The 'At-Large' State Championship

**Pulp Fiction** · 10-05-2016, 01:37 PM

The 'At-Large' state championship... does any schools recognize this as an actual state championship?

The KHSAA does not list any 'At-Large' state champions in their history.

http://khsaa.org/handbook/winners/fbwinners.pdf

I get the concept of a getting an 'At-Large' bid to a tournament, like the NCAA Men's and Women's basketball tournaments. But claiming a 'State Championship' on the 'At-Large' criteria is :lame:

Why even have a State Championship game if the looser or a team that didn't even make it to the state finals claim to be the 'At-Large' State Champion.

Can somebody tell me what the criteria was for "winning" the 'At-Large' state championship way back when?

From what I can gather.... it seems like if a team from outside the Lexington, NKY or Louisville area lost in the true state finals to a Lexington, NKY or Louisville area team... they would claim the 'At-Large' state championship.

Coupon21 · 10-05-2016, 01:59 PM

Its my understanding that the large Louisville teams played they're own playoff tourny. They didnt play teams from around the state in the playoffs. Then the winner of that bracket played the winner of the rest of the state. Not saying it was a good system and that is probably why it changed. Not sure why your so concerned with trying to degrade a team from 1977's accomplishments, they played the format that was given to them and almost upset trinity in that game.

samson81 · 10-05-2016, 02:08 PM

This is a response to Pulp's original post...

It was actually just Jefferson County vs. the rest of the state "At-Large". For whatever reason, from 1975 through about the mid 1980's, Jefferson County crowned its own champion and the rest of the state in the largest classification(4A) held a separate playoff to crown the At-Large champion. The At-Large champion would then play the Jefferson County champion to decide the overall State champion.

Most of those years, the Jefferson County champion would blow out the At Large champion. A good example of this was in 1975. Ashland rolled over everybody they played that year, including Dixie Heights and Lafayette in the playoffs to win the At Large title in 4A. But in the overall State Championship game, they were handily defeated by St. X by three touchdowns. The Louisville schools were just on another level than everyone else.

**Pulp Fiction** · 10-05-2016, 02:19 PM

Coupon21 Wrote:Its my understanding that the large Louisville teams played they're own playoff tourny. They didnt play teams from around the state in the playoffs. Then the winner of that bracket played the winner of the rest of the state. Not saying it was a good system and that is probably why it changed. Not sure why your so concerned with trying to degrade a team from 1977's accomplishments, they played the format that was given to them and almost upset trinity in that game.

I did not mention any certain teams in this thread. :welcome: :Thumbs:

**Pulp Fiction** · 10-05-2016, 02:20 PM

samson81 Wrote:This is a response to Pulp's original post...

It was actually just Jefferson County vs. the rest of the state "At-Large". For whatever reason, from 1975 through about the mid 1980's, Jefferson County crowned its own champion and the rest of the state in the largest classification(4A) held a separate playoff to crown the At-Large champion. The At-Large champion would then play the Jefferson County champion to decide the overall State champion.

Most of those years, the Jefferson County champion would blow out the At Large champion. A good example of this was in 1975. Ashland rolled over everybody they played that year, including Dixie Heights and Lafayette in the playoffs to win the At Large title in 4A. But in the overall State Championship game, they were handily defeated by St. X by three touchdowns. The Louisville schools were just on another level than everyone else.

Thank you for the reply.

D.B. Cooper · 10-05-2016, 02:28 PM

Pulp Fiction Wrote:The 'At-Large' state championship... does any schools recognize this as an actual state championship?

The KHSAA does not list any 'At-Large' state champions in their history.

http://khsaa.org/handbook/winners/fbwinners.pdf

I get the concept of a getting an 'At-Large' bid to a tournament, like the NCAA Men's and Women's basketball tournaments. But claiming a 'State Championship' on the 'At-Large' criteria is :lame:

Why even have a State Championship game if the looser or a team that didn't even make it to the state finals claim to be the 'At-Large' State Champion.

Can somebody tell me what the criteria was for "winning" the 'At-Large' state championship way back when?

From what I can gather.... it seems like if a team from outside the Lexington, NKY or Louisville area lost in the true state finals to a Lexington, NKY or Louisville area team... they would claim the 'At-Large' state championship.

Yes, Ashland does recognize their "At Large" State Championship as a state title, not a runner-up.

**Pulp Fiction** · 10-05-2016, 03:16 PM

D.B. Cooper Wrote:Yes, Ashland does recognize their "At Large" State Championship as a state title, not a runner-up.

:biglmao: :lame:

RAMDAD50 · 10-05-2016, 05:26 PM

Assland claims 182 of them

Mountian Man · 10-05-2016, 06:16 PM

Pulp Fiction Wrote::biglmao: :lame:

Yeah it's lame... Almost as lame as giving out rings for winning a playoff game. ⚖

**Pulp Fiction** · 10-05-2016, 06:25 PM

Mountian Man Wrote:Yeah it's lame... Almost as lame as giving out rings for winning a playoff game. ⚖

They are State Finalist rings... meaning we beat Wayne County in the Semi-State game.
That was our first football team to play for a State Championship. I think after 45 years of playing football, that team deserved it.

We never said we are the 'At-Large' state champions.

No wonder Ashland has such a great "Tradition" they make it up as they go along.

Mountian Man · 10-05-2016, 06:51 PM

[quote=Pulp Fiction]They are State Finalist rings...

You have your excuses and I'm sure Ashland has there's. Doesn't make it any less LAME💯💯

blue55 · 10-05-2016, 07:21 PM

In the very old days they had State Champions claimed by various schools who had undefeated or say 1 loss years. Newspapers etc. also proclaimed champions. Some years that might be more than one.

killbilly usmc · 10-05-2016, 07:26 PM

If after the finals they had the 6 class winners play for an overall championship would the 5 class winners that didn't win the overall be bashed if they claimed a championship.

killbilly usmc · 10-05-2016, 07:28 PM

A ring just for playing in the finals is a little much.

LaFlamaBlanca · 10-06-2016, 07:01 PM

Pulp Fiction Wrote:They are State Finalist rings... meaning we beat Wayne County in the Semi-State game.
That was our first football team to play for a State Championship. I think after 45 years of playing football, that team deserved it.

We never said we are the 'At-Large' state champions.

No wonder Ashland has such a great "Tradition" they make it up as they go along.

State finalist rings???
:lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::hilarious::hilarious:

KYHSFBFan · 10-06-2016, 10:41 PM

Back in those days, there weren't nearly as many big class schools. It was in the era before consolidation came along and there were a lot more smaller class schools. There was a Jefferson Co 4a Champion and a State At-Large 4a Champion. There were about the same # of schools in each. While the winners of each of those classes played each other for the overall 4a championship, all the teams that won the State At-Large title claimed themselves state champions and rightfully so. Like someone else said, if, today, the 2a champ played the 1a champ, after the state championships to come up with a true small school champion, do you not think the loser of that game wouldn't still proclaim themselves champions in there class? Sure they would.