MHSAA releases classification figures

Published 9:07 pm Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Enrollement

The Michigan High School Athletic Association has released its classifications for the 2013-14 school year.

None of this area schools moved up or down, according’s to the figures released by the MHSAA.

The classifications are for MHSAA elections and post season tournaments. They apply to the traditional classified sports. The post-season tournament that are set up by division will be posted Monday on the MHSAA website.

The classifications were based on the second semester enrollment figures given to the MHSAA Feb. 13. Enrollment figures for athletics may differ from those reported to the state for school aid. Anyone who reaches the age of 19 prior to Sept. 1 can be counted for school aid, but are ineligible to participate in high school sports.

Once the enrollment figures are sent to the state, those schools which are tournament-qualified are ranked based on those figures and then split as equally as possible into four classes — A, B, C and D.

The state will have 756 tournament-qualified schools for the 2013-14 school year and 189 schools in each class.

Here is the breakdown:

Class A:  893 or more students

Class B:  429-892

Class C:  207-428

Class D: 206 and fewer students

The decrease between Class A and Class B was 18 students; Class B and C was 20 students; Class C and D was 10 students fewer and last year.

A total of 24 schools moved up a class for next year, while 20 moved down a class.

The only southwest Michigan school to move was Marcellus, which will return to Class D.

Of note, two teams that the Brandywine girls basketball team has faced in the past, but were in Class D last year — Mendon and St. Ignace — return to Class C for the coming season.

Schools may not submit revised enrollment figures that would move them to a lower class.

They may, however, submit a high figure, which would move them up to the next class.

Districts are always allowed to play up a class level for a minimum of two seasons. That option must be exercised by April 15 for fall sports, Aug. 15 for winter sports and Oct. 15 for spring sports.