COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio High School Athletic Association Board of Directors held its first meeting of the 2023-24 school year last Thursday at the OHSAA office in Columbus. The following are highlights from the meeting.
OHSAA TENNIS STATE TOURNAMENTS MOVING TO COLLEGE OF WOOSTER
The OHSAA girls tennis state tournament will be hosted by the College of Wooster October 19-20 (Thursday-Friday). Wooster recently built 12 new outdoor tennis courts, while six indoor courts will be available at the nearby Aspen Racquet Club, which includes tennis-specific LED lights, locker rooms, a pro shop and a total of 48,000 square feet.
“The College of Wooster is thrilled to open its courts to the best and brightest tennis talent from across the state,” said Jeff Bricker, Wooster athletics facilities manager. “We’re ready to serve up an unforgettable experience at this year’s state tennis tournaments!”
Wooster will also host the 2024 boys tennis state tournament May 23-24 (Thursday-Friday). More information regarding Wooster facilities is available at: https://www.woosterathletics.com/facilities/index.html
“Wooster has fantastic new outdoor tennis courts and our student-athletes will enjoy playing there for a state championship,” said OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute. “If there are weather issues, the Aspen Racquet Club is one of the nicest indoor facilities that we have ever had the opportunity to use.”
OHSAA SOCCER STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS UPDATE
The OHSAA soccer state championships will take place in Columbus on Friday, November 10 (girls) and Saturday, November 11 (boys). The matches are currently scheduled to return to Lower.com Field, which has hosted the finals since 2021, however the championships will be moved to nearby Historic Crew Stadium if the Crew is playing in the MLS Playoffs. Historic Crew Stadium hosted the OHSAA soccer finals from 2000-2020.
“The Haslam Sports Group has been a terrific partner and we are very fortunate to have two great options in Columbus to host our soccer state championships,” said Ute. “We wish the Crew the best of luck the rest of the season and hope they make a deep playoff run.”
MAXPREPS RPI TO BE USED FOR BASKETBALL SEEDING
The board approved a proposal from OHSAA staff to utilize a ratings percentage index (RPI) by MaxPreps for the purpose of seeding the girls and boys basketball district tournaments. The exact formula is being developed with input from the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association. Last season, the OHSAA Northwest District Athletic Board piloted an RPI formula to test the process of having RPI determine seeding instead of a vote by the coaches in the district. Schools will be required to enter scores into MaxPreps.
“The Northwest District piloted using an RPI last year and the process was successful,” said Ute. “The coaches association has wanted to use an RPI for seeding for some time and we are working with them and MaxPreps on the formula now. This will take some work and our schools will need to input scores, but we are pleased to move in this direction for seeding.”
MEET THE BOARD
Gina Franks, Director of Student Services at Dover City Schools, will serve as president of the OHSAA Board of Directors this school year. Franks is the Female Representative on the board from the East District and is only the second female to serve as president of the board. The first was Barb Harrison, assistant superintendent of the Canal Winchester Local Schools, during the 2000-01 school year.
Jay Selgo, Superintendent of Archbold Area Local Schools, will serve as the board vice president, and is the Class AA Representative from the Northwest District. Meet the entire board at: https://www.ohsaa.org/about/BOD
OHSAA FINANCIAL UPDATES
The board approved the financial update from OHSAA staff. Highlights include:
– Earlier this month, the OHSAA distributed $1,250 to each member high school – $1,017,500 in total – from the OHSAA Athletic Enrichment Fund. The contribution to each school’s athletic department is meant to assist with equipment, uniforms, transportation, officials and improving sportsmanship and adult fan behavior. On an annual basis, the board will determine the amount to contribute to each school.
– More than $1 million was sent to schools during the 2022-23 school year for travel reimbursements for advancing to regional and state tournaments.
– Last year, the board approved a reduced price for student tickets at tournament contests, which resulted in a reduction of $1.5 million in ticket revenue coming to the OHSAA.
– This summer, the OHSAA distributed $169,000 in college scholarships to high school graduating seniors entering college who did not receive athletic scholarships.
– The OHSAA now has 10 months available operating revenue in cash and reserves. At the time of the pandemic in 2020, the OHSAA had one month cash on hand. Most school districts and state associations have at least 12 months cash on hand. If the OHSAA reserves continue to hold steady, the amount of money returned to schools will increase.
– The OHSAA continues to pay more than $485,000 annually for catastrophic insurance coverage for student participants.
FALL SPORTS TOURNAMENT REGULATIONS
The board approved the tournament regulations and representation for all fall sports. The regulations are posted on each sport page at OHSAA.org.
Golf: Tournament Draw is Sept. 17. Sectional Tournaments Begin Sept. 25.
Girls Tennis: Tournament Draw is Sept. 23. Sectional Tournaments Begin Oct. 2.
Field Hockey: Tournament Draw is Oct. 8. Regional Tournaments Begin Oct. 16.
Cross Country: Tournament Draw is Oct. 8. District Tournaments Are Oct. 21.
Soccer: Tournament Draw is Oct. 8. Sectional Tournaments Begin Oct. 16.
Girls Volleyball: Tournament Draw is Oct. 8. Sectional Tournaments Begin Oct. 16.
Football: Regional Playoffs Begin Oct. 27.
Complete OHSAA 2023-24 Calendars: https://www.ohsaa.org/Calendar
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