OHSAA Board of Directors Meeting Highlights

September 21, 2017

News Release – Ohio High School Athletic Association

Commissioner Daniel B. Ross, Ph.D.

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For Immediate Release – September 21, 2017

OHSAA Board of Directors Meeting Highlights

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio High School Athletic Association Board of Directors held its regularly scheduled September meeting Thursday morning at the OHSAA office. The following are highlights from the meeting. Complete meeting minutes will be posted at OHSAA.org.

By a 7-2 vote, the board denied a proposal from the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association to extend the season two weeks due to the new NFHS-mandated pitch count regulations.
By a 9-0 vote, the board approved a proposal from the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches to add two qualifiers to the state track meet in the running events only. Previously, 16 qualifiers advanced to the state meet, with most races consisting of two heats with eight runners each. Since Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium has a nine-lane track, two additional qualifiers can compete. After the top four finishers from each of the four regional tournaments advance to the state tournament, the additional qualifiers will come from the two fastest times recorded at the four regionals.
In addition, the board approved the new two-year divisional breakdowns and tournament representation for track and field. Divisional breakdowns for the 2017-18 sports are posted at: http://ohsaa.org/School-Resources/Divisional-Breakdowns/2017-18
Since the board’s June meeting, 24 member schools were penalized for committing infractions of OHSAA bylaws or sports regulations. The list of infractions and penalties is always included in the complete meeting minutes, but media members may request the list in advance from Tim Stried, OHSAA Director of Communications, at [email protected].
The OHSAA Foundation Student Leadership Conference will be held Tuesday, October 3, at the Archie Griffin Ballroom at the Ohio Union at The Ohio State University. The annual conference welcomes 1,500 students, making it the largest student leadership conference in the country. Details and school registration information is posted at: http://ohsaa.org/aboutohsaa/ohsaafoundation/studentleadershipconference
The board reviewed the attendance and financial reports from the 2017 spring sports regional and state tournaments:
- For the first time in many years, the baseball tournament resulted in a financial net loss ($3,205). The total attendance for the state tournament at Huntington Park was 12,522.
- The softball tournament resulted in a financial net loss of $300, which is less than the typical net loss. The state tournament at Akron Firestone Stadium drew 7,437 fans.
- The inaugural lacrosse tournament resulted in net proceeds of $73,492. Of note, the tournament begins at the regional level (similar to the OHSAA football postseason) and lacrosse is designated as an emerging sport with different financial parameters, including team entry fees.
- The boys tennis state tournament at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason drew 1,122 fans and resulted in a financial net loss of $2,702.
- The two-day high school track and field state meet drew 27,409 fans and resulted in proceeds of $21,824.
- The inaugural 7th & 8th Grade State Track Championships drew 1,927 fans and resulted in a financial net loss of $9,019.
Four vacancies on District Athletic Boards have been filled on an interim one-year basis. They include the Class AAA Representative in the East District, which has been filled by Ray Hibbs, Athletic Administrator at Cadiz Harrison Central High School; the Female Representative in the Southwest District, which has been filled by Jan Wilking, Athletic Administrator at Cincinnati Wyoming High School; the Ethnic Minority Representative in the Central District, which has been filled by Jeff Sheppard, Supervisor of Student Activities for Columbus Public Schools; and the Class A Representative in the Southeast District, which has been filled by Mark Rose, Athletic Administrator at Portsmouth Clay High School.
The 2017 regional cross country sites and dates were approved by the board and are posted at: http://ohsaa.org/Portals/0/Sports/Cross%20Country/CCregionals.pdf
The board approved the winter sports manuals, which will be posted on their respective sport pages at OHSAA.org.