The Big North Conference continues to try to stretch the gridiron all over the state of New Jersey.
The newest proposal from Bergen and Passaic County athletic directors would allow for state group champions in football.
The proposal discussed at the Director of Athletics Association of New Jersey workshop in Atlantic City today defines how a 14-week football season beginning the weekend after Labor Day would lead to Group finals champions while allow all schools in the state to play as many as 13 games a season.
Using 2014 as an example, the proposal sets the calendar:
Practice – Monday, Aug. 11
Labor Day – Monday, Sept. 1
Week 1 – Friday, Sept. 4 or Saturday Sept. 5
Week 8 – Eight-game regular season ends on Oct. 24/25.
Week 9 – First round of playoffs on Oct. 31/Nov. 1.
Week 10 – Second round of playoffs on Nov. 7/8.
Week 11 – State sectional semifinals on Nov. 14/15
Week 12 – Group semifinals on Nov. 21/22
Week 13 – Thanksgiving Day Games Nov. 26-29
Week 14 – Group Finals Dec. 5/6.
Schools that did not qualify for playoffs would play games on Weeks 9 and 10 assigned by the state and could set up additional games Weeks 11-13.
Teams eliminated during the playoffs will be eligible for games added by the state or set up by athletic directors through Week 13.
Non-Public playoffs would be completed by Week 11. Non-Public schools may schedule additional games through Week 13 including playing out of state schools.
Big North president Denis Nelson, athletic director of River Dell, told the athletic directors that this proposal is meant to start a conversation on how best to accomplish the task calling for feedback from the rest of the state.
The proposal will introduced to the NJSIAA Executive Committee in April. It will need the approval of the Executive and football committees, as well as a two-third vote of the membership at the annual June meeting to ratify a Constitution change.