(9-14-23) Six bills have been filed in the South Carolina State Legislature in the past year regarding high school athletics in the state, including one by State Rep. Shannon Erickson, chairwoman of the House Education and Public Works Committee.

Her proposed House Bill 4388 would move the governing body of high school athletics from the current South Carolina High School League to a “division of interscholastic athletics” as part of the state Department of Education.

Erickson questioned many things about the SCHSL, including the league’s voting procedure on its own legislative issues that gives more power to larger schools and a lack of game contracts between member schools.

One bill is focusing on competitive balance issues that would have private and charter schools play up one level in classification, while another would have them going up two classifications. Another bill would force private and charter schools to have their own playoffs.

Some schools — Fairfield Central, Keenan, Eau Claire, Columbia, Mid-Carolina and Newberry — have taken matters into their own hands by taking a stand on competitive balance and fair play concerns. Those schools (Mid-Carolina and Newberry football only) are in Region 4-2A with Gray Collegiate, a charter school located in West Columbia that has built powerhouse sports teams and won or appeared in multiple state championships over the past five years. Fairfield Central, Keenan and Eau Claire forfeited games with Gray Collegiate in the spring. This fall, all but Newberry High have told Gray Collegiate they won’t play them in any sports this year, forfeiting the games and giving Gray Collegiate the victories and automatic region championships.