New Jersey’s 16 multipliers are down to 14, with two others knocked down to Category D

Through the first four weeks of the season, one of the 16 NJSIAA multiplier football teams has dropped out, and three others have dropped down to Category D status, meaning if they lose again, they also no longer will be multipliers.

Holy Spirit and Paul VI no longer are multipliers, while St. Augustine and St. John Vianney have slipped to Category D.

The NJSIAA’s multiplier rule assigns one of four categories to teams, based on an annual review prior to each season by the Football Committee, which according to the sport’s regulations, “relies on historical results against public schools.” No other criteria is printed and available publicly.

The idea from the beginning was to help the North Jersey parochials like Bergen Catholic or Delbarton that might have had trouble scheduling other New Jersey opponents to meet the minimum for playoff eligibility.

It started with power points, before the UPR system began in 2018, and has been tweaked over the years. It used to reward teams with extra points just for playing multipliers, but last year it was moved to the OSI part of the UPR equation, and no longer rewards teams for beating multipliers, but offers a boost for a loss.

But another wrinkle was added last year. Teams could lose multiplier status if they lost to a non-multiplier during the year. (Out-of-state competition does not count toward that demotion.)

The way it is now, teams get normal OSI value for a win, but instead of getting 50% of the SI value for a loss, if they lose to a multiplier in:

• Category A = 80% SI value
• Category B = 75% SI value
• Category C = 70% SI value
• Category D – 70% SI value

If any Category A, B or C multiplier loses to a non-multiplier, they move down to Category D. Any Category D multiplier who loses to a non-multiplier – whether they started the year there or were demoted there – is removed from the multiplier. Essentially, it means teams that start as A, B or C need two losses to non-multipliers to lose multiplier status, while those that start as a D only need to lose once to lose that status.

Some schools, in fact, play either no multipliers, or at least none the rest of the season, and are in no danger of even being demoted. Those include Bergen Catholic, DePaul, Don Bosco and St. Joe’s of Montvale – all in Category A – along with Delbarton and Pope John in Category B, and Paramus Catholic and St. Peter’s Prep in Category C.

Paul VI (2-2) started as a Category D, but lost to Pleasantville, 6-0, back on Friday, kicking them out of the multiplier category. That means that Timber Creek, which lost to the Eagles in Week 0, 34-8, will get just 50 percent of their SI value of the current 72.40 (36.20) for that defeat, rather than 70 percent, which would have been 50.68. (The SI values change each week based on each team’s ratings and game result.)

Holy Spirit (2-2) took a loss to Northern Highlands in the Battle at the Beach at Ocean City High School on August 28, then fell to Camden back on Friday, 28-14. The first loss knocked them down to Category D status, and the second eliminated them.

St. Augustine (3-1) won its first three games before falling to Winslow Friday at home, 19-6. That moves them from Category B to D, with four more non-multipliers on the schedule: at Mainland, at Lenape, home to Rancocas Valley and at Millville.

St. John Vianney (2-2) started the year as a Category C multiplier. They lost in Week Zero to Seton Hall Prep, 14-12, but the Pirates also are a multiplier, so they didn’t get dinged for that. But Friday’s loss at Point Pleasant Boro, 14-12, now has them in Category D with four games left against non-multipliers: at Manalapan, home to Howell, at Jackson Twp., and home to Wall.

In the Big Central, St. Thomas Aquinas is a Category C multiplier and St. Joseph-Metuchen is in Category D.

The Trojans are 3-1, their only loss coming to Catholic Memorial (MA), an out-of-state team, which doesn’t affect the multiplier. They only have three non-multiplier games left before the cutoff, since they also play Paramus Catholic and St. Joe’s-Metuchen. They have Elizabeth at home this week, are at Edison on October 10th, and visit Sayreville on Cutoff Weekend. Those teams would get 70 percent of Aquinas’ SI for a loss, normal value for a win, as long as St. Thomas wins at least two of those three games against the Minutemen, Eagles and Bombers.

The Falcons are 3-0, and only have the one multiplier matchup with St. Thomas Aquinas. They host Westfield this Saturday, are at North Brunswick October 3rd, host Phillipsburg October 11th, and close at home against Woodbridge on Saturday of Cutoff Weekend. If St. Joseph loses any of those public schools, they will lose multiplier status.