A massive shake-up could be brewing in Ohio high school sports, with administrators from the Suburban League spearheading a petition to completely overhaul the Ohio High School Athletic Association state tournaments. These folks are pushing hard to get separate public and private high school state tournaments, and if they pull this off, the landscape for championships in Ohio might never be the same.
The Big Ask: Separate Tournaments on the Ballot?
This isn’t just some casual talk, either. We’re talking about a serious, organized effort from superintendents, principals, and athletic directors within the Suburban League. They’ve launched a petition that’s now circulating statewide, and they’ve got a tight deadline: December. That’s when they need to gather enough support to actually get this referendum item onto the May 2027 ballot. And get this, only high school principals can sign the thing. The hurdle? They need 75 signatures total, with at least five coming from each of Ohio’s six OHSAA districts. If they hit those numbers, we’re looking at a full membership vote in May 2027, and if that passes, separate state tournaments could kick off as early as the 2028-29 school year. Talk about a seismic shift! This whole debate even got a spotlight at recent OHSAA regional administrator update meetings on September 8 and September 15.
History Repeats? And What About Competitive Balance?
Now, if this sounds familiar, that’s because it totally is. This isn’t the first time OHSAA member schools have chewed on the idea of separating public and private high schools. Petitions to split tournaments came up in 1978 and 1993, but both times, member schools voted them down. There were even more discussions in the late 2000s that eventually led to the competitive balance committee forming back in 2010. That system, which was approved in May 2014 and implemented for the 2017-18 school year, is still used today. It places schools into tournament divisions for team sports like baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball, and volleyball, all based on which students are on each school’s roster. So, the OHSAA already tries to level the playing field, but these administrators clearly think it’s not enough. Nordonia athletic director Rob Eckenrode, who’s been in his role for 21 years, summed it up perfectly when he said, “At this point in time, we are going through the process as laid out by the OHSAA and their constitution and bylaws. We have the referendum item ready to go, and as the bylaws call for we are soliciting signatures to get it on the ballot and see where it goes from there.” He added, “… I think the item speaks for itself and we will see if we are able to secure the necessary number of signatures and then it would go up for a vote. Then it would be left up to all the schools in the state of Ohio to vote on it.” Remember, every May 1-15, each member school gets one vote from its principal, and OHSAA Constitution Article 8-1-9 says every school has to submit a ballot. In May 2026, they passed 11 of 12 proposed revisions, so change *can* happen.
The clock is ticking for these administrators. They’ve got until December to secure those 75 signatures. The outcome will decide if Ohio high school sports are on the verge of their biggest shake-up in decades, potentially redefining what state championship glory even means for public and private schools across the state.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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