lists of conference placements and initial division placements, go to aiaonline.org and click on the link(s) to those lists scrolling on the right side of the home page. The division placement list is long, but will tell you which division every sport your school offers is placed.