So, the NJIC said no. I get it. They have there reasons and they are valid. I think I would have voted to join, but I understand. They have a good league, a good organization, so why mess with it?
But now, we know for sure, starting in 2016 (pending any legal action) the North Jersey Super Football Conference is set to begin play. It needs a lot of things….first, it needs a name. I still like “Super North.” It also needs people in charge officially and stuff like that. The first meeting should come in November.
Athletic directors from all 115 schools in the league (yes, it’s the biggest football-only league in the U.S.) were supposed to get a copy of this alignment yesterday. The next step is filling out a form for preferred crossover games, which are games against non-division foes. Then the scheduling will begin, and holy smoke, that’s going to be rough.
But here is the proposed divisional alignment for the Super North, starting in 2016.
United Division – A
Bergen Catholic
Don Bosco
Paramus Catholic
St. Joseph’s
St. Peter’s Prep
United Division B
Delbarton
DePaul
Pope John
Seton Hall Prep
United Division C
Hudson Catholic
Marist
MKA
Immaculate Conception – Montclair
Morris Catholic
Mo-Beard
Newark Academy
St. Anthony’s
Liberty Division A
Bergen Tech
Clifton
Eastside
Hackensack
Kennedy
Passaic
Passaic Tech
Ridgewood
Liberty Division B
Bayonne
Dickison
East Side (Newark)
Kearny
Memorial
North Bergen
Union City
Liberty Division C
Bloomfield
Columbia
East Orange
Livingston
Montclair
Morristown
West Orange
Freedom Division A
Mendham
Morris Knolls
Mt. Olive
Randolph
Roxbury
West Morris
Freedom Division B
Belleville
Irvington
Millburn
Passaic Valley
Wayne Hills
Wayne Valley
Freedom Division C
Fair Lawn
Indian Hills
Northern Highlands
Old Tappan
Teaneck
Patriot Division A
High Point
Jefferson
Montville
Morris Hills
Sparta
Vernon
West Milford
Patriot Division B
Barringer
Chatham
Ferris
Nutley
Orange
Parsippany Hills
West Essex
Patriot Division C
Demarest
Dwight-Morrow
Paramus
Ramapo
Snyder
Tenafly
Patriot Division D
Bergenfield
Cliffside Park
Fort Lee
Pascack Valley
Ridgefield Park
River Dell
American Division A
Hackettstown
Kittatinny
Lakeland
Lenape Valley
Newton
Wallkill Valley
American Division B
Central (Newark)
Dover
Hanover Park
Kinnelon
Madison
Pequannock
American Division C
Caldwell
Lincoln
Mountain Lakes
Parsippany
West Side (Newark)
Whippany Park
American Division D
Dumont
Mahwah
Pascack Hills
Ramsey
Westwood
National Division A
Cedar Grove
Glen Ridge
Hoboken
Shabazz
Weequahic
National Division B
Boonton
Butler
Hopatcong
North Warren
Verona
So, it’s very easy logic right now. There are 19 divisions, all broken down by group size.
United Division – non-public schools
Liberty – Group 5 schools
Freedom – Group 4 schools
Patriot – Group 3 schools
American – Group 2 schools
National – Group 1 schools
On first glance….
– So much of this will come down to the schedules and the crossover requests, and you may have some situations where a school wants to crossover with another school, but not vice versa. Like, will Delbarton want to crossover with Bosco? I kinda doubt it, but the Ironmen might want to do it.
– Even though you look at the divisions and see some mismatches, I’m not sure what recourse any AD or coach will have. The current system has too many divisions with teams in different groups. This plan does away with that. Group 5 schools…guess what? You’re playing Group 5 schools in your division. Fort Lee and Pascack Valley in the same division though? Well, hey, you’re both Group 3 schools now.
– With only 10 Group 1 schools in the Super North, this is where I really thought the NJIC would help/benefit. I bet most of them would have just stayed in the same division alignments they have now. But they opted out.
– Another thing to consider, the United C division….some of those schools have struggled with enrollment and fielding teams in the past. This is going to be an issue going forward I think.
– I also think going forward, there should be a system put in place where the divisions shift every two years based on competitiveness. Like, the divisions really become based on success. For example, let’s say in Patriot D, Pascack Valley wins the league 2 years running, while in Patriot C Snyder finishes last both years, maybe Valley goes up to C, and Snyder drops down to D for the next 2 year cycle. An arrangement like this is used in other sports and would work in football too. This also allows programs to seek and find their proper level.
– My last thought too….Dumont and Tenafly are separated now, would they both request a crossover game so they could maintain the Thanksgiving tradition? We will have to see.