CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- It was clear from the outset of July's meeting of the state Board of Education that expansion was a bad idea for the Secondary School Activities Commission.

SSAC proposals adding a fourth competitive class in selected high school sports and extending the summer practice schedule to eight weeks were met with cold shoulders in Charleston on Wednesday when first presented to the board by SSAC Executive Director Gary Ray.

The reception didn't warm any when it came time for the board to take official action on the measures Thursday. Both the out-of-season coaching extension and four-class proposal for football and basketball were rejected by 8-0 votes.

Board member Barbara Fish of Parkersburg was not in attendance for this week's meetings at the State Capitol complex.

 The four-class proposal has been viewed by many as a financial and logistical disaster in waiting, and board secretary Ronald Spencer said on Thursday his inclination was to not "water down" the playoff field in football "any more than it already is."

A total of 48 teams currently qualify for the football playoffs in the state's three-class format. That number would balloon to 64 teams -- more than half of the state's football-playing schools -- had the resolution passed.

The proposal had its supporters beyond the middle and high school principals that passed Paden City High Principal Warren Grace's measure by a 78-37 vote.

"My personal opinion was I hope it passed," said Buffalo boys basketball Coach Chuck Elkins. "If you look at our State Tournament record last year, every boys team we had in a major sport made it to the State Tournament. And if there were four classes last year, I'd say every one of them could have won a state championship."

Buffalo has an enrollment of 216 students in grades 10-12, which would make it one of the larger schools in Class A within a four-class format. The Bison lost to St. Marys in the Class A football quarterfinals, Charleston Catholic in the Class A quarterfinals at the basketball State Tournament and to Wheeling Central in the Class A championship baseball game.

Although Charleston Catholic is a smaller school than Buffalo, Elkins said the seedings for the State Tournament would likely have not paired the two teams in the first round.

St. Marys is the fifth-largest Class A school and would likely be in Class AA in a four-class format, as would the team the Blue Devils lost to in the small-school semifinals -- Williamstown.

Elkins also pointed to the use of four classes by several states -- including Nebraska, Idaho and Maine -- that have smaller populations and fewer schools than West Virginia as reason for the state to pursue such a move.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- It was clear from the outset of July's meeting of the state Board of Education that expansion was a bad idea for the Secondary School Activities Commission.

SSAC proposals adding a fourth competitive class in selected high school sports and extending the summer practice schedule to eight weeks were met with cold shoulders in Charleston on Wednesday when first presented to the board by SSAC Executive Director Gary Ray.

The reception didn't warm any when it came time for the board to take official action on the measures Thursday. Both the out-of-season coaching extension and four-class proposal for football and basketball were rejected by 8-0 votes.

Board member Barbara Fish of Parkersburg was not in attendance for this week's meetings at the State Capitol complex.

 The four-class proposal has been viewed by many as a financial and logistical disaster in waiting, and board secretary Ronald Spencer said on Thursday his inclination was to not "water down" the playoff field in football "any more than it already is."

A total of 48 teams currently qualify for the football playoffs in the state's three-class format. That number would balloon to 64 teams -- more than half of the state's football-playing schools -- had the resolution passed.

The proposal had its supporters beyond the middle and high school principals that passed Paden City High Principal Warren Grace's measure by a 78-37 vote.

"My personal opinion was I hope it passed," said Buffalo boys basketball Coach Chuck Elkins. "If you look at our State Tournament record last year, every boys team we had in a major sport made it to the State Tournament. And if there were four classes last year, I'd say every one of them could have won a state championship."

Buffalo has an enrollment of 216 students in grades 10-12, which would make it one of the larger schools in Class A within a four-class format. The Bison lost to St. Marys in the Class A football quarterfinals, Charleston Catholic in the Class A quarterfinals at the basketball State Tournament and to Wheeling Central in the Class A championship baseball game.

Although Charleston Catholic is a smaller school than Buffalo, Elkins said the seedings for the State Tournament would likely have not paired the two teams in the first round.

St. Marys is the fifth-largest Class A school and would likely be in Class AA in a four-class format, as would the team the Blue Devils lost to in the small-school semifinals -- Williamstown.

Elkins also pointed to the use of four classes by several states -- including Nebraska, Idaho and Maine -- that have smaller populations and fewer schools than West Virginia as reason for the state to pursue such a move.

"The question I ask is why are we in West Virginia always so behind everyone else," Elkins said. "It's amazing to me."

Poca also could have benefited from a four-class move after slipping to the bottom of the Class AA enrollment list. However, Dot football Coach Bob Lemley said he had not thought much about the proposal, even though his school is quickly drifting toward Class A.

"It's gone downhill gradually," Lemley said. "A lot of the schools we're playing now have over 600 kids. Our big thing is making sure we have numbers out to play, though."

Lemley, who coached the Dots to three consecutive Class AA titles early this decade, was more adamant about the failure of the out-of-season coaching proposal, a move he was glad to see fall.

"I think coaches get selfish because they think someone's going to outwork them," Lemley said. "It just gets to be too much for everyone involved.

"I think one thing they might want to look at that way is having a couple weeks at the end of the school year to practice. I know it might conflict with some track or baseball, but at least the kids are still in school and most of them aren't doing anything at that time."

A large impetus for the extended coaching proposal written by Hedgesville Principal Dan Dillinger was to allow more movement between sports for student-athletes and coaches. George Washington volleyball Coach Missy Smith, who also serves as the softball Coach at Herbert Hoover, said that in her case such a move wasn't necessary.

"We don't do much with softball in the summer because so many kids play on traveling teams or in youth leagues," said Smith, who coached GW to Class AAA volleyball titles in 2005 and 2006.

"I think the summer coaching is more important for the fall sports because I know for myself I don't see a lot of my players after November," Smith said.

While Elkins noted that the stress placed on athletes would be too much in an all-summer practice schedule, Smith said that pressure would also transfer to coaches.

"We're struggling to find good coaches as it is," Smith said. "I know it's not about the dollar to most coaches, but people just aren't willing to make that kind of commitment all year round."

--Contact sportswriter Derek Taylor at derek.tay...@dailymail.com or 348-5170.