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About 20 interested prep football enthusiasts attended a question and answer session about proposed changes in realignment Thursday afternoon at the Utah High School Activities Association office in Midvale.
The UHSAA is scheduled to finalize region alignments for sports and other activities in late November. It is considering adopting a proposal for its six football classifications that could move schools up or down based on state tournament success or lack thereof.
UHSAA assistant director Bart Thompson, who has worked on that alignment proposal, said many of the questions and concerns expressed Thursday came from schools that had experienced success, which could potentially move them up a classification.
A formal public hearing is scheduled August 27 at the UHSAA offices in Midvale before the organization's governing Board of Trustees meets August 28, when it will finalize the program.
Thompson said about five percent of the schools will be on "the bubble" where a decision will need to be made on which classification they will be placed in. Schools are placed in a classification mostly based on the number of students. Under the proposal, a complicated formula would be used that could add or subtract students.
The UHSAA assistant director stressed that the new formula will not affect the vast majority of schools.
The group's Executive Committee met Thursday as well, mainly for orientation. The big decision was where the site of the Class 3A boys and girls basketball tournaments would be. Officials are hoping to utilize the Huntsman Center but University of Utah officials have not been able to commit so the UHSAA said the event would be held at Salt Lake Community College if the Huntsman Center is not available.
Tom Wharton