NCHSAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS HOLDS WINTER MEETING
CHAPEL HILL–The North Carolina High School Athletic Association Board of Directors ended its three-day winter meeting on Wednesday at the Simon F. Terrell Building here.
The meeting concluded with a press conference where commissioner Davis Whitfield answered questions.
Among the action items from a busy series of meetings included:
–approved of 2010-11 action budget
–additional ways to return money to schools were discussed but the committee will meet again prior to May meeting and come up with recommendations.
-current carrier of catastrophic insurance has agreed to continue with same rates for another year as part of two-year agreement; United Health Care is no longer going to offer the same insurance package to schools in other areas in the 0 to $25,000 area, but recommendation was approved with Nationwide for the supplementary program at the same premium as previous
–approved 2011-12 playoff calendar
–approved adjustment in eight-quarter rule for football, limiting the number of individuals a school can use during a season to 12 players
–approved amending amateur rule that player may receive merchandise, etc. not to exceed $20 per season
–abolished the rule which allows non-football playing schools to start basketball practice earlier than other member schools and play six additional games; all basketball teams would start practice on same date and have same game limitations –
-amended Handbook to say that all regular season contests and conference tournaments must be completed before playoff reporting deadlines and the season ends with the last regularly scheduled game or when defeated in the playoffs, effective immediately
–recommend change in format for softball to change playoff format to best of three series at regional and state level
–for Eastern Regional basketball in Fayetteville this year: one ticket for Eastern Regional final day, due to the proximity of the two venues, and allow spectators to go to either women and/or men and then evaluate
–staff will bring in golf coaches to tweak qualifying system for both men and women’s golf. In addition, due to numbers, the 3A classification will be added for competition in women’s golf
–revision of application process for booking agent, eliminating “in good standing as an NCHSAA official,” so candidates wouldn’t be limited to active officials
–recommend all booking agents use the Arbiter assigning program, making it mandatory (since 65% of booking agents already use it), effective May 15, 2011.
–new booking agents approved: Alan Walwork in Metrolina soccer; Scott Wahlers in Metrolina volleyball; Rodney Burnett in Metrolina football; Rick Ridenhour in Metrolina basketball; Jerry Talley in ALCO baseball/softball.
The Board also heard several mid-term realignment appeals including:
— approved Berry Academy leaving the Rocky River 1-A/2-A and moving to the ME-GA 3-A/4-A, since its average daily membership will be greatly increased by the closing of E.E. Waddell
–approved the Carolina 10 splitting into two conferences, a 1-A including Raleigh Charter, NCSSM, Roxboro Community, River Mill, Voyager Academy (joining the NCHSAA in 2011-12) and Franklin Academy (moving from independent); the 2-A would be Cedar Ridge, Durham School of the Arts, Carrboro, Granville Central, South Granville and Northwood
–denied appeal for Smithfield-Selma to drop from 4-A to 3-A
–approved South Stokes dropping from 2-A to 1-A, staying in the same conference
–motion relative to Greenville Rose appeal, to give Rose the option to be independent in all sports except for football and basketball, which would remain in Mideastern Conference, with recommendation that the conference make every effort for their long trips be scheduled on Friday nights for basketball; staff would develop mechanism for Rose to qualify for playoffs in other team sports effective with the 2011-12 academic year
The NCHSAA has 390 member high schools all across North Carolina.
