MSL Expansion?

• racerdog95

  There has been a lot of talk in the recent years about how teams in the MSL Cardinal is wanting change, either by growth of their respected schools or just wanting to form a new league.
  
  There was a big meeting where the MSL invited several schools to talk about adding a 4th division... and the change could come sooner then the 2013 contracts
  
  not sure how this will effect the Ohio or Buckeye if at all...But what are your thoughts on this
• Life's a Pitch

  I think shaking up the teams in all the MSL leagues could be beneficial. As far as from a soccer perspective (since you posted this on the soccer forum) I think there are HUGE disparities between the top teams in each league and the bottom teams. For example in the MSL Cardinal, Grandview is clearly head & shoulders above everyone else. In the Ohio (I think that's the one) Bexley and Academy are the clear cut favorites year in and year out. The Ohio has a bit more competition at the top with BC, Canal, and FU seemingly battling it out every season.
  
  While these are usually the top teams each year you then have the same teams on the bottom each year. Now I know the argument is always "the bottom teams just need to get better to challenge the top teams". While I agree with that in principle the fact is most of the lower teams just don't have the committed players to do so. There are a couple of lower teams that have really good coaches from what I have seen and have made tremendous progress as far as their level play but still can't come close to the top teams in their division...this is true in the Cardinal especially. With all that being said I know soccer will never be the catalyst for change as pointy ball rules in the MSL.
• racerdog95

  Totally agree with your statement on who is dominant now. But after reading on a local site here is a wishful projected breakdown that I could agree with. Plus it would make the Ohio Division very strong where it came to soccer. But your right.... that pointy ball will be the ultimate decider
  
  Buckeye
  Canal
  Hamilton
  Teays Valley
  Circleville
  Logan Elm
  Bexley
  Whitehall
  Licking Heights
  
  OHIO
  Granville
  Licking Valley
  Lakewood
  Heath
  Bloom Carrol
  Liberty Union
  Fairfield Union
  Amanda
  
  Cardinal
  Fisher Catholic
  Harvest Prep
  Berne Union
  Grandview
  West Jeff
  Newark Catholic
  Academy
  Millersport
• Life's a Pitch

  I like that breakdown. Agree the Ohio would be the best in terms of soccer from top to bottom.
  
  How about for each sport there are 3 divisions based on strength and we use promotion/relegation. Using these teams I would start the divisions like this (in no real particular order)...
  1st div
  Bexley
  Grandview
  Whitehall
  Academy
  Canal
  Granville
  Bloom
  Teays
  
  2nd div
  Fairfield Union
  Lakewood
  Hamilton
  West Jeff
  Circleville
  Fisher
  Harvest
  Liberty Union
  
  3rd div
  Logan Elm
  Licking Heights
  Licking Valley
  Heath
  Amanda (hopefully they'll have a team)
  Berne Union (if they ever get a team)
  Newark Catholic (if they get a team)
  Millersport (if they ever get a team)
  
  Or if the schools that don't currently have teams continue to not field a soccer team you would have div 1 & 2 have 7 teams and div 3 would have 6 teams.
• racerdog95

  Interesting thought process. So would you promote and demote the first and last 2 teams respectively
• Life's a Pitch

  Yeah top team(s) and bottom team(s) in each division would move. It could be only 1 team or 2 or 3 for that matter.
  
  I think the idea of leagues being set in stone is kind of a problem. Leagues like the MSL have divisions that could fluctuate for each given sport and could really pit teams that have similar talent against each other for a league title. The one big problem this type of format would have with high school teams is the fact that every team changes personnel from year to year. Seniors graduate and new players come in so the teams aren't necessarily consistent year in and year out so a team that wins one season in the 2nd division may get run off the pitch the following year in the 1st division.