SECTION IV FOOTBALL: CLASSIFICATION CUT-OFF NUMBERS JUMP HIGHER; CLASS C & D RANKS SWELL, CLASS B GUTTED (2019-11-13)

Valley Sports Report
ALBANY - NYPHSAA's Central Committee has adjusted the classification numbers for the 2020 football season resulting in more teams in Class C and D, and a gutting of the once powerful Class B in Section IV.

The classifications are based on BEDS numbers (total enrollment - boys and girls, in grades 9 through 11) - submitted to New York State by each school district.

NYSPHAA bumped the cut-off numbers up during its annual meeting this summer, creating an increase from 9 to 11 Class C programs next season in Section IV, and a jump from nine to 12 Class D programs.

Class B, however, will fall from eight to just three programs.

The new numbers in Class C are 261 to 396 students, up from 230 to 354. Dropping from Class B to Class C will be Waverly, Chenango Forks, Norwich, Chenango Valley, and Oneonta.

The new numbers in Class D are 0 to 260 students, up from 0 to 229. Dropping from Class C to Class D are Newark Valley, Harpursville / Afton, and Sidney.

The new classification numbers will leave just 10 teams combined in Class AA (Corning, Elmira, Horseheads, Binghamton, and Ithaca), Class A (U-E and Vestal), and Class B (Maine-Endwell, Owego, and Johnson City).

The Section IV Football Committee will decide in December how to split the new teams into divisions.

The following are the Class C and Class D programs (with BEDS numbers) for the 2020 season:

Class C (261-396)
Chenango Valley (375)
Dryden (368)
Norwich (365)
Windsor (362)
Oneonta (362)
Chenango Forks (354)
Waverly (344)
Susquehanna Valley (306)
Spencer Van-Etten / Candor (297)
Whitney Point (294)
Watkins Glen / Odessa-Montour (293)

Class D (260-below)
Newark Valley (258)
Harpursville / Afton (243)
Sidney (239)
Greene (225)
Tioga (219)
Moravia (216)
Delhi (200)
Walton (197)
Unatego / Franklin (193)
Groton (179)
Deposit-Hancock (166)
Bainbridge-Guilford (161)