Football: City Section begins discussions on creating Open Division for playoffs

City Section coaches have begun discussions of creating an Open Division for next season’s football playoffs. Its advisory committee will need to come up with a proposal by the end of January to be presented to the Board of Managers.

Eagle Rock Coach Andy Moran has taken a leading role in gathering support for an Open Division, which the San Diego Section and North Coast Section have done and the City Section uses for basketball.

The idea would be to take the eight best teams out of an enlarged Division I at the end of the regular season and place them in the Open Division.

“We’re trying to make it more equitable,” Moran said.

Moran said there would be 24 Division I teams, and each team would be guaranteed a playoff berth in either Division I or the Open Division.

This season, four of the six semifinal games in City Section Divisions I, II and III resulted in running clocks.

Moran said the idea of an Open Division would help address growing concerns of schools engaged in recruiting and building up all-star teams.

One issue that will need to be addressed is which teams would qualify for state regional games. If a section has an Open Division, it can send a runner-up to a regional bowl game if it desires.

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