There is a scene in the movie “The Lion King” when Rafiki discovers that Simba is still alive.

And Rafiki, knowing Simba must return to the pride and take his father’s place, says, “It is time.”

Well, we’ve come to the scene in the Ohio High School Athletic Association football playoffs when the expansion to 16 teams must be returned to eight.

Yes. It is time.

The OHSAA’s decision to expand the playoffs to 16 teams in each region of each of the seven divisions was made against the wishes of the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association.

The coaches were none too happy and let the OHSAA know in no uncertain terms. But the OHSAA was facing a $1.3 million deficit due to the pandemic which shortened the season to six regular season games and paved the way for the 16-teams playoff.

The OHSAA hoped to erase the debt over five years but it took about two years. But the playoffs remained at 16 teams.

The original proposal was for 12 teams with the top four teams drawing a bye in the first round. The football coaches were somewhat warm to the idea on an experimental basis, but the OHSAA just said, “We don’t care what you want. We are doing this for the good of the schools.”

You mean for the good of the Association.

If there is one thing you can learn about anything in life, whether it is sports, politics, the entertainment business such as TV and movies stars, it is that when they say it’s not about the money, it’s about the money.

Despite the windfall the playoff expansion has now created, the OHSAA doesn’t payout expenses like before the pandemic. The percentage of the ticket sales for schools has dwindled. There was no real travel expense money or anything to eat. That’s on the participating schools.

And speaking of the participating schools, this is what 16 teams have done.

Take the case of Division 7 powerhouse and unbeaten No.1-ranked Maria Stein Marrion Local who has cruised through its schedule. The Flyers first-round opponent will be Cincinnati Lockland.

No wait. Lockland declined. Also opting out was New Miami. Maria Stein’s foe will be Cedarville (4-6).

And this isn’t the first time teams have opted out which foils the OHSAA argument that it’s an exciting time for the players to make the playoffs.

Yes, that might be exciting if you have a chance. When you’re the No.16 team and playing the No.1 team, the only thing the lower seeded team can look forward to is a blowout loss and quite often a long bus ride home.

Qualifying 16 teams means many teams with a losing record will make the playoffs and a prime example is in Division 2 where the Logan Chieftains are the No.16 team in Region 7 and will visit No.1 Sunbury Big Walnut.

Logan was able to make the playoffs thanks to a win over Nelsonville-York to begin the season. Nelsonville-York qualified for the playoffs in Region 19 of Division 5 thanks to an 8-2 record. While it was only one of N-Y’s losses, it was also the only win for Logan.

That’s right. Logan went 1-9 and made the playoffs.

The idea of the playoffs is to find out who is the best team in each division. So, what odds are you giving Logan to win the state championship?

I understand the OHSAA needs to make some money to fund the playoffs and help cover the losses in the playoffs of many other sports. But the claim that the OHSAA is a non-profit organization is much like saying that gambling on NFL games is for fun and entertainment only.

Football is not like other sports when it comes to playoffs. The physical play takes its toll. The OHSAA says it worries about player safety and yet if you make it to the state title game now you play one less game than an NFL regular season and more than college teams who make their championship game.

There is a fear that cutting back on the number of participating teams will mean higher ticket prices. The current cost of playoff tickets can cause a family to need a bank loan to fund them as they follow their team if it goes deep in the playoffs.

Non-profit. Right.

All I can say to the OHSAA about reducing the number of playoff teams from 16 to eight is this: It is time.

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Jim Walker is sports editor of The Ironton Tribune.