Cisco coach Brent West, left, and Wall coach Houston Guy said small schools hosting first round playoff games is a good thing but it does present challenges, including facilities and travel concerns in the vast expanse of West Texas.
By: Mike Lee, Special to the USA Today Network-Texas
Allowing higher-seeded teams to host first round or bi-district football games in Texas seems like a good idea in most scenarios. Teams seeded Nos. 1 or 2 in their district have hosted bi-district games in Class 6A since 2015 and in 5A since 2018.
The rule was adopted in part because after fourth-place teams were allowed in the playoffs, some forced No. 1 seeds to flip home-and-home for a bi-district game site. If the No. 4 seeds won, a district champion was forced to play at the home stadium of a fourth-place team.
Allowing the higher seeds to host first round games provided a reward for district champions and runners-up. The higher seeds are capitalizing on their home-field advantage. Last season in 6A, higher-seeded home teams won 48 of 64 bi-district games. In 5A, higher-seeded hosts won 51 of 64 first round games.
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