Election Day is upon us. Same can be said for the MIAA.
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association will hold its much-discussed special assembly Friday morning at Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School in Marlborough, where member schools from throughout the Commonwealth will vote to decide whether significant changes are ahead for the state’s high school postseason formats.
The meeting will be called to order at 9:45 a.m., and following a presentation by the Tournament Management Committee (TMC), proponents and opponents will be invited to speak in an alternating pattern with speakers limited to 90 seconds. The meeting will conclude with a vote at 10:45 a.m., where every MIAA member school will fill out a written ballot with a Yes or No vote.
Voting booths will open after the discussion, with voting set to be organized alphabetically by school. Following the voting, the MIAA Committee on Sportsmanship, Integrity, and Ethics will tally the ballots and announce the results. A simple majority of votes is required for the measure to pass.
The MIAA posted a primer for the vote on its website, with the information on what a Yes or No vote would mean. Beginning in the Fall of 2021…
Tournament Structure: Team tournaments will be conducted in divisions established STATEWIDE (versus current North/South/Central/West sectionals)
NOTE: Districts/Regions/Leagues may elect to conduct regional end of season tournaments of their own design.
Qualifying Criteria: Top 32 teams qualify based on Power Ranking; 50-percent tournament qualifying method remains (for teams with .500 records who are outside of the top 32)
Seeding: Teams will be seeded by power ranking system (MaxPreps approved to begin Fall 2020)
Alignments: Established by sport committees using TMC alignment guidelines
Tournament Structure: Team tournaments will be conducted in Balanced Sections and Divisions
Qualifying Criteria: Current MIAA Handbook qualifying criteria would remain in place
Seeding: Teams will be seeded by power ranking system (MaxPreps still approved to begin Fall 2020)
Alignments: Established by sport committees using TMC alignment guidelines
Area schools will be well-represented in Marlborough for the vote.
Turners Falls High School athletic director Adam Graves said he will vote ‘No’ at Friday’s meeting, citing his community’s affinity for the Western Mass. Tournament structure that would be eradicated with a ‘Yes’ vote.
“We just think that the Western Mass. tournaments mean so much to towns like ours, that it should stay the way it is,” Graves said. “We think we do things well out here.”
Graves said he consulted with coaches and administration before ultimately deciding on the vote. While some schools have opted not to attend the assembly and cast a vote, he said the process is important regardless of how things ultimately turn out.
“Whether the vote passes or not, whatever way you vote, at least you can then go back to your coaches, teams, players and tell them, ‘This is how we voted,’” Graves said. “It’s important that everyone has their voice heard, I think.”
Count Franklin County Technical School athletic director Joe Gamache among those expected to be in attendance on Friday. Gamache said on Wednesday that he would be voting on behalf of his school, admitting he would listen to the presentation and discussion at the beginning of the meeting before ultimately deciding his vote, though he is leaning toward a ‘No’ vote.
“To be honest, I will keep my options open after hearing the arguments but right now, I’m heavily leaning toward not being in favor,” the Tech AD said. “I’m mildly intrigued to hear what the actual benefits of this are going to be. I think the major drawbacks are that people are concerned not even so much about a statewide tournament, but more so that we are going to lose our sectional tournaments as they currently exist.
“Personally for me, I will fight very strongly to continue our sectional tournaments in some format,” he continued. “It will look different than it currently does, but I think there’s enough of us that don’t want to lose that aspect of it.”
Like Gamache, Athol High School athletic director Dan Bevis said he’ll enter Friday’s meeting with an open mind but is leaning toward a ‘No’ vote.
“In terms of where I stand, I still haven’t been swayed to vote ‘Yes,’” he explained. “I am going to go with an open mind and listen to whatever is said, but I still think that I’m leaning toward a ‘No’ vote.”
Bevis mentioned the difficulty schools like his will have competing in a state tournament format. He stressed the importance of vying for a sectional title, noting that Athol hasn’t won a Western Mass. crown in 17 years.
Regardless of preference, Bevis hopes the voter turnout among MIAA schools will be high on Friday.
“Whether you think it’s going to pass or not, whether you are for it or against, it’s your responsibility to speak for your school,” he said.
Greenfield High School athletic director Mike Kuchieski will serve as his school’s representative, and as of Wednesday afternoon, Kuchieski said he was still undecided on which way he would vote.
“I’m polling all of my coaches, taking that into consideration because I need to know what my coaches think,” offered Kuchieski, who is also Greenfield’s varsity football coach.
There will be a West County presence in Marlborough, as Mohawk Trail Regional High School athletic director Greg Vouros confirmed that he will act as his school’s representative at the meeting on Friday.
“Still determining our vote,” Vouros said via email on Wednesday. “I think it’s really important for schools to send a representative to vote and would expect most schools to do so.”