The vote was 41 in favor, 23 against with one abstention.

The proposal, submitted by Hawai'i High School Athletic Association executive director Keith Amemiya, is expected to have little resistance being approved by the HHSAA board of directors at its meeting next week.

After being rejected the previous two years, a committee of athletic directors voted 15-14 to recommend a trial Division II football tournament this fall.

The main difference with this year's recommendation was Amemiya's guarantee of financial solvency. In the proposal, Amemiya and his wife, Bonnie, pledge to absorb any monetary losses incurred by the Division II tournament.

Statewide classification for football is in place everywhere else in the nation. Under its current format, Hawai'i's is the only state tournament that does not take into account school enrollment or strength of a school's football program.

In the past, the cost of running such a tournament and fear of low revenue were major roadblocks to classification.