MIAA Votes to Keep Football Tournament Format

The high school football tournament format is here to stay.

Friday, the MIAA voted to keep the current system, effectively making the current postseason structure permanent.

In place since the 2013 season, supporters of the tournament said the format is more inclusive and allows for more teams to play for a state title. Detractors, however, argued that the tournament, which starts after seven regular season games, decreases the meaning of Thanksgiving game and non-tournament games between week eight and the holiday.

Prior to the tournament format, teams played a regular season that ended on Thanksgiving. The league champions then moved on to a four-team tournament in multiple divisions, with the semi-finals on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and the championship games known as "Super Bowls" occurring the following Saturday.

A no vote would have returned to that format.

Originally a six-division format, two more divisions will be added this year, according to ESPN Boston. Usually, six games are held at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough but whether the home of the Patriots will be receptive to a second day of games is unknown.