FHSAA likely to rescind limits on sports schedules

The Board of Directors of the Florida High School Athletic Association will conduct a special meeting next month to consider rescinding an April mandate that limited the number of contests in all sports but football.

Facing a Title IX lawsuit filed on behalf of participants in girls' sports, the FHSAA appears likely to rescind its April 27 order reducing in-season games for all sports but football when the board meets on July 15 in Gainesville.

An e-mail sent by executive director Dr. Roger Dearing to board members on Monday indicated that Dearing and another board member had met with attorneys to discuss the issues that arose from the decision.

That decision mandated a cut in the number of games played by any team in a scholastic sport other than football by 20 percent, the aim to balm some of the pain felt in district school budgets across the state.

The move was one applauded by school officials facing tough budget years. And exempting football made sense as the primary feeder of revenue into high school athletic departments.

"Football is the generator of most of the (athletics) funds across the state," said Superintendent of Gulf County Schools Tim Wilder, one of two superintendents currently sitting on the FHSAA Board.

However, in an effort to address a Title IX challenge brought in South Florida, the FHSAA considered exempting girls' sports such as softball, basketball and, in order to balance the numbers, even competitive cheerleading from the schedule reduction mandate.

But with roughly 43,000 high school football players around the state, the numbers never could be brought fully into equal balance for female sports. Wilder said the disparity was narrowed to roughly 10,000 athletes statewide, and a Title IX suit was filed.

In Dearing's e-mail, he wrote that FHSAA Board president Greg Zornes had decided to call a special meeting next month and "the agenda for the meeting will be for the purpose of reconsidering the maximum game reduction."

Wilder said it seemed the better course at this time rather than fight a Title IX lawsuit that could drag out over several years and drain tight coffers.

And any decision to rescind the April decision must be done quickly because scheduling for next year is already under way and high school athletic directors need to know the number of games that can and cannot be played next year.

The concern for Wilder is that by rescinding the maximum game reduction passed in April, athletics such as junior varsity sports could be jeopardized.

"It looks like we are going to rescind it and give all games back to the schools," Wilder said. "Some districts will have to eliminate junior varsity sports. We are sick about it."