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FHSAA Considers New Division For Small, Rural Schools Like Northview, Jay
May 3, 2010
A Florida High School Athletic Association committee has given preliminary approval to creating a new division for for small, rural schools like Northview and Jay. Schools in the rural division would compete within their own division and have their own playoff series for boys and girls basketball, baseball, football, softball and girls volleyball.
The recommendation from the FHSAA Urban/Rural Committee came about a year after Northview, Jay and nearly 20 other high schools in the Florida Panhandle met to discuss forming a new independent athletic league outside of the Florida High School Athletic Association.
“We all just want to see our teams have a level playing field,” Northview Principal Gayle Weaver told NorthEscambia.com at the time the smaller Panhandle schools were meeting. “Sometimes our students say we are playing for second best, because they know that they could never win state.”
The problem lies with smaller schools in the FHSAA that are forced to compete at the playoff level with private schools and academies located in cities like Pensacola. Those private schools are able to recruit the best players with scholarships and other incentives, making the chances of a small, rural public school winning a state playoff unlikely.
“It’s a good idea because it keeps these private schools out,” Northview Athletic Director Sammy Day said. “You’ve got a lot of private schools that recruit…if they get them coming to school because they live in their area, that would be fine. But they don’t.”
“A new division of participating schools (public and private) needs to be created,” the FHSAA Urban/Rural Committee wrote in a recommendation for full FHSAA board approval.
“We have a number of member schools that need issues addressed in terms of equitable competition,” said Executive Director Roger Dearing. “We need to make sure people know this is not a public-private issue. This is an issue of small rural schools that do not draw their student populations from larger urban areas or outside the state or country, and have a difficult time competing against those that do. There is a way for all schools to exist and succeed with the advent of this new division.”
The committee, which was commissioned in Fall 2009, traveled throughout the state to gather feedback from parents, coaches and other stakeholders at public meetings about issues of concern regarding participation. From this feedback, the committee developed the following recommendations:
- to create a new division of participating schools, private and public, which have been designated as rural by the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development, and whose student enrollments are 500 or less. This classification shall be limited to the following sports: boys and girls basketball, baseball, football, boys and girls soccer, softball and girls volleyball.
- to ensure penalties for an offense of recruiting, or any violation(s) of eligibility bylaws, are very severe, including but not limited to: program and/or school suspension from the Association; program and/or school restrictive probation, including exclusion from state series playoff events; and increased financial penalties.
- to investigate the use of a “clearinghouse” system for international student eligibility, with no more than one international student being eligible to participate on each varsity-level team.
- to seek input from member schools regarding reclassification and redistricting processes.
The Urban/Rural Committee noted in their full recommendation that the student population of 500 is an approximation with the actual number to be determined by the actual number of schools required t o create a competitive division.
To read the full FHSAA committee recommendation, click here (pdf).
Pictured top: Brandon Sheets tries to avoid Jay defender Chris Carrigan during last year’s meeting of two rural schools. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
14 Responses to “FHSAA Considers New Division For Small, Rural Schools Like Northview, Jay”
hey cheifs fan who cares about softball and jay was awful this year in football
This is embarrassing as a student at northview that this is even being considered. Sports shouldn’t be made to where you are guaranteed to go deep into the playoffs every year. You should have to work for it and earn it. But I guess everything is becoming “everyone has to win” now.
Too bad they didn’t include all the sports such as track and cross country.But if it doesn’t have a “ball” in it’s name it seems like it just doesn’t count as a sport.Really sad! I a lot of ways these sports take more physical training and endurance than any ball sport out there.
hey “b” — didn’t the Chiefs beat the royals in softball. And what about football?
hey cheifs fan didnt jay just beat baker thursday for the district championship in baseball
track and feild and cross country does good at jay they go to state every year the do not need there own division but if they did jay would own that
I’m all for Northview breaking away because it really is unfair for our small school to have to potentially play against teams like Tate, which just sent one of their grads to the Atlanta Falcons in the 3rd round of the draft this year, or Pensacola High, which just won state. Still, as long as it doesn’t cost the school alot of money and Northview can play Alabama schools like Flomaton or Escambia High, I’m all for it. The only bad thing I can think of is that college recruiters might not take as much of an active interest in the new division, but then again, I don’t think they ever really did in the first place.
to m, it’s not about time, it’s way past time and now that the schools are standing up for themselves “oh yeah let’s take care of this problem………..when EW went to the state finals in the mid 90’s they played a private school who recruited on a REGULAR BASIS then when the season was over the students were sent back to the public schools. The FHSAA never enforces any rules only those that apply to the public schools…….I support the idea of our own independent league……if we say we’re going to stay with FHSAA why would they conduct themselves any differently????? as for this eagle/chief fan i say go our own way….
what is it with the chiefs fan they know so much about what Jay doesnt want to do? Jay is going to be in a rebuilding year this coming football season so we will just have to see how our guys pull together.Any school that fits the number of kids to play in class 2A should be there playing anyway.and not be able to protest the decision because they dont want to travel.
Read real close. It said 500 was an appoximate number. Some schools will opt out and others will be needed to make it go. Lets hope it is a go.
Reading the fine print in the .pdf file, you’ll find in the first paragraph a 500 student limit. If this holds, Northview will be eliminated from the new division and will probably end up with West Florida and Catholic as divisional opponents. I’m sure that Jay, Baker and the other schools in the current 1A division are pushing to make this happen because they don’t want to play us anyway.
What about cross country and track/field?
This a good thing. Will it happen by this football season? That state trophy will look so good in the Chief’s trophy case when we beat Baker and Jay in the playoffs.
It is about time!