Separate NCHSAA playoffs for charter, parochial schools? What a new proposal could mean

Should North Carolina’s parochial and charter schools compete in their own playoffs?

A proposal to make such a change received a cool reception Wednesday from some N.C. High School Athletic Association board members.

During the first day of its two-day winter meetings, the NCHSAA punted the proposal to Thursday — but not before several members expressed concerns about such a change.

“I just don’t see how this could take place in this round of realignment,” said NCHSAA board President Stephen Gainey, superintendent of the Randolph County Schools.

The NCHSAA is expanding from four to eight size classifications, with the change going into effect in the 2025-26 academic year. The organization recently released a list of schools that will be in each of the eight classes, and a committee is working on assigning schools to conferences.

In the midst of this, the NCHSAA board was presented with a proposal from Nash Central High Principal Jonathan Tribula, asking that in the realignment, two of the eight classes would be set aside for schools without a “defined attendance zone established by a local school unit.”

Tribula’s proposal would affect the approximately 60 charter schools that are NCHSAA members, plus four Catholic high schools — Charlotte Catholic and Christ the King in Mecklenburg County, Cardinal Gibbons in Raleigh, and Bishop McGuinness in Winston-Salem.

In his proposal, Tribula said, “A quick look in the 1A and 2A classifications across most non-revenue sports will see that many state championships are won from schools that do not have a clearly defined attendance zone.”

Tribula’s request got support from some board members.

“It’s a case where ‘my school has only 500 students,’ but many of those 500 students are outstanding athletes,” said Pamlico County Schools athletics director Henry Rice.

And John Williams, principal at Northampton High School, added, “It can get almost like an all-star squad, and other schools can’t compete evenly.”

Of the 18 team champions crowned this fall in boys’ soccer, boys’ cross-country, girls’ cross-country, girls’ volleyball, and girls’ tennis, six were won by teams that would be affected by Wednesday’s proposal.

Most of those were in the smaller classifications, which Tribula singled out in his proposal. Cardinal Gibbons won volleyball and girls’ cross-country in 4A. Charter or parochial school team champions in 1A and 2A were Bishop McGuinness (1A girls’ tennis), Pine Lake Prep (1A-2A girls’ golf and 2A girls’ tennis); and N.C. School of Science & Math/Durham (2A boys’ cross-country).

The biggest concern expressed by board members Wednesday was the timing of the proposal — while the major realignment and expansion to eight classes is well under way.

“This would cause a lot of upheaval in what we’ve already done,” said Farmville Central Principal Larry Williford, suggesting that the NCHSAA board instead could possibly study the issue in two years.

Some board members suggested surveying the state’s schools, but Jackson County Schools Superintendent Dana Ayers countered, “I hate surveys. Surveys will make 50 percent of people happy and 50 percent angry.”

And some board members questioned how big a problem this really is.

NCHSAA data shows that 18.5 percent of state championships in the past two years have been won by charter or parochial schools.

About 50 percent of 1A state champions were charter or parochial schools, but NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker said that charter and parochial schools account for about 50 percent of the 1A membership.

“If these schools account for 50 percent of our 1A membership, and they’ve won about 50 percent of the championships, I don’t see where we’re out of the norm,” Sampson County Schools Supt. Jamie King said.

The board tabled discussion of the topic Wednesday, and will revisit the issue Thursday.

State playoff proposals

Board members got a look Wednesday at a rough draft for how the state’s playoffs will look with eight size classifications.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools athletic director Ericia Turner, head of the realignment committee, said suggestions include:

▪ Three regional meets in several sports for Classes 1A-7A, with two regionals in 8A. This would include sports such as cross-country and outdoor track and field

▪ Retaining the current format of holding basketball regional and state tournaments in the same week at the same site. A big problem, however, is finding facilities in the same general area for eight size classifications. Turner said committee members want all teams to play in college facilities in the same city or area but are having trouble pinning down sites.

She also said there is talk about shortening some of the sports seasons, to prevent overlap. For example, many basketball teams began playing more two two weeks ago, but the football playoffs don’t end until Dec. 21. Basketball and spring sports seasons typically overlap too.

Speaking of realignment ... NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker said members of the realignment committee already have a rough draft that places schools in conferences. She said the committee plans to submit the proposal to NCHSAA board members and schools before Christmas.

Appeals will be heard in mid-January, so it likely will be late January or February before we know exactly which schools will be in which conferences next year.

During Wednesday’s meeting, board members also said it is almost certain that some conferences will have schools from more than two size classifications.

This story was originally published December 4, 2024 at 3:35 PM.