GAA considering changes to Allianz Hurling League Division 1 format

The GAA'S Central Competitions Control Committee is exploring alternative formats for Division 1 of the Allianz Hurling League from 2025 onwards.

The CCCC is acting on concerns that have been expressed by counties regarding a perceived significant gulf in standards between the strongest and weakest sides in the current Division 1A and 1B system, equivalent groups of six in which the two bottom sides play off to avoid relegation.

There is a feeling that this gap is affecting the overall intensity of the competition and that the current framework does not provide enough jeopardy for the top teams.

With regards to promotion and relegation, counties have also expressed their concern that there appears to be a yo-yo effect of a small but familiar list of counties coming up and going down from the top tier on a regular basis.

The CCCC has now decided to explore potential new structures to address these concerns but any new format, if adopted, will not come into play until the 2025 competition.

This week the CCCC signalled three potential alternatives for counties to consider. From there, any potential change in structure would need the approval of Central Council.

Option one would look at the GAA reverting to a meritocracy of 12 teams, with the top six teams in Division 1A and the next six in Division 1B, as applied from 2012-19.

Each county would play five games and the top team in 1B would join the top three in Division 1A in league semi-finals.

There would be no change to Divisions 2 or 3.

Option two would see a 12-team Division 1 with six seeded games for each county.

Teams would be seeded based on finishing positions from the previous year. Each team would play games against first, second and third seeds, ensuring that each county