CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — High school basketball teams in West Virginia are being divided into four classes instead of three, creating a larger and longer state tournament for at least the next two years.
News outlets report the West Virginia Board of Education voted Wednesday to accept a Secondary School Activities Commission pilot program going into effect in the 2020-2021 school year.
The program uses a formula to group schools. Classifications will be determined 70 percent by school enrollment and 30 percent by location and socioeconomic status.
The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports supporters say the change could create more parity for rural schools.
Opponents say the change could unfairly affect specific counties.
The pilot program adds eight teams to the state basketball tournament and an extra day for both boys’ and girls’ teams at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center.