The transcript for the Live Chat that took place Friday morning can be found here.

The topic of this first chat was whether or not the CIAC should make changes for football.

We will have more live chats throughout this football season.

Do you have a suggestion for what the next topic should be about?
Leave your comment below.

Join me for a live chat today at 11 a.m.

The topic of the discussion will be: Does CIAC football need restructuring?

To take part, click here.

Leroy Williams, the chairman of the CIAC football committee, says the CIAC is open to changes in the way this state conducts its practices, games and playoff system, and will reevaluate the process again at the end of this season.

Williams' comments come in light of UConn football coach Randy Edsall's remarks in Tuesday's Register.

Edsall said the CIAC puts too many restrictions on the state's high school football athletes.
Edsall said in Tuesday's Register: “Connecticut football is like the Ivy League, in terms that they start so late and don’t have a true playoff system. I think they should start practice in early August, finish the first week of November and start the playoffs to be done by the second week of December.”

Other states begin practice in early August, games begin before Labor Day and an expanded playoff format takes place in early November.

Williams says that most schools in CT start after Labor Day, and that unlike New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, three states that have expanded playoffs, schools in this state have a long history of playing their traditional rivals on Thanksgiving morning.

"At the end of last year, we almost came to a resolution," Williams said. "But by April or May, everything needs to be set for the upcoming season. We just didn't have enough time to do it (make changes to the playoffs) for this year. But the committee is more than willing to listen to recommendations."

Williams says the football committee will listen to all possibilities they encounter during the upcoming regular season.

This past March, the CIAC Board of Control voted to maintain spring football for member schools, however; the Board also approved an alternative to traditional spring football which allows member schools the choice of electing traditional spring football or to add four (4) days to the start of practice in August, but decided not to change the playoff format.

One proposal would add a quarterfinal round and expand the number of teams qualifying from 24 to 48. The quarterfinal round would take place on the Thursday before Thanksgiving. Teams would still play their regularly scheduled Thanksgiving Day games but those games would not impact playoff standings. The semifinals and finals would still be the Tuesday and Saturday after Thanksgiving as they currently are. There will still be six classes (eight in each class), and the proposal would not have an impact on the length of the season.

If the playoffs went beyond the first week of December, weather may play an issue, and Williams says there are only a select number of turf fields in this state. Also, many teams may not want to essentially have the Thanksgiving Day games be rendered meaningless because that game is usually the biggest gate of the season, and teams depend on that game to cover financial costs for the year. Also, winter sports, such as basketball and hockey, may be against expanding football one week, which would coincide with the start of the winter sports season.

Williams also talked about possibly eliminating spring practice and having unlimited contact in August, but legality issues concerning responsibility if a student-athlete is injured will have to be addressed, as well as players interfering with maintenance crews trying to get schools and fields set for the upcoming school year.

Seems like there is not a simple solution, but Williams says the CIAC is willing to hear all sides of an issue.

Sheehan will host defending Class SS champion New London on Friday Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. in Wallingford.

With that game set, all nine teams who were supposed to play Derby this season have found an opponent. Derby bolted from the Southern Connecticut Conference last spring to join the Naugatuck Valley League.

This week's Top 10 rates the state's best divisions. The bigger debate has always been which is the state's best conference. However, this state doesn't have 10 conferences, so the next best thing is to rate the divisions. State championships weren't the only barometer, but winning state titles, and reaching the postseason, is a good way to measure consistency.

Feel free to leave your choice below.

1. SCC Division I East
Of the Southern Connecticut Conference’s four divisions, this one is, arguably, the best.
The SCC was formed in 1994. The football divisions realigned into four divisions starting with the 2004 season after Milford schools Law and Foran joined the league.

By using 1994 as a reference point, since that’s when the SCC was founded, this division has won the most state titles of any other division in the state.

Four of the five division members have won at least one state title, while both Cheshire and Hand have won four championships since 1994.

Cheshire won four straight, from 1994-1997. The Rams’ returned to a state final (Class LL) last season before losing to Glastonbury.

Hand is 4-2 in state finals. The Tigers won Class L in 1997 and Class MM from 2003-2005, defeating teams from four different divisions. Hand lost in the Class M final, to SCC member Foran, in 1994, and in the 2007 Class MM final to New Canaan.

Notre Dame-West Haven defeated Fitch in the 2001 Class L final, while West Haven edged Greenwich in the 2002 Class LL title game. West Haven also appeared in the 2003 Class LL final.

2. FCIAC East
Starting last season, the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference expanded from two to three divisions.

While all three current divisions are equally as challenging, the East Division teams have won the most state titles since 1994.

New Canaan has won five in that span, the most of any team in the FCIAC. The Rams are the three-time defending Class MM champion, and also won Class M titles in 2001 and 2002. New Canaan has won seven championships overall since the inception of the CIAC playoffs in 1976.

Darien claimed the Class S title in 1996. The Blue Devils have been to four other finals since then, including losing to New Canaan in the Class MM final last season.

Wilton lost to Brookfield in the Class M final in 1995. Trinity Catholic hasn’t been to a final since it won Class S in 1993. St. Joseph owns eight state championships, but hasn’t been to a final since winning Class M in 1990.

3. SCC Division I West
The SCC makes another appearance in the Top 10.

Only two of the five teams in this division have won state titles since 1994. But this division is still one of the most competitive in the state.

Shelton leads the division with three titles since 1994. The Gaels won Class LL in 1995 (over FCIAC member Trumbull) and 2000 (over FCIAC member Greenwich) and Class L in 2003 with a victory over Staples, from the FCIAC. Shelton lost to Greenwich in the 2007 Class LL final.

Xavier defeated Southington, from the Central Connecticut Conference, for the 2005 Class LL title, in the Falcons’ only championship game appearance since 1994.

Hamden lost to Cheshire in the 1996 Class LL final, and again lost to the Rams in last year’s Class LL semifinals.

Neither Amity or Fairfield Prep has made a state final since 1994.
Amity made the Class LL semifinals in 1997 and 2002, while Fairfield Prep made the Class LL semifinals in 1999 and 2006.

4. FCIAC West
Only one of this divisions six teams have won a state title since 1994, but, up and down the division, its teams are as competitive of any division.

Greenwich has claimed three titles in seven trips since 1994. The Cardinals defeated Southington, from the CCC, in the Class LL final in 1999, Southington again in the 2006 Class LL title game and SCC member Shelton in the 2007 Class LL championship.

Trumbull lost to SCC schools Cheshire (in 1997) and Shelton (in 1995) in the Class LL championship game.

Bridgeport Central advanced to the Class LL semifinals in both 2004 and 2007.
Danbury, Norwalk and Westhill haven’t made a final since 1994.

5. CCC Division I
The CCC will continue to have four divisions this season, but gone are the geographical references, such as East or West, that designated each division in years past.

There are now 32 schools in the CCC, which makes it the state’s largest conference, after the league accepted seven schools from the Northwest Conference and Nutmeg Conference and Tolland from the North Central Connecticut Conference.

Glastonbury is the defending Class LL champion, the Tomahawks’ only title since 1994.
Newington advanced to the Class L final last season, before losing to Masuk.

Windsor went to the Class L semifinals last year, and lost to Ridgefield in the 2002 final in that class.

New Britain has won three titles since 1994. It defeated Greenwich in 2001 and 2004, and West Haven in 2003, all in Class LL.

Southington defeated Norwich Free Academy for the Class LL title in 1998, and lost in four other trips to the finals since 1994.

Hall and Middletown, the divisions two other teams, have not made a state final since 1994.

6. FCIAC Central
A third FCIAC division makes the list.

Staples has been to six finals since 1994. It defeated Seymour, from the Naugatuck Valley League, for the 2002 Class MM title, then defeated East Lyme in the 2004 Class L final, and Masuk in the 2005 Class L championship.

Ridgefield won the Class L title over Windsor in 2002, while McMahon won its only title on 1994 after defeating Killingly in Class MM.

7. SWC Colonial Division
Two of this division’s teams won state championships last season.

Masuk captured Class L, for its second title in six appearances since 1994. It also won Class L in 1998, when the Panthers defeated Fitch.

Brookfield edged Ledyard for the Class M title in 2008. It was the Bobcats’ second title in five trips since 1994. Brookfield defeated Wilton, out of the FCIAC, for the Class M title in 1995.

Bunnell won back-to-back Class L titles in 2006 and 2007, while Pomperaug defeated SCC member for the Class MM crown in 2004.

Another division member, Newtown, lost in the Class LL semifinals last season.

8. NVL Brass
This division has been dominated by two teams in its short existence. This division begins its third year of play this fall, after the NVL changed from a large and small division format in 2006.

Ansonia has won six titles in nine appearances since 1994. The Chargers have appeared in three straight Class S championship games. Ansonia has won a state-best 16 titles overall.

Seymour captured the Class SS crown in 2007 and won the Class M title in 1998 with a victory over Darien. The Wildcats also appeared in three other finals.

Crosby, Watertown, Wolcott and Wilby have not reached a final since 1994. Derby/O’Brien Tech joins the league this year.

9. ECC Large
The biggest of the Eastern Connecticut Conference’s three divisions is, arguably, the best.
The five member schools have won four titles since 1994.

Fitch won back-to-back Class L crowns in 1999-2000. It made four straight trips to the final, losing in both 1998 and 2001.

Ledyard won Class M in 2007, and went to the final last season before losing to Brookfield.

East Lyme captured the Class MM title in 2003, and went to the Class L final in 2004, and the Class MM championship game in 2005.

NFA lost in the 1998 Class LL final, while Windham was defeated in the 2006 final by Hillhouse.

10. Pequot Sassacus
This may be a division comprised of smaller schools, but two of its teams have been successful in reaching the postseason.

Three teams from this division made the playoffs last year.

Cromwell won its first title in school history when it defeated Ansonia for the Class S crown last season. It was the Panthers’ third trip to a final since 2003.

Hyde has been victorious in all three of its trips to a state final. It won Class S titles in 2000, 2004 and 2005. It lost to Cromwell in last season’s semifinals.

Haddam-Killingworth lost to Putnam in the 1994 Class S final, while North Branford lost to Bloomfield in the 2001 Class S final. The Thunderbirds were also a Class S semifinalist last season.

On my colleague Chip Malafronte's UConn football blog, Ramblings from the Runway, Huskies' head coach states how he feels there should be a change to the high school football playoffs in this state. Edsall offers a simple proposal on how the system could be changed. The CIAC football committee offered their proposal to expand the playoffs in a meeting this past spring. However, the playoff system will remain unchanged in 2009.


To read the entry, click here.

A preseason information form was sent to every coach in the state, either mailed directly to the school or e-mailed.

This form asks for all of your team's valuable information for the upcoming season, including returning players, keys to the season and conference outlook.

If you have not received a form, please contact me at mpucci@nhregister.com.