A six-division football format may be on the horizon.

The PIAA board of directors have a meeting Oct. 19 that could result in approving a proposal to expand Pennsylvania High School football to six divisions.

For the past 30 years, the WPIAL has used a four-division format. The PIAA has done the same since a state playoff system was instituted in 1988.

Numbers nationwide suggest that Pennsylvania is long overdue for six divisions. There are 576 high schools in this state participating in football, fifth-most of any state in the country.

Well over half of the states in the U.S. — many with far fewer football schools than the Keystone State — utilize systems of five divisions or more.

Logically, the time has come for six divisions in the PIAA.

Practicality suggests otherwise.

There are 123 football schools in the WPIAL. Under the current format, that breaks down to 25 Quad-A teams, 28 in Class AAA, 36 in Class AA and 34 in Class A. There are 93 schools in District 3, 74 in District 1.

No other district in the state has more than 46 schools.

A switch to a six-division format would make Butler and Seneca Valley two of the 13 WPIAL teams to be in Class 6A. North Allegheny and Shaler would join them — no North Hills, no Pine-Richland.

Half of the teams currently in Class AAAA would not be in 6A. How do you structure a playoff format? The guess here is two sections, the top four in each go on to postseason.

And if Class 6A teams are only playing each other in the regular season, there will be much longer road trips involved.

Road trips would get even worse for District 9 and District 10 schools.

There are only 25 teams in District 9. Look at the travel Karns City, Moniteau, Union and A-C Valley go through now. A six-division format may require restructuring of the state’s athletic districts, which would necessitate still more travel.

District 10 houses 41 football teams. Slippery Rock and Grove City would likely have to expand their range of opponents in a six-division format as well.

The expansion to six divisions is more trouble than its worth. The WPIAL represents the state’s largest district and it stands to lose the most.

Heinz Field could not house six high school championship games in one day. Chances are good that the WPIAL could no longer use that venue to host its district title games.

Many WPIAL football coaches are on record as saying they would rather leave the PIAA and function as a separate entity instead of losing Heinz Field.

Winning a WPIAL championship on that field makes the remaining state playoff games at other facilities seem anti-climactic to these high school programs.

Leave well enough alone, PIAA.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle