(10-1-26) Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Executive Director Mark Uyl talks about the future and potential changes for classification of public and parochial high schools.
The public-versus-private debate never dies in high school sports. Michigan High School Athletic Association Executive Director Mark Uyl says the numbers don’t back up the loudest complaints — but the MHSAA is studying the question anyway.
Uyl’s math: about 750 member schools, 76% traditional public. Of 131 state championships a year, the rolling three-year average shows 72% go to public schools — a four-point gap.
“That perception is not based in data.”
…he said, calling the parochial-advantage claim selective, driven by one good year in football or basketball while sports like softball (all four champions public) and wrestling (31 of 32 finalists public) go the other way.
Still, at its January 2026 meeting, the MHSAA Classification Committee unanimously voted to create a study group to keep analyzing school demographics, championship data, and success factors “in assisting future classification processes.” Michigan classifies by enrollment with no multiplier — unlike Mississippi’s new 1.5x or Tennessee’s 1.8 — and Uyl’s stance says it won’t change without the data to justify it.
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