Southern Section commissioner wants fewer playoff teams

Rob Wigod, the commissioner of the Southern Section, wants to start a debate over whether there are too many teams being allowed in the Southern Section playoffs because of Blue Book Rule 3214.1.

That rule, passed several years ago, allows schools that did not earn a guaranteed entry from their league into the playoffs in every sport but football, basketball and wrestling as long as their school finished in the next place beyond that league’s guaranteed number of entries and the school has an overall record of .500 or better.

In a commissioner’s message, Wigod says, “I wonder what kind of experience it is for student-athletes, coaches, administrators, parents and fans when we look at the brackets after first round games and see baseball and softball teams losing by 15-20 runs, soccer teams losing by 5-10 goals and water polo teams losing by 10-15 goals after taking long trips to those games and paying significant costs to do so. Is that really the lasting memory we wish to take away from the end of our seasons?”

The problem is schools, players, coaches and parents desperately want to participate in the playoffs, and there’s no way the membership of the Southern Section is going to take away that opportunity.

The section already has 12 championships in boys’ and girls’ basketball. How about reducing that? There’s 13 championships in football. What about reducing that?

No way will the membership think of decreasing championships.

They want to put banners up in the gym -- any kind of banners.

It’s good Wigod has started the debate, but I doubt enough schools will push for reducing teams.

The genie is out of the bottle.

Here’s the link to Wigod’s complete commissioner’s message.

This story was reported by Times Staff Writer Eric Sondheimer.