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Rule changes aren’t enough from PIAA hearing

It took five decades, but the PIAA finally has admitted there is a problem. The organization even is taking steps to address that problem.

Those are the two main takeaways from Monday’s Pennsylvania Athletic Oversight Committee’s “Hearing on Public, Private Sports.” The main issue has been addressed here multiple times before: private/charter (non-boundary schools) have an inherent advantage over public (boundary) schools simply because they can bring in athletes from all four corners of the world. Boundary schools can bring in athletes from all four corners of their respective districts.

This craziness was born in 1972 when Gov. Milton Shapp signed Act 219 which stipulates the PIAA treat all members — public and private — uniformly. The ironic part is that this law created two un-uniform sets of rules. All it did was create inequality and a deep divide that has only grown worse each year since.

The good news from Monday’s hearing is that the PIAA is taking steps to try and level the playing field. The bad news is that nothing will be enough until the two groups are separated come playoff time. The PIAA is nowhere close to proposing that, although the state legislature might be. If nothing happens on that front, then the boundary schools will have no other choice but to take drastic action.

New Castle Superintendent John Sarandrea displayed a stat at Monday’s hearing, showing that non-boundary schools are 279-111 against boundary schools from 2016-18. That drives home why changes are needed. It is worst in basketball where one or two non-boundary players can vastly alter a game or a season’s complexion. But it also has hit nearly every other sport hard, including football where powerhouses like Imhotep, Archbishop Wood, St. Jospeh’s Prep, Pittsburgh Central Catholic and Bishop Guilfoyle, among others, have dominated. Neumann-Goretti has used players from multiple states to dominate boys and girls basketball and baseball while now emerging as a potential football power. Heck, Kennedy Catholic built what looked like a college basketball team last season. The list goes on and on.

The proposed changes might dent the dominance of the non-boundary schools, but they will still reign supreme because they have an inherent advantage that these changes cannot completely fix. There will remain two sets of rules, one advantageous for non-boundaries and one for everyone else.

First, let’s look at some of the new rules and proposed changes. Changes have been made to the athletic waiver request form with a “stricter standard” being placed on the schools that the given athlete is coming from since they are likely more aware of why he or she is transferring. PIAA Executive Director Bob Lombardi also said issues over temporary and permanent housing have been addressed by adding a confirmation section for permanent address, an issue that also impacts public school transfers as well.

There is a change of a bylaw passed last April that will have athletes who transfer in-season sit out a mandatory 21 days before competing for their new school. This rule also would prevent athletes from eligibility if he or she were able to participate in 50 percent or more games at their previous school. This basically could be called “The Diamond Johnson Rule,” after the Virginia standout transferred to Neuman-Goretti after playing in no regular season girls basketball games there and helped it capture a state championship. A “hardship waiver” would be eligible for appeals.

Another change is the establishment of an eligibility portal on the PIAA website that will host all requests, and allow for the tracking of all transfers to develop data for review by the PIAA’s competition committee. This rule creates more transparency and complements the next rule which also could be the biggest.

This one is only a proposal and must be voted on but stipulates that prevent an athlete who transfers in ninth grade or higher from competing in the postseason for a calendar year, meaning a freshman who transfers the next season would have to sit out his or her sophomore campaign at their new school. In one respect, this is a tremendous rule and prevents teams from picking and choosing new all-stars (I mean student-athletes), to bring in each year since they could not immediately enjoy the fruits of their labor.

In another regard, all this means is that these all-star non-boundary teams will start being assembled in middle school more than ever before. The junior high scene could become the meat market that high school is now.

Finally, there is a proposal for the development of a competition classification formula. This would consider a school’s athletic success, enrollment size and number of transfer athletes. Under this formula, schools who win multiple state championships or field a high number of transfers could be forced to move up in classification. Related to this, there could be the possible development of a seventh classification that would serve to hold 6A schools to the same standards. If they win multiple state championships, or have a high amount of transfers they would then move up to 7A.

Again, on the surface this rule looks outstanding. Many, including myself, have said that non-boundary schools should have to move up in classification for years. I changed my mind when I realized all that would do is punish the non-boundary schools already playing in those larger classifications. Looking at it from a local perspective, schools like Williamsport, Central Mountain and Jersey Shore already have their hands full in their respective classifications. That same goes for larger non-boundary schools throughout the state. Those challenges are exponentially increased by moving non-boundary powerhouses into those respective classifications.

Listen, the PIAA deserves credit here. It finally acknowledged that it has a problem that festered for way too long. It has proposed changes to try and rectify the problem. At the same time, the changes and proposed changes are only band-aids being place on a gaping wound. Ultimately, the only way to cover that wound is by separating the non-boundary and boundary schools in the postseason. The PIAA can go to 38 classes if it chooses, but the inherent problem will still be there.

The only way boundary schools ever will be competing on a level playing field is if they have their own postseason. Why play in a system that inherently favors one set of schools? The PIAA likely fears non-boundary school lawsuits and, thus, will likely never propose such a resolution.

That means it is up to the state legislature. Fortunately, there may finally be traction there. State Sen. Jay Costa, D-Allegheny County, told John Finnerty of CNHI that there will be a hearing in July to hear from public school administrators and athletic directors. Spokeswoman Brittany Crampsie added that legislation “likely” will be drafted to potentially create separate playoffs. State Rep. Garth Everett, R-Muncy, also said in an email to the Sun-Gazette that he will be looking into the issue.

The key now for non-boundary schools is to keep the pressure on the legislature. More than 80 percent of the PIAA schools are non-boundary and it is time for school boards, superintendents, athletic directors and principals to unify and fight these unfair rules. Stop complaining and get something done.

This topic has never run hotter than it is right now and the legislature is finally listening. Now is the time to act, now is the time to put more pressure on then ever before. Yes, there obviously more important issues out there, but let the legislature know this means a lot to you and could impact how you vote in the future.

If nothing comes from the July hearing, if the legislature throws its hands up and caves to non-boundary school pressure then that should be the last straw. That same army of non-boundary school administrators and fed-up Pennsylvania residents must take matters into their hands. They must start their own athletic organization. If there is no separation, split from the PIAA and create your own organization that truly does have uniform rules for all schools.

Something similar happened 242 years ago. America was treated unfairly by England which seemingly held all the power. America did all it could to fix the problems and be treated the same way those living in England were instead of like second-rate citizens. When those attempts failed they took the final step.

As stated in the Declaration of Independence:

“When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”

The PIAA is trying, but only the legislature can truly fix this problem now. If it does not?

Then it will be time for the non-boundary schools to issue their own Declaration of Independence.

Masse may be reached at cmasse@sungazette.com. Follow him on Twitter at @docmasse.

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