Class 5A principals satisfied with the status quo

By Ron Brocato, Sports
Clarion Herald

Immunization scientists may discover a cure for all the COVID-19 variants before Louisiana’s high school principals come to their senses by ending the dual-playoff system that segregates the postseason for private and public schools.

The odds heavily favor the scientists.

Once again, a group of principals could have taken the lead in returning the state playoffs to a format that determines a true state champion in four sports at the Class 5A meeting prior to the 2022 the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s annual convention on Jan. 28.

But, as in all previous attempts to restore sanity among the state’s educators, a vote for a singular playoff system for the sports of football, baseball, softball and basketball in the state’s highest classification failed by a significant margin.

Hopes were high when Brother Martin principal and executive committee member Ryan Gallagher presented such a proposal to the 68 principals (or their representatives) of Class 5A schools who attended the meeting in Baton Rouge.

By wide margins (no announcement of the vote count was given), the majority of principals holding ballots defeated the proposal. Basketball was the only near-miss thanks to the presence of principals from all-girls’ schools, who were more in favor of the former playoff format for that sport.

The LHSAA has engaged in separate playoffs for Select (non-public) and Non-Select (conventional public) schools since 2013 for the sport of football. The principals followed suit by splitting basketball, baseball and softball playoffs in 2017.

Although the trophies the last teams standing receive have the words “State Champion” inscribed, the awards are more accurately either “Class” or “Division” championships, depending on the playoff bracket designations.

The measure would have had to pass by a simple majority of 50% plus 1 vote of the attending principals or their designated representatives. When word came to some local athletic directors that administrators from Class 5A schools in north Louisiana were in favor of ending the split, hopes for a possible breakthrough were raised. But those hopes were dashed in the voting.

What about future efforts to change the playoff format?  The entire association would have to come back in the room to re-examine how it determines champions, and it would require the LHSAA to change its constitution, an unlikely event because that would necessitate a two-thirds vote of the more than 300 principals who “own” the association.

A private organization, the LHSAA is run solely by its member principals, whose annual dues make them stockholders and give them the right to determine the rules of governing and conducting athletics within its membership. Thus, the deadlock.

The only winners this year were the sports officials who will receive small pay increases in seven sports – football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, wrestling, and in baseball and softball for umpires. The increases are aligned to the fees high school sports officials receive in neighboring southern states.

Certified football officials will receive $100 per game, a $10 increase. Other increases  include volleyball, $60 per game; softball,  $70; wrestling $70; basketball, $70; Baseball umpires, $79 apiece and soccer, $95 per crew.

Officials rated below certified will see a slightly smaller increase for a regular-season game.