NCHSAA Board of Directors votes on NIL, Basketball Changes
The N.C High School Athletic Association’s Board of Directors concluded its winter meeting Wednesday and voted on many issues, including NIL and a basketball Final Four.
NCHSAA commissioner Que Tucker said the association will now present its changes to the State Board of Education, per the “memorandum of understanding” the association entered into with lawmakers last year. If they are approved, the changes become final.
The association also faces two legislative bills that could drastically change athletics for charter schools and could strip the NCHSAA of power or ultimately replace it.
“The immediate future is cloudy,” Tucker said. “The legislative bills that are sitting out there could change many of the things we do and the way in which we operate, we know that. But we’ll do what we need to do to continue what this association has always done.”
Key Links
NC Charter, private schools could face big changes if House Bill passes
NC athletes could get NIL access and a basketball Final Four
Highlights from Wednesday’s meeting
▪ The board approved a Name, Image and Likeness policy. The board voted 15-3 in favor.
There was talk about what happens if the policy is violated. NCHSAA staff explained that violation of the policy would bring a 60-day violation and before the player is reinstated, he or she must rectify the issue that led to suspension, like if a player worked with a tobacco company, which is against the NCHSAA’s policy.
▪ The board voted to require all coaches to get CPR/AED certification before the first practice date for the 2024-25 school year. It passed 18-0.
▪ The board approved a policy, by an 18-0 vote, to require all counties to have at least one bat-testing machine for softball and one certified machine tester. That tester cannot be a coach and must be neutral. During last season’s state championships, some bats that failed testing were used. Later in the meeting, the board voted to cover the cost of two bat testing machines per county. The machines cost about $1,000 each.
▪ Beginning July 1, any NCHSAA softball game will end if a team is ahead by 15 runs after three complete innings. The motion passed 18-0.
▪ The board voted to allow MaxPreps RPI rankings for seeding of teams and selection of wildcards in the dual-team tennis playoffs. The motion passed 18-0.
▪ The board voted for a limit of a 24-game regular-season in baseball, basketball, lacrosse, soccer and softball, eliminating previous language surrounding tournaments. It passed 18-0.
▪ The board approved 18-0 a motion to maintain membership dues at the current rate of $1 per pupil at each member school. It also voted 18-0 to keep ticket sharing revenues with member schools level and to increase Cheerleader invitational registration fees from $25 to $35 per student.
▪ The Endowment Advisory Committee said more than $19 million has been returned back to member schools over the past 10 years from the NCHSAA Endowment. It recommended the following: a five percent distribution to schools from the General Endowment fund and up to a five percent from the Education, Health, Safety and Wellness Endowment fund or the actual amount needed to cover partial reimbursements (up to 50 percent) for member schools to achieve Honor Roll status and for administrators’ professional development opportunities. That motion passed 18-0.
▪ Representatives from NC Coaches Association said former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and former North Carolina coach Roy Williams will speak at the association’s coaching clinic in July.
There will be two football games this year, one in July for the class of 2023 and another for the class of 2024 in December, one day after the Shrine Bowl.
▪ Commissioner Que Tucker said there were seven ejections in baseball games Tuesday for reasons from profanity to making contact with officials. This school year, 69 percent of schools have had at least one ejection, down from 80 percent last year. But sportsmanship remains a concern of the NCHSAA.
“We’ve got to address this,” Tucker said. “It’s an ongoing challenge.”
▪ The board voted to allow the NCHSAA to form an ad-hoc committee to share findings about the “financial and operational impact” around implementing a shot clock for boys and girls basketball. The motion passed 18-0.
▪ The board approved an increasing in pay for swimming officials from $53.50 to $70 for referees and $27.50 to $40 for stroke and turn judge, starter and diving judge. The motion passed 18-0.
This story was originally published May 3, 2023 at 9:06 AM.
