The MIAA Football Committee has approved a new Super 8 tournament format, sparking strong reactions from Catholic Conference coaches who feel the change unfairly targets their programs. The decision, made at Thursday's meeting, introduces a Division 1A playoff bracket—the so-called "Super 8"—while also adding one regular-season game and reducing the playoff field from 16 to eight teams, set to take effect in 2027.

This move comes on the heels of similar Super 8 approvals for boys' and girls' hockey and baseball by the Board of Directors on Wednesday. However, the football model still requires approval from the Tournament Management Committee (next meeting: May 20) and the Board of Directors before becoming official.

Xaverian head coach Al Fornaro, whose Hawks have won three consecutive Division 1 state championships, didn't hold back his frustration. "I'm opposed right now. It's not in the best interests of everybody," Fornaro said. "My question to the MIAA is, is there going to be a Division 3 and 4 together? Why Division 1 and 2? I think everybody knows why."

Under the new proposal, the top eight power-ranked teams in both Division 1 and Division 2 will be placed into a separate state bracket. Catholic Conference teams have dominated recent postseason play: last year, they occupied two of the top three seeds in Division 1, with two Catholic schools meeting in the Super Bowl, and they also claimed the No. 1 seed in Division 2 in 2025.

Fornaro didn't mince words about what he sees as the underlying motive. "This is an anti-Catholic (Conference) movement to get us out of the tournament," he said. "I knew it was going to happen at some point, and we'll work with it. My fear always is, just from a Catholic (Conference) perspective is this: once they get that, what's to prevent them in a few years from saying, 'Now you have to have your own tournament.'"

The veteran coach also raised concerns about what happens to the Division 1 and Division 2 tournaments if their top seeds are siphoned off into the Super 8. "I just don't know if it's the best thing for the sport," Fornaro added. "I'm sure I'm the outlier because there are people saying 'you guys win too much.' You're going to punish the players in successful programs. What are we going to do, lay down for you? Get better."

St. John's Prep, another Catholic Conference powerhouse, is also likely to be affected by the changes. As the debate continues, the coming months will be crucial in determining whether this new format reshapes Massachusetts high school football—or becomes another chapter in the ongoing battle over competitive balance.