This would be a major change.
New York weighs separation of public, private schools in NYSPHSAA postseason tournaments originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It's a near-constant debate in New York's high school sports: Should the public schools and private schools compete against one another in the postseason?
For the most part, that's been answered. A few sections have alternate divisions for private schools, but statewide, the publics and privates play for the same NYSPHSAA championships.
There's a push beginning to change that.
The NYSPHSAA Executive Committee will meet Wednesday, and a discussion point is on the table.
"Section 1 has already forwarded a concern, and it's likely to turn into an all-hands-on-board deal by the time all is said in done," writes John Moriello of the NYSSWA. "At the behest of the Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents, which represents 78 school districts and 4 BOCES across Dutchess, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester counties, the section is requesting a re-examination of whether private and charter schools should be competing against public schools in NYSPHSAA championships."
It's important to note that there won't be any vote at this meeting, just the raising of the discussion.
"Where this leads is anyone's guess, though the work involved in reaching a consensus on a plan -- let alone getting it approved -- will be a distraction at a time when the NYSPHSAA is focused on reeling in the size of certain championship meets while maintaining consistency between sports," Moriello writes. "There is a bill in committee in the State Assembly and the Senate that advocates what the superintendents group is pushing. Separately, Alabama has just moved to place private schools in their own championships. Though that has excited some people in New York, there are political dynamics behind the Alabama situation that don't apply in New York."
New Jersey also has a separation system that allows the schools to compete against one another in the regular season but then splits for the postseason.
In New York, private and public schools have competed for the same state championships for decades. There are rules in place against athletic recruiting, as well as systems in place to raise private and charter schools up in school-size classification based on team caliber.
Still, it can be a contentious issue, and the discussion won't stop anytime soon.
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Category: General Sports
