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In Arizona, thanks to a realignment of the AIA, and a new computer-based scheduling systems, some intriguing basketball contests are set to be played this winter, several of which pit schools of disparate sizes against each other. One features Rio Rico High School (1,236 students) against Patagonia Union High School (73). Patagonia Assistant Athletic Director Jeff Sweet believes these games are problematic, and told Nogales International,

"I...believe that when we play big schools, it can possibly affect our morale and possibly even affect our ability to increase enrollment."

In response, the AIA formed a Competitive Equity Committee to examine these issues. The committee, which met for the first time earlier this month, will be tasked with analyzing the variables that go into scheduling games and making recommendations to the AIA Executive Board.

In another move geared toward promoting competitive equity, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, surveyed athletic directors and coaches about possible changes to the football playoff format. The current format, in which almost all of the state's schools qualify, appears to be a recipe for for blowouts--in one weekend, over half of the 96 games played were decided by more than 28 points--and athletic directors have also complained about low fan turnout.

Possible changes could include halving the number of playoff qualifiers, although specific details on the surveys were scarce. Whatever changes are approved won't come into play until after 2014, when the rules stipulating the current structure expire.

New Jersey may also see a significant change in its postseason football structure. In December, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association will vote on changing its bylaws to possibly allow for group state championship games as early as 2013. Most states have schools compete for state titles, but New Jersey schools only go as far as sectional titles.

The move would require a tweaking of the regular season, and an area of concern is that there isn't a concrete plan on how to accommodate the additional playoff round. One proposed plan supposedly involves an eight-game regular season and moving the beginning of the playoffs up a week. Other coaches suggested possibly starting the season a week earlier. Wayne Hills Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Chris Olsen told NorthJersey.com,

"I don't want to lose regular-season games as well. I think we should be playing a game a week earlier; playing in December in New Jersey is a real crapshoot."

While the playoff field may be getting smaller, the player pool in New Jersey is set to grow. A new policy allows home-schooled players to play high school sports, aligning the NJSIAA rules with state law mandating that students are eligible to participate in extracurricular activities in local schools, provided they meet all eligibility standards current student-athletes have to abide by.

Postseason structure is also undergoing a massive change in Indiana, where the state's team wrestling tournament is being done away with next season. The event is held at the same time as the individual tournament, and several coaches would hold out their best wrestlers from the team competition.

Although some coaches were disappointed in the move, the lack of enthusiasm surrounding it sealed the team tournament's fate.

"If I've got to intervene and lean on someone to send their varsity to a...tournament event, it's not a very good event,'' IHSAA Commissioner Bobby Cox told the Indianapolis Star.

However, all is not lost for team competitions. The IHSAA will work with the state coaches association to help set up a separate team tournament in the future.

In other Indiana news, Cox sat down with coaches, athletic directors, and principals from a dozen schools--all of which were involved in brawls during the season, to discuss sportsmanship during games.

"After going out there and doing all of those meetings, I thought, 'we've got to do something,'" Cox told the Journal Review. "We can't just say, 'OK, these are things that just happen.'"

Patrick Bohn is an Assistant Editor at Athletic Management.