The executive board of the Oregon School Activities Association has voted to adopt a football-only high school plan that will go into effect next school year.

According to an OSAA summary of the meeting Monday in Wilsonville, the board also voted unanimously to sanction a state championship meet for girls wrestling starting in 2019.

Though the board voted to adopt a new six-classification football proposal — drafted by a special ad hoc committee and designed to create better competitive balance by allowing certain schools to play down a classification — the change will not become official until it is approved by the OSAA delegate assembly, as the recommendation requires changes to the association’s constitution. The delegate assembly is not scheduled to meet until April, but the OSAA will hold a special email vote within the next few weeks, according to the release.

Bend High, Mountain View and Summit will compete in Class 6A Special District 6 along with Salem-area schools McNary, South Salem, Sprague and West Salem. In 5A, Redmond High and Ridgeview will be in Special District 2 with five Eugene-area schools as well as Ashland, Crater and Eagle Point, all in Southern Oregon, and North Bend, on the Oregon Coast. Sisters will be in 4A Special District 3 with Newport, Philomath, Stayton, Sweet Home and Woodburn. Among other Central Oregon schools affected, 3A La Pine will play in the 12-team Special District 2, Culver will be a member of the seven-team 2A Special District 2, and Gilchrist will participate in a six-man pilot program in 1A Special District 1.

A number of schools qualified to play down a classification for a period of two years based on low winning percentages in recent years. Among those programs is soon-to-be 5A Crook County, which will play football in 4A Special District 2, and 4A Madras, which will compete in 3A Special District 1.

The executive board also voted to have a 32-team playoff bracket for 6A football, with the top three teams from each of the seven special districts earning automatic bids while the rest of the field will be filled with 11 at-large berths. In 5A, the top five of the 12-team Special District 2, which includes Redmond and Ridgeview, will qualify for the 16-team state playoffs. The 4A postseason will include the top two teams from each of the special districts advancing to the 16-team playoff bracket, while the other four spots will be decided by play-in games.

La Pine’s league, 3A Special District 2, will qualify six teams for the 16-team state playoffs. The 2A postseason will have the top two finishers from each of the special districts, as well as four at-large berths, advancing to the 16-team playoffs.

Also among the executive board’s decisions Monday was to sanction an OSAA championship for girls wrestling beginning next season. Currently, the girls state tournament is considered more of an exhibition. Next year, however, schools statewide will be placed in one of two special districts for girls wrestling. A maximum of 10 weight classes was recommended by the board, though those divisions have yet to be determined. Girls are currently eligible to compete against the boys at the district and state level, and they will be able to next year as well, according to the OSAA release. The top two finishers in each weight class at each district tournament will qualify for the state meet.

—Reporter: 541-383-0307, glucas@bendbulletin.com.