LIHUE » The vote was close, probably much closer than expected, but the high school football state championship will remain a six-team format in Division I.

Athletic directors at the Hawaii Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association conference voted 44-37 on Saturday to keep the HHSAA state championships as is, meaning that the top two seeds — often champions of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu and Oahu Interscholastic Association — will continue to receive a first-round bye.

That advantage is what Kamehameha-Maui AD Kurt Ginoza sought to eliminate.

"We just want an even playing field," he told the general assembly Saturday morning at the Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club.

The proposal had been less than popular in committee on Thursday and Friday, but surfaced for the general assembly Saturday as a minority report. With only seven votes separating the count, there were seven abstentions that could have made the difference.

Ginoza pointed out that football is the only team sport where a league champion doesn’t have a guaranteed first-round bye.

"In the 12-team tournament, we give the league champions a bye," said Ginoza, who was somewhat surprised by the close vote. "But in this six-team format, and due to the nature of football, the recovery, rest and preparation factor is a huge advantage. The issue is not about the (Maui Interscholastic League) getting a bye.

"It’s positive. We got clarity on what’s wrong with the proposal. They said gender equity and use of the formula were the two main issues with the proposal."

The proposal on behalf of the MIL would have based the format on the existing formula used by the HHSAA, plus an at-large berth.

The three-day HIADA conference covered dozens of proposals.

A measure to oust the neighbor islands from the paddling championships host rotation was defeated 44-38. The proposal from the ILH was spurred by less-than-ideal conditions and technology at the recent state meet in Hilo.

HIADA moderator Blane Gaison, an ILH paddling official, took a temporary leave from the podium to speak in favor of the proposal.

"We’re in this for the kids, to get them in the best position," he said. "When we go (to Hilo) and they don’t all have identical canoes, that hurts them. We feel that through our sports programs on Oahu, we can provide them (properly)."

But neighbor island ADs balked at the notion of adding more travel to Oahu.

"If the association tells us there were problems and they need to be fixed, we should fix them," Honokaa assistant AD Kahea Schuckert said. "A lot of the problems are fixable. We do travel enough. We’ve done a great job with hosting other sports. We need time to make the adjustments."

Unless the HHSAA executive board reverses the voting result, the host sites for paddling championships remain the same. The next two are slated to be on Oahu, followed by Maui.

Another MIL proposal passed by the slimmest of margins. A 15-minute discussion preceded a 41-40 vote in favor of adding Division II to the state cross country championships. The race itself will not be changed, but harriers from D-II schools will be recognized for D-II honors as individuals and teams.

"The vote was so close, I’m sure the executives will look at all the variables," Ginoza said. "It got support from the ILH and the Big Island (Interscholastic Federation).

"I’m not sure how the HHSAA board will vote, but will this proposal help the sport? I say yes."

As expected, the proposal to expand girls wrestling from 11 weight classes to 14 passed. The vote was 87-0 with one abstention.

Another expansion proposal passed: track and field will permit 32 competitors, up from 26.

All proposals passed at HIADA will be up for vote at the upcoming HHSAA executive board meeting Tuesday morning at Radford.