The term bracket creep was invented to define the inevitability that if a playoff bracket exists, it's going to expand. The NCAA Tournament grew from 64 to 68 teams in 2010, Major League Baseball expanded its playoffs from eight to 10 teams in 2012, and the NFL playoffs could grow from 12 to 14 teams as early as 2015. There was talk of expanding the College Football Playoff from four to eight teams before the College Football Playoff even existed.
Playoffs make a lot of money for a lot of people, and the only thing people like more than making money is making more money.
As those brackets continue to grow, there is no bracket creep quite like the Texas high school football playoffs.
This weekend the University Interscholastic League - the governing board of Texas high school football - will crown the last of its 12 state champions across six classifications. Each of its classifications, from 1A to 6A, is split into two divisions, and each division has its own state champion. The number of teams qualifying for the playoffs varies from two (in the smallest classification) to four (in the four largest classifications). All told, a total of 672 teams participated in the Texas high school football playoffs this fall.
Texas state senator Charles Perry thinks that's entirely too much.
Last week, Perry filed a bill to limit only two teams per district in all classifications to be eligible for the playoffs.
“Current UIL rules allow 50 percent to 74 percent of football teams to make the playoffs.We have truly watered down competition to the point that 0-10 and 1-9 teams are able to make the playoffs in some districts," he said in a release.
He added: “This not only devalues the hard work of the first- and second-place teams in a district, but it costs our school districts thousands of dollars that could be spent in the classroom. The cost is especially high in rural areas. Some schools in my district are spending an upwards of $8,000 per playoff game.”
Perry isn't alone, but he isn't in the majority, either. One group that disagrees with him? The UIL. "UIL member schools believe the current playoff system best serves the schools and students of Texas."
While there is plenty of evidence across sports of playoff brackets expanding, I can't think of one playoff field getting smaller. One thing about bracket creep - once those extra teams have been invited to the party, it's incredibly difficult to kick them out.
Coaches, what do you think? Does a larger playoff field serve the greater good, even if it means a few 2-8 or 3-7 teams sneak in every year? Or does an expanded field water down the accomplishment for everyone?