Significant structural changes are coming to the Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference, which consists of 15 public high schools across Harford and Cecil counties.

Starting this spring, the UCBAC will undergo divisional realignment, moving from two divisions with an annual realignment model to three fixed divisions of five schools each, according to the conference’s bylaws updated last August. Additionally, a conference championship game will return after several years of not having a title contest.

But some area coaches say they’re skeptical about potential negative impacts of the changes, with one coach who spoke to The Aegis anonymously saying they could “hurt the county.” A prime point of contention is forgoing the annual realignment that had been in effect for about two decades and coaches say was integral in ensuring competitive balance across the conference.

Aberdeen, Bel Air, Fallston, Joppatowne and Patterson Mill will make up the Tydings Division under the new format. The Hatem Division will consist of C. Milton Wright, Edgewood, Harford Tech, North Harford and Havre de Grace. Cecil County schools Perryville, Bohemia Manor, North East, Elkton and Rising Sun will compete in the Conowingo Division.

Scheduling will vary by sport, but teams will compete mostly against division opponents with occasional contests against schools in other divisions. Some sports will gain openings for nonconference games in their regular-season schedules.

Teams will still be ordered one through five by the same committee within their division based on regular season record, according to the updated bylaws, and same-place teams across the divisions will play each other throughout the regular season in addition to divisional games.

The previous annual realignment model, which had been in effect since the early 2000s, allowed teams to move between the “upper” Chesapeake and “lower” Susquehanna divisions year to year. A committee made up of school administrators selected which teams were placed in each division, and coaches could also request to move up or down based on their anticipated roster.

This model allowed schools to separate by sport. A school’s football team that had realistic state championship aspirations could be in the upper division to face stiffer competition, while its rebuilding boys soccer team competed in the lower division, for example.

Under the current format, a team that lost several seniors and expects to field an inexperienced roster can request to be in the lower division with other teams rebuilding or not expected to be competitive. However in the new model, a team with postseason hopes looking to play tougher opponents to prepare itself could be paired in a division with lesser competition.

Harford County Public Schools, which makes up two-thirds of the athletic conference, declined to make a representative available for an interview for this story. A Cecil County Public Schools representative did not respond to a request for an interview.

There is no conference championship game under the current model — for most sports, a UCBAC champion has been decided solely by regular season record. The winner of the upper and lower divisions once competed for a UCBAC title, but lopsided results in favor of the upper division pushed the league to do away with that format several years ago.

Area coaches who are skeptical about the new divisional model are favorable toward an established championship game format and say bringing a title game back has been a priority of everyone in the conference. But some question the UCBAC’s communication with schools and coaches throughout the process and say there’s still details about the modifications that are unclear, including how championship participants are decided and how junior varsity scheduling will be handled.

UCBAC leaders informed coaches of the impending changes at the conference’s seasonal coaches meeting before the fall. Those present said they “didn’t see any explanation” of critical details.

In addition to competitive imbalances, coaches’ qualms include restraints on junior varsity scheduling. If a school touts a junior varsity team in a sport where others in their division don’t, that junior varsity team could be left with fewer games and a weaker schedule than what the current format provides.

Maryland public schools begin practices for spring sports — baseball, softball, boys and girls lacrosse, tennis and track and field — Feb. 28 and regular season games March 20.

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