Northern York school board not against YAIAA

Gettysburg's jump from the Mid-Penn conference to the YAIAA leaves a bit of uncertainty for both leagues as they begin to examine scheduling and possible realignment.

Those questions are not lost on the Northern York's board of education, member Mike Barndt said. He said the notion of joining the YAIAA was brought up Tuesday during a committee meeting held prior to Thursday's board meeting. He did not expect the issue to come up Thursday but said it was discussed for about 20 minutes Tuesday.

Any concerns with Northern's standing in the Mid-Penn might hinge on where the Polar Bears are aligned based on Gettysburg's departure. Both schools currently play in the Mid-Penn's Colonial Division for football, but they are not in the same division for other sports. Barndt said travel and gate returns from playing schools farther away are his concerns, and that other board members share that thought process. That concern could become a reality if the Mid-Penn does not realign its football divisions after Gettysburg leaves. However, Barndt said the district has not investigated how the YAIAA compares to the Mid-Penn.

"If the administration had come at us with the process, it would have passed," he said. "When I got there (Tuesday) night, there wasn't anyone who spoke against leaving the Mid-Penn."

Barndt estimated the full nine-member board was present for Tuesday's committee meeting.

At their current pace, the Mid-Penn will have 31 schools in the fall of 2014. The YAIAA will have 23. An odd number of teams will leave scheduling oddities, particularly in football, where at least one team would be left with an open date throughout the season.

The YAIAA approved Gettysburg as its 23rd member Monday. The Mid-Penn will meet next week at Gettysburg, ironically.

For more, listen to this week's GameTimePA Podcast. One talking point: how Northern York would fit if it joined the YAIAA. Listen below: