CHSAA commissioner on not changing 5A football playoff format: ‘A victory for Colorado Springs'

With a proposal in the works to change the 5A football playoff structure to give higher seeds home-field advantage, perhaps the greatest underdog of them all stood strong and spoke up Thursday at the Colorado High School Activities Association legislative council.

Palmer athletic director Robert Framel, who has watched his Terrors struggle to just three wins the previous two seasons, stressed the importance of balance, pride and finances.

“I grew up in a small town, and having it to where you get a chance to host, for the community to host, is huge,” Framel said. “If you end up traveling all the time, it could cost you $4,000 a trip in the playoffs. It’s a big financial burden, but there’s also pride of having a home game.”

It must have worked. Of the 69 voting members, 54 chose to keep the status quo of having the team with the fewest playoff home games host after the first round.

In 2010, the No. 24 Terrors opened the playoffs on the road, shutting out Lakewood 32-0 in the first round. Under the rule, Palmer then hosted No. 8 Chaparral in the second round, a game won by the Wolverines 37-7 at Garry Barry Stadium.

CHSAA commissioner Paul Angelico, a Wasson graduate, favored the direction of the vote.

“That is a victory for Colorado Springs,” Angelico said.

As Framel saw it, most of the favorites would still host the majority of playoff games regardless.

“They got it right,” Framel said. “If you’re the higher seed, and the other higher seeds win, you still get to be at home,” Framel said. “That’s the way it’s set up.”