P.I.A.A. Ivestigating~ Split~ Championships......
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THE CHOPS
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P.I.A.A. Ivestigating~ Split~ Championships......
P.I.A.A. Investigating Split Championships.........
1/25/2007,
The Associated Press:
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association has decided to investigate the possibility of separate state championships for public and private schools.
The P.I.A.A.'s Board of Directors on Thursday approved the formation of a task force to look into competitive equity issues regarding private schools at the suggestion of District #1 chairman Rod Stone.
Stone stressed that he was not proposing separate championships at this point, but wanted the P.I.A.A. to look into that possibility as part of his broad-ranging proposal that included transfer and eligibility issues.
The request comes just weeks after the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced that the high schools under its jurisdiction will join the P.I.A.A. in July. Those schools, which make up the bulk of the Philadelphia Catholic League, will have full championship rights beginning with the "2008-09" school year.
But Stone stressed that his proposal does not target the Catholic League schools. Rather, he said that the P.I.A.A. needs to understand the nature of some of the other Philadelphia-area private schools that are currently mulling P.I.A.A. membership.
Some of the private academies have fifth-year seniors who play sports. P.I.A.A. rules prohibit the use of fifth-year players by its member schools.
P.I.A.A. executive director Brad Cashman said, he does not believe a split state championship would with-stand a likely court challenge.
"I think we're looking straight down the barrel of an equal treatment challenge," Cashman said.
{Quote} :(I say He's Chicken~$hit) !!!! {unquote}:
P.I.A.A. lead counsel Alan C. Boynton told the Board, "Can something be drafted to (set up) a separation? Yes, but it would certainly be challenged."
The task force will begin work on the private school issues as soon as it is finalized by the P.I.A.A.
In addition, a new transfer rule that would severely limit varsity eligibility of students who transfer from one high school to another after the ninth grade did not reach its second reading, but was tabled by a 15-9 vote for further discussion and input.
The proposal, put forth by District #7, would eliminate varsity eligibility for transferring students unless they met some strict and limited criteria for full eligibility. Several board members expressed support for the notion of stricter transfer rules, but also said, they were concerned that the restrictions might be too narrow.
"I think it has merit, and it should be given serious consideration, especially there are some amendments that provide more opportunities for eligibility," Cashman said.
But Cashman also stressed that he believes that if the proposal "passes in present form, it will create a lot of hearings with students seeking to gain eligibility."
As with the private school matter, the P.I.A.A. will form a task force to entertain revisions to the proposed rule, which has already passed its first reading.
The Board also agreed to move forward on a possible change in the football calendar starting in "2008".
The P.I.A.A.'s football steering committee had suggested last month to allow schools to start playing varsity games during the second week of preseason camp and lopping off the first week of the winter sports season to eliminate the current two-week overlap of football and winter sports.
Last year, the P.I.A.A. added a week of playoffs in football, extending the football season to "16" playing dates. The "2006" P.I.A.A. football championships were played Dec. 15-16th, forcing some of the participating teams — namely West Middlesex and Jeannette — to postpone their entire basketball schedule until the completion of football championships.
In response, the steering committee decided to retain the "16"-week season, but requested to start the season a week earlier. It asked for a mandatory three-day minimum heat acclimation period before the start of formal practice.
THE CHOPS....
1/25/2007,
The Associated Press:
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association has decided to investigate the possibility of separate state championships for public and private schools.
The P.I.A.A.'s Board of Directors on Thursday approved the formation of a task force to look into competitive equity issues regarding private schools at the suggestion of District #1 chairman Rod Stone.
Stone stressed that he was not proposing separate championships at this point, but wanted the P.I.A.A. to look into that possibility as part of his broad-ranging proposal that included transfer and eligibility issues.
The request comes just weeks after the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced that the high schools under its jurisdiction will join the P.I.A.A. in July. Those schools, which make up the bulk of the Philadelphia Catholic League, will have full championship rights beginning with the "2008-09" school year.
But Stone stressed that his proposal does not target the Catholic League schools. Rather, he said that the P.I.A.A. needs to understand the nature of some of the other Philadelphia-area private schools that are currently mulling P.I.A.A. membership.
Some of the private academies have fifth-year seniors who play sports. P.I.A.A. rules prohibit the use of fifth-year players by its member schools.
P.I.A.A. executive director Brad Cashman said, he does not believe a split state championship would with-stand a likely court challenge.
"I think we're looking straight down the barrel of an equal treatment challenge," Cashman said.
{Quote} :(I say He's Chicken~$hit) !!!! {unquote}:
P.I.A.A. lead counsel Alan C. Boynton told the Board, "Can something be drafted to (set up) a separation? Yes, but it would certainly be challenged."
The task force will begin work on the private school issues as soon as it is finalized by the P.I.A.A.
In addition, a new transfer rule that would severely limit varsity eligibility of students who transfer from one high school to another after the ninth grade did not reach its second reading, but was tabled by a 15-9 vote for further discussion and input.
The proposal, put forth by District #7, would eliminate varsity eligibility for transferring students unless they met some strict and limited criteria for full eligibility. Several board members expressed support for the notion of stricter transfer rules, but also said, they were concerned that the restrictions might be too narrow.
"I think it has merit, and it should be given serious consideration, especially there are some amendments that provide more opportunities for eligibility," Cashman said.
But Cashman also stressed that he believes that if the proposal "passes in present form, it will create a lot of hearings with students seeking to gain eligibility."
As with the private school matter, the P.I.A.A. will form a task force to entertain revisions to the proposed rule, which has already passed its first reading.
The Board also agreed to move forward on a possible change in the football calendar starting in "2008".
The P.I.A.A.'s football steering committee had suggested last month to allow schools to start playing varsity games during the second week of preseason camp and lopping off the first week of the winter sports season to eliminate the current two-week overlap of football and winter sports.
Last year, the P.I.A.A. added a week of playoffs in football, extending the football season to "16" playing dates. The "2006" P.I.A.A. football championships were played Dec. 15-16th, forcing some of the participating teams — namely West Middlesex and Jeannette — to postpone their entire basketball schedule until the completion of football championships.
In response, the steering committee decided to retain the "16"-week season, but requested to start the season a week earlier. It asked for a mandatory three-day minimum heat acclimation period before the start of formal practice.
THE CHOPS....