Rick Patrick: Greene Publishing, Inc.
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) has announced more changes in the way teams are selected for the football playoffs. This year, rather than awarding points for winning games and bonus points based on opponents' records, all teams will receive playoff invitations based on a mathematical formula.
Each team will be awarded a "Rating Percentage Index" (RPI). The RPI is determined by the following formula: RPI = (Winning percentage x 0.35) + (Opponents' winning percentage x 0.35) + (Opponents' opponents' winning percentage x 0.30). At the conclusion of the regular season, the six teams with the highest RPI in each region will be seeded in the playoffs. The top two seeds will receive a first-round bye. The higher seeded team will be the host team during the regional tournament. In the state semi-final games, the team with the higher regular-season RPI will be the host team.
The Class 1A State Championship game will take place in Tallahassee (another change from recent years) at Gene Cox Stadium, on Thursday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m.; or Saturday, Dec. 7, at 7:30 p.m.