It's almost a done deal. With football coaches from both the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League and the Peninsula Athletic League endorsing a change, it now seems very likely that the two leagues will combine into one 32-team prep circuit next year. A few more approvals from principals and CCS itself must be secured but the signs are strong that a new expanded PAL will become reality. That will allow more equity-based team placements into A,B and C divisions. In some respects, a new super-PAL football arrangement would be similar to the Pacific Coast Athletic League that embraces schools in coastal counties. We await anticipated results of upcoming deliberations.
Peninsula Merger Progress
- Thread starter colhenrylives
- Start date
I'm sure there are a lot of possibilities of the restructure if it happens. But currently there are 5 sub-leagues among the the 2 super-leagues in question.
Certainly five divisions are under consideration. Geography may factor into this as well, at least in part.
I believe that this will turn into a pissing match among big wigs if this thing goes down. One way to Divi-it up is go off of Sectional Power Rankings. Per Cal Preps:
"Super A" League
(4) Menlo-Atherton
(5) Los Gatos
(8) Menlo School
(12) Adrian C. Wilcox
(15) Half Moon Bay
(16) Burlingame
(18) Mountain View
(20) Sacred Heart Preparatory
"Super B" League
(25) Homestead
(26) Hillsdale
(27) Palo Alto
(28) Terra Nova
(31) The King's Academy
(32) Aragon
(34) Milpitas
(41) Henry M. Gunn
"Lesser B" League
(43) San Mateo
(44) Santa Clara
(46) Los Altos
(47) Capuchino
(56) Jefferson
(57) Cupertino
(61) Carlmont
(64) Sequoia
"Super C" League
(66) Fremont
(71) Woodside
(82) Lynbrook
(83) El Camino
(87) Saratoga
(88) Monta Vista
(91) Mills
(NR) South San Francisco
"Super A" League
(4) Menlo-Atherton
(5) Los Gatos
(8) Menlo School
(12) Adrian C. Wilcox
(15) Half Moon Bay
(16) Burlingame
(18) Mountain View
(20) Sacred Heart Preparatory
"Super B" League
(25) Homestead
(26) Hillsdale
(27) Palo Alto
(28) Terra Nova
(31) The King's Academy
(32) Aragon
(34) Milpitas
(41) Henry M. Gunn
"Lesser B" League
(43) San Mateo
(44) Santa Clara
(46) Los Altos
(47) Capuchino
(56) Jefferson
(57) Cupertino
(61) Carlmont
(64) Sequoia
"Super C" League
(66) Fremont
(71) Woodside
(82) Lynbrook
(83) El Camino
(87) Saratoga
(88) Monta Vista
(91) Mills
(NR) South San Francisco
That alignment may or may not come to fruition. Five divisions may result. Geography could factor in as well. Placement of teams is still to come. But the bottom line appears pretty firm at this point: A merger will occur, either via the principals or CCS poobahs, or both. The odds of this going forward are excellent. How it would impact other sports remains to be seen.
One obvious plus for an expanded rock-bottom division is that it would combine most, if not all, of the two leagues' faltering programs into a single quarantine arrangement. This would allow them to sink or swim among themselves, hopefully providing some equity-based competition along the way.
They should adopt the idea of promotion and relegation as well, given the challenges of equity. Move up or down to the top/bottom one or two teams every year. Not that complicated and it helps programs who want to put more into their program or if they want to deemphasize competiveness.
This is already how all the CCS super-leagues handle their league exchanges. I would expect no less from the merging of these two superleagues. I think colhenry is suggesting the lower "C" grouping as a starting point. The system is traditionally in place for lower teams to move up for better competition if they choose and it is warranted.
Recent article in the Palo Alto local paper.
www.paloaltoonline.com
. The two leagues currently have 13 play-off spots and are looking for a structure that preserves that. The current proposal is two six team A leagues, two six team B leagues and an eight team C League. Not clear how the A and B leagues would be divided (By team strength, by geography, etc.)
If you went straight from Cal Prep rankings you would have:
A league Teams - 8 play-off spots
Menlo-Atherton 41.2
Los Gatos 39.9
Wilcox 36.9
Menlo 28.4
Half Moon Bay 20.4
Burlingame 19.9
Sacred Heart Prep 18.9
Mountain View 11.1
Homestead 8.0
Palo Alto 7.9
Hillsdale 3.5
Aragon 3.0
B League Teams - 4 play-off spots
Terra Nova 1.8
Kings Academy 1.4
Milpitas -1.4
Gunn -10.6
Capuchino -12.2
San Mateo -12.8
Santa Clara -13.1
Jefferson -16.8
Los Altos -16.8
Cupertino -19.9
Carlmont -20.3
Sequoia -23.3
C League 1 play-off spot
Fremont -26
Woodside -36
El Camino -44.9
Lynbrook -45.1
Saratoga -51.5
Monta Vista -54.4
Mills -58.6
South San Francisco - only fielded JV team in 2021
Football merger in the works between PAL and SCVAL
Momentum is building to have a football-only merger take place between the 18-team Peninsula Athletic League and the 14-team Santa Clara Valley Athletic League by the fall of 2022.
www.paloaltoonline.com
. The two leagues currently have 13 play-off spots and are looking for a structure that preserves that. The current proposal is two six team A leagues, two six team B leagues and an eight team C League. Not clear how the A and B leagues would be divided (By team strength, by geography, etc.)
If you went straight from Cal Prep rankings you would have:
A league Teams - 8 play-off spots
Menlo-Atherton 41.2
Los Gatos 39.9
Wilcox 36.9
Menlo 28.4
Half Moon Bay 20.4
Burlingame 19.9
Sacred Heart Prep 18.9
Mountain View 11.1
Homestead 8.0
Palo Alto 7.9
Hillsdale 3.5
Aragon 3.0
B League Teams - 4 play-off spots
Terra Nova 1.8
Kings Academy 1.4
Milpitas -1.4
Gunn -10.6
Capuchino -12.2
San Mateo -12.8
Santa Clara -13.1
Jefferson -16.8
Los Altos -16.8
Cupertino -19.9
Carlmont -20.3
Sequoia -23.3
C League 1 play-off spot
Fremont -26
Woodside -36
El Camino -44.9
Lynbrook -45.1
Saratoga -51.5
Monta Vista -54.4
Mills -58.6
South San Francisco - only fielded JV team in 2021
Last edited:
Again, a major reason for such a football-only arrangement is to isolate the very worst programs in the two leagues, allowing them to play among themselves at a low, basic level. The philosophy seems to be that, by keeping the playing field relatively equal for the fading programs, perhaps some of them can resurrect themselves, survive and, perhaps return to a more sturdy status. It has become clear that several of those C league members are on life support today.
They are hoping to have in place for next season - the PAL delayed its promotion/demotion pending on seeing if the merger will be finalized shortly. I know the SCVAL has a meeting in the next few days. The current plan is for the SCVAL to not offer football going forward and then for the SCVAL schools to apply to the PAL for Football only membership which would then complete the process. Menlo, SHP and Kings Academy are already football only members of the PAL and belong to the West Bay Athletic League for other sports. The WBAL does not offer football.
As expected and reported in the San Mateo Daily Journal, the PAL approved the SCVAL/PAL merger for football only. Know SCVAL will have to drop football and have its members join PAL for football only creating 32 team superleague with two six team A leagues, 2 six team B leagues and an 8 team C league. The two leagues will keep their 13 combined automatic play-off spots. The A and B leagues are going to be primarily divided by geography as opposed to strength of teams. The SCVAL vote on this is expected shortly.
www.smdailyjournal.com
Vote clears path for PAL-SCVAL football merger
With a unanimous vote, the Peninsula Athletic League Board of Managers agreed Wednesday to move forward with the merger between the PAL and the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League for
Last edited:
This is good news. A new, expanded PAL football arrangement could preserve some of the failing programs that have struggled so mightily over the last decade or so. Still, one does wonder if South San Francisco will be able to field a varsity (or even continue football at all) even with a new PAL setup. The school has announced that Frank Moro will return as the program's head coach in 2022. So that's a start. But will there be a varsity after having none in 2021 and a threadbare JV team that managed to eke out a single W? We'll have to wait and see.
Last edited:
The PAL-SCVAL football-only merger is complete. Officials from both leagues have approved the move. For now, 32 teams are involved. One SCVAL school, Milpitas, has petitioned to join the BVAL instead. If that is OK'd, the new, expanded PAL football arrangement would comprise 31 teams. It is expected that the new equity-based, three-division circuit would commence play in the fall of 2022.
