The NCHSAA Board of Directors met last week. One of their major discussion items was the current use of the “Pod” system of playoff pairing. Currently the “Pod” is used for football. The board voted to eliminate the “pod” system from all classifications but 1A and 1AA, and kept it for 1A/1AA due to extreme travel conditions that exist in those classifications.
Here is the official statement from the NCHSAA web site:
One of the significant changes the Board made is the elimination of the “pod” system for NCHSAA football playoffs in 2-A, 2-AA, 3-A, 3-AA, 4-A and 4-AA. The pods will be maintained in 1-A and 1-AA because of the extreme travel that can happen in those classifications. Even though the straight seeding will increase travel in other classifications, the Board noted that the NCHSAA has increased travel allotments and has returned much more money for the schools that may help offset increased travel costs.