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If pro/rel becomes a thing, does that take away from the other state championships? Let's say 5A is the highest/best teams, is winning the 4A or lower championship like winning the PMSL or Open Cup? Does it mean less?
I just don't think you can have pro/reg with teams that's rosters completely turn over every 2 or 3 years, 4 if you are lucky.

The reason it works in professional football is because the core of those teams stay together from year to year and they can add players of their choosing to try to get better to be more competitive.

In high school sports, just because you are competitive and win one year, what if you had 13 seniors and are rebuilding the next? You have to play in a league full or "good" teams to just get beat up on?

Any scenario that asks kids to travel 2+ hours to a game, have two games (JV/Varsity), then drive 2+ hours back on Tuesday nights (with any frequency) is a non-starter. Keep in mind that spring sports collide with AP exams, EOCs, the Prom, and other priorities.

Sure there are exceptions, but they are exactly that, exceptions.

Have you seen some of the new region alignments?

This is why conferences should be geographical and then re-align for tournament purposes only (with everyone getting in in team sports outside football).

I see several trips of over 90 minutes, that go through major traffic areas. So 2+ hours on a bus.

Championships can always be belittled by anybody for any reason - not saying that is right or wrong, but that’s how the world works. I do t think any kid who has been on a championship team at a “lower level” has less pride in their accomplishment than a player at a “higher level”....

Travel in region play could be lessened by playing 1 region match with schools instead of 2. The games mean more because there are less of them, and has more impact. That way region games could be scheduled on Fridays or weekends (non-school nights).

I disagree with teams being bumped up “unfairly” after a large class graduates. That can be worked around through by looking at a team’s record over a period of time. Basically like the reclassification we have now every few years - instead of population, it’s based on performance.

Also, most schools in this state that are “soccer schools” usually have lots of history and tradition behind them of being successful - I’m sure schools like Wando have bigger graduating classes and seem to be fine every year maintaining their standard of performance. Suffice to say, we always seem to see the same schools playing deep into the playoffs, anyway: Wando, JL Mann, Bishop England, Academic Magnet, etc.

Conversely, would a championship at the highest level of a pro/rel system mean more than a championship at the lower level? Why yes....that would be the point of keeping score, no?

I would like a pro/rel type setup for soccer here in the state, but I can totally see a team being really good one year & then having to have a complete rebuild & get slaughtered.

Good discussion so far

Conferences are geographical after enrollment is taken into account.

Look at 5A

Region 1: Hillcrest, J. L. Mann, Mauldin, T. L. Hanna, Woodmont

Region 2: Byrnes, Dorman, Riverside, Spartanburg, Wade Hampton

Region 3: Boiling Springs, Clover, Fort Mill, Gaffney, Nation Ford

Region 4: Blythewood, Northwestern, Ridge View, Rock Hill, Spring Valley

Region 5: Chapin, Dutch, Fork, Lexington, River Bluff, White Knoll

Region 6: Carolina Forest, Conway, Socastee, St. James, Sumter

Region 7: Berkeley, Cane Bay, Goose Creek, Stratford, Wando

Region 8: Ashley Ridge, Fort Dorchester, Stall, Summerville, West Ashley

Most conferences have few travel issues. Only Regions 4 and 6 would have issues. Other regions are similar with the greatest travel probably in 1A, and several of them do not have soccer.

You would go to a 3 year rotation/adjustment based on a point system. Based on the accrued amount of points over the 3 year span, top 4 or top 6 would get pushed up and bottom 6 would go down. If a program is tied for top then region finishes and playoff progression would be compared and for bottom then you could keep it simple. Bottom schools probably wouldn't mind going down.

I know of plenty scenarios where dropping down would've been best for a program and goin up would've leveled the playing field and even boosted the prestige of a program

Say you lost in the lower state semi final in year one, lower state final in year two and the state final in year three, then you are told you have to move up a division and start over...
I wouldn't want to do that.

If the program is progressing then it should be able to handle moving up, wouldn't you say? Are we trying to level the entire playing field or are we just trying to set things up to win trophies?

So let's take the Academic Magnet girls program for instance. 2 State Titles and an appearance in Lower State. In this hypothetical, you most likely would have enough points to move up to 4A. You do not dominate when you are first in 4A but still maintain a decent record and stay at the level. Wouldn't you then over time be competitive at that level?

Now losing in the 3rd round, Lower State final, and then in the title game would be rough, but it seems like there is a decent group of players in the program and development is occurring. Most likely there is a Region title or 2 there as well. You've done well. Move up. It would be difficult but after some time the entire grouping would balance itself out. The much weaker programs would be in 1A & 2A and the skill level would increase as you progress. This would then create more parody among all the divisions.

Even if you were to take the records over the last 3 years right now and create 5 separate divisions based on previous performance, you would immediately have parody at all 5 levels.

I'm not fully sure about geography but think how it would look if Wando boys had to play Academic Magnet, Bishop England, and May River for region or Playoffs. Along with the likes of Dutch Fork and a few others, you wouldn't know who would come out of that.

4A on the girls side is pretty much a 4 to 5 team competition depending on how you look at it.

3A girls is about the same.

2A / 1A girls??