Trophy society? Yes.
But you $ee, that i$ not why NCHSAA went to 8 $tate champion$. $eem$ that I have forgotten the rea$on, but $omehow I think my point ha$ been $tated numerou$ time$.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Since you forgot the reason I will help you out a bit.
At the 2000 fall NCHSAA Board of Directors meeting they heard a request submitted by a group of 1A coaches from eastern NC requesting that 1A playoffs be subdivided which happened for the 1A playoffs in 2001. I was told during the 2001 season by a few different coaches and ADs that it would be for all schools the following year as the majority of coaches/schools wanted the larger field. As a coach it makes sense to get a better shot for a title and at least one extra week of practice.
Two years ago the NCHSAA went to the 1A schools and recommended that they go a four round playoff and finish the week prior to the other three classes. The recommendation was to look for a smaller facility for their title games and get one day solely to themselves. It had been a complaint of 1A schools for awhile that they felt overlooked on title weekend especially from a media standpoint. The 1A schools overwhelmingly were against the proposal and were the same on a 48 team playoff with a bye round for top seeds. They felt it was not fair to treat them differently than the other three classes although 1A is the class that wanted subdividing and the original pod system.
The NCHSAA admin also looked at a six bracket/class/division playoff system that was proposed at the district meetings to include a football only alignment in the middle of the standard realignments. They favored a three class setup with subdividing to six champions. The schools were against the any drop in number of playoff teams or championships.
If the football coaches or schools want the playoffs changed it can happen. I have spoken with over a hundred coaches about subdivided playoffs since the system was implemented for 1A in 2001 and all classes in 2002 and I have never had one speak out totally against it and nearly everyone supports it. Have even had a 1A coach tell me it should be split to three titles in 1A but he would be alright with only 48 teams making the playoffs and being four rounds if they went to three 1A subclasses which would be nine titles.
The people in Chapel Hill (admin) would be fine with the football playoffs being sized down and would prefer it but the NCHSAA is the Board of Directors and the member schools. If they want it changed all they need is to request a committee to put together proposals for the schools to determine which they would prefer and then put it to a vote.