A pair of Dowagiac coaches believe there will be not difference when the MHSAA switches from classes to divisions in basketball and volleyball.

The MHSAA’s Representative Council approved the switch from traditional classes to four equal divisions for the two sports at its annual spring meeting May 7-8.

Basketball and volleyball were the only remaining sports, other than football, that were not divided into equal divisions.

Football will remain the only sport the MHSAA requires teams to qualify for the postseason.

The switch will begin with the 2018-19 school year.

Dowagiac girls basketball coach Brent Nate and volleyball coach Rachel Zeider do not see any advantage to the switch.

“It really shouldn’t impact the girls basketball district all that much,” Nate said. “Our enrollment numbers have us at a solid Class B school so it wouldn’t effect us all that much.”

“I think the change will have no effect,” Zeider said. “The drive will remain in effect for the athletes while the label is different.”

The representative council also approved several chances to a variety of sports including football, soccer, volleyball and wrestling.

In football, the council adopted two recommendations. The first deals with the semifinals and finals. The home team will be determined by playoff point average instead of regional advancement.

The second will allow 11-player semifinals to be played either Friday or Saturday instead of just Saturday afternoon.

In soccer, overtime periods and shootouts have been eliminated during the regular season. Leagues may use both for conference tournaments.

In wrestling, the council approved team regional hosts will be selected from the four qualifying teams based on a yearly rotation among those districts.

It also approved a revised weigh-in process to include a section for inspection, where all participating wrestlers would be subject to inspection by officials.