(2-4-24) At a recent meeting of Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Northwest District member schools that met last week with Executive Director Doug Ute in Findlay to discuss the possible addition of additional divisions in basketball.

The OHSAA and Ute both have declared that the board can move on adding additional divisions without a vote of the 800 member schools.

This is from an early December OHSAA press release…

Any proposed changes in the number of tournament divisions would need to be approved by the OHSAA Board of Directors, as those guidelines are part of the OHSAA General Sports Regulations, not the OHSAA Constitution or Bylaws.

Ute said in the same release….

“The Board of Directors has been very supportive when discussing this, and I have been pleased that we seem to be on the same page and could possibly have a proposal in front of the Board in the very near future.

That doesn’t mean everyone agrees with what seems to be a ‘back door‘ attempt to make the change.

In a Toledo Blade story by Dave Briggs… Van Wert Superintendent Mark Bagley told Ute. “

“I would love to know the amount of people in our district in northwest Ohio who are in favor of this. I have not heard names. I would love to slow this down … Why not put it to the members — 819 schools and we vote? If it goes that way, great. Let’s move forward. No problem with that. But nine people are going to vote on the future of three expansion divisions?”

The OHSAA has done no formal studies or research (or at least revealed those plans) on the entire process of making this change.

It may come down again to the nine voting members of the OHSAA Board of Directors to decide. If you look over recent board minutes you will never see a motion brought forward by Ute that received a no vote.

Motion passed: 9-0 is something the board has done over the past year on every motion they have voted on. So if Ute decides to move forward and place the proposal on the board agenda look for another unanimous vote.

Below are the nine members who will decide the proposal, unless the all of them make the decision to allow the members at least to cast a vote….if not this is a done deal..

Board of Directors

  • Gina Franks (Board President) – Director of Student Services, Dover City Schools
  • Dr. Jayson Selgo (Board Vice President) – Superintendent, Archbold Area Local School District State Board of Directors
  • Dr. William R. Nye Jr.  – Superintendent, Grand Valley Local Schools State Board of Directors
  • Bo Arnett Dean of Students/Athletic Administrator, Waverly High School State Board of Directors
  • Jeff Wheeler Assistant Principal/ Athletic Director, Meadowbrook High School/Middle School State Board of Directors
  • Andy Bixler Superintendent, Anna Local Schools  State Board of Directors
  • Molly Feesler –  Athletic Director, Thomas Worthington High School   State Board of Directors
  • Paul Stone – Athletic Director, Oakwood Junior High School State Board of Directors
  • David Alvarado Principal, Columbian High School   State Board of Directors

Non-voting members

  • G​len Gillespie – State Board of Directors (Ex-Officio, Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association)
  • Dr. Scott J. Hunt – Ex-Officio Executive Director, Field Relations, Ohio Dept. of Education

RELATED:

Did you know?

How many divisions of basketball in the following states–

Kentucky – 1
Michigan – 4
Indiana – 4
Illinois – 4
Iowa – 4
West Virginia – 4
Wisconsin – 5
Pennsylvania – 6