By Nate Beutel
The state’s budget crunch has trickled its way down to high school athletics.
At this weekend’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association quarterly Executive Committee meetings in Binghamton, the Fiscal Concerns ad hoc committee approved several recommendations, including the reduction of the maximum number of contests permitted during the regular season.
This means that sports with 24 contests, such as baseball and softball, will be reduced to 20, sports with 20 contests, such as basketball, will be reduced to 18 and sports with 18 contests, such as soccer, will be reduced to 16. Wrestling will be reduced to 20 points.
Football will be reduced from 10 to nine contests, with the ninth game permitted by sectional approval for teams that do not qualify for the sectional playoffs. For teams involved in the sectional playoffs, the maximum number of games will be 10, which will include a quarterfinal, semifinal and championship round. Three additional games — regionals, state semifinals and the state championship — will continue to be permitted.
“I really don’t know what two or four contests is going to do for anybody,” Grand Island athletics director Jon Roth said. “I don’t think they should penalize the kids. I know cuts have to be made somewhere, but cutting games is not the answer.”
Starpoint AD Tom Sarkovics agreed.
“The kids work year-round for this now,” he said. “The ECIC ADs just voted pretty unanimously against this, but what they’re basically telling us is that our vote was just a goodwill gesture. It’s a shame.”
These changes go into effect for the 2009-10 school year and will continue through at least 2010-11, making both Roth and Sarkovics wonder if their teams will ever get those games back.
“The kids need as much exposure and participation as possible,” Roth said.
“Hopefully they’ll re-establish the old format in two years, but who knows,” Sarkovics added.
Other key recommendations approved at the meeting included the use officials from the host Section at all state regional contests, except when the Sections involved mutually agree to use neutral officials; a moratorium on the expansion of existing state tournaments as it pertains to participation; and centralized sites should be considered as part of the bid process for state tournament site selection when it can be proven that cost savings outweighs other criteria.
Among those recommendations referred to the Championship Advisory Committee were the reduction of the number of classes and divisions in team and individual state competition and the reduction of participants in state championships in individual and combination sports.
Those items that were not acted on included the reduction of team and individual tournaments, the establishment of a maximum number of scrimmages permitted for all levels of play and the establishment of a team travel restriction for all member schools limiting out-of-state team travel to competition with bordering states only.
“The representatives serving on the Executive Committee are very concerned with the fiscal challenges schools are facing,” state Executive Director Nina Van Erk said. “The Executive Committee has taken action to assist schools, leagues, conferences, Sections and the state to reduce costs related to the interscholastic athletic program. The rationale supporting these incremental reductions will have a significant impact for our member schools. For example, the savings realized by schools may act to protect lower level programs such as modified from being eliminated.”
Contact reporter Nate Beutel at 282-2311, ext. 2262.
