The Legislative Council of the Colorado High School Activities Association conducted its business in rather quick fashion Thursday during its second meeting of the school year.
The 69-member governing body largely cruised through a full agenda at the Red Lion Southeast Hotel, an agenda that surprisingly generated little discussion among the members.
As expected, though. the Legislative Council spent most of its time on a proposal that would have significantly changed the qualifying format for the Class 4A state basketball tournament. That item also garnered the closest vote of the day.
The South Central, Southwestern and Western Slope Leagues proposed returning the classification to a district tournament format, where each of 4A's nine districts would have received a predetermined amount of qualifiers for a 48-team state event.
Those qualifiers would have been determined through geographically and league-based district tournaments, and it would have eliminated the current format where the 48 teams are picked by the CHSAA Tournament Selection Committee, without regard to league representation.
The main rationale was to return to the district tournaments, which generate significant revenue, while also cutting travel costs for all schools. Concern also had been expressed about the diligence of the Selection Committee. Although the proposal had only one member speak out against it - because it could have resulted in less games for teams overall - it failed on a 35-33 vote.
One major basketball change was adopted, though. Beginning next school year the Class 5A and 4A boys and girls championship games will be consolidated into one day - Saturday - at a single site. Currently, the girls games are played on Friday and the boys on Saturday. It's hoped the move will increase attendance and interest in the title games. Attendance was down at the big-school tournament this year.
As part of that change, the 5A and 4A semifinals and championships, which have been competed Wednesday through Saturday, will condense the schedule. Those games now will take place Thursday through Saturday, saving more than $25,000 in expenses in the process.
Here are a few other highlights from the meeting:* Private schools now will have enrollment boundaries like their public school counterparts, after a proposal passed 54-15 without discussion. The boundaries would be defined "by the public school district in which the private school is physically located." The proposal, which was offered by CHSAA's Board of Directors, was designed to establish equality between public and private schools as it pertains to athletic transfers.
As an example, CHSAA Commissioner Paul Angelico said currently that a student wishing to change schools within the same school district is impacted by the transfer rule. Now, a private school will also be subject to those same school boundary rules.
"You can't move into an attendance area you already live in," Angelico explained of the nuance. "This probably puts a little more stringent rules on private schools."
* Class 2A basketball regionals are changing from a predetermined bracket to a seeded-tournament format, to help save with travel costs. The eight district champions will be seeded Nos. 1-8 for the 32-team regionals. Meanwhile seeds Nos. 9-24 will be seeded as well, but adjustments will be made to limit travel and avoid district opponents. Teams seeded Nos. 25-32 will be placed on the bracket based on geography. Teams will be reseeded again for state.
* Girls soccer will add a fourth classification – Class 2A – for the 2014-2016 cycle. Schools with enrollment from 1-240 would be eligible for the 2A level. If that enrollment standard were applied to the current alignment, 24 schools would compete at 2A, although several schools are just slightly above the 240-student limit.
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Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) was approved as the 30th school to compete in ice hockey. The Bruins will be placed in the Foothills League, giving it and the Peak League each 15 teams.
* Boys lacrosse will be split into two classifications - Class 5A and 4A - for the next cycle. Also,
Dakota Ridge (Littleton) (5A),
Lakewood (5A) and
Clear Creek (Evergreen) (4A) will add boys varsity teams, while
Lakewood (5A) joins on the girls side. Also, the
Centaurus (Lafayette) girls will move from the Jefferson County League to the Metro League to help create balance.
* Swimming established new state-qualifying times, which are designed to help create 4-5 heats of each event at state.
* Track and field now also will measure all field event jumps and throws at the state meet, to help break potential ties.
* Of note, voted down were three proposals that would have established guidelines for high school coaches regarding contact with eighth-graders who live in or outside of their school attendance area.
In addition to the legislative business, the CHSAA announced Jennifer Roberts-Uhlig as the new assistant commissioner. Roberts-Uhlig currently is the athletic director and an assistant principal at
Sheridan. She will replace Rhonda Blanford-Green, who is leaving to become the executive director of the Nebraska School Activities Association. Roberts-Uhlig will start July 1.
Also, an informal proposal was made prior to the legislative session to add badminton to the list of varsity sports for the fall.
