MSHSAA schools to vote on splitting tourneys

~ A proposal for separate state tournaments for public and private schools is expected to be on the April ballot.

The multiplier was established to level the playing field between public and private schools in the Missouri State High School Activities Association.

But with private schools continuing to enjoy high levels of success, a proposed split of the state tournament to separate public and private schools has been put up for discussion across the state.

The possibility of separate state tournaments and another new football playoff proposal were among the issues discussed by coaches, principals and athletic directors Tuesday in Dexter as part of the MSHSAA's statewide area meetings.

Creating separate state tournaments -- under the proposal, the split would not take place until the 2008-2009 school year -- is an idea that would mean changes for all area schools. Unlike some of the major Missouri cities that have large pools of private schools, only four of the 76 schools in the Southeast District of the Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association are private.

"From our point of view, I'd really hate to see it," Saxony Lutheran athletic director Larry Cleair said. "We have Notre Dame, St. Vincent and Valle that are private schools. Of those, we share cross country with Notre Dame, but not Valle and St. Vincent. Only Valle and St. Vincent have football. You don't get the excitement you would with the traditional rivalry you have with public and private."

Added Central athletic director Mark Ruark: "Being in Cape Girardeau, we have a good relationship with Notre Dame, Saxony Lutheran and even the kindergarten through eighth-grade parochial and private schools. I think a lot of this is coming from other areas of the state."

Currently, a 1.35 multiplier is assessed to all private school enrollments for classification in state tournaments. Even with the multiplier presence, private schools have continued to dominate state tournaments in some MSHSAA sports such as soccer and tennis, although that does not necessarily mean the multipier is not working.

"It just seems to run in cycles," Ruark said. "Particularly from our standpoint in Southeast Missouri. You might get a different opinion in St. Louis or Kansas City."

There are a total of 72 private schools among the 500-plus MSHSAA schools. Like their public school counterparts, there are dominant private school programs and private schools which have not had much success at the state level.

"I think it's one of those things it's easy to lump the private schools together, but the only thing they have in common is they're private," Cleair said.

But that means they are not restricted to the same geographic boundaries as public schools.

While making up just 12.5 percent of the MSHSAA body, private schools have dominated sports such as soccer, tennis and golf. Since 2000, 18 of 19 boys soccer state titles have gone to private schools. Notre Dame has claimed two of those titles.

Girls soccer has seen private schools win or share all but one state title since 2001. Every state title in boys tennis since 2001 has gone to private schools, and all but two of those titles have gone to Pembroke Hill and Rockhurst. The numbers are nearly as staggering in girls tennis as well as in boys and girls golf.

Soccer, tennis and golf are sports typically associated with higher-income families.

"We've been fortunate we've had one of the better tennis programs around, but there is a certain affluency that goes with being successful in some sports," Ruark said.

If the measure were to pass on the MSHSAA's annual ballot -- the ballot is sent out in April with the results posted in May -- nearly every sport would by subject to reclassification. Among the 72 private schools, there could be some big mismatches in terms of enrollments.

"I don't know how they'd do it, whether it's two classes of 36," St. Vincent athletic director Bruce Valleroy said. "Definitely we'd be playing more bigger schools enrollment-wise than we are now."

Added Cleair: "It sure would take a bite out of the state championship for private schools, and public schools, I think."

A separation of state tournaments could potentially create a rift between the private schools and the public schools that make up MSHSAA. In an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch last week, one St. Louis-area athletic director stated he thought his school would break from MSHSAA if the measure passed.

"One of the biggest concerns I would have from splitting public and privates schools is what's the incentive [for private schools] to stay part of MSHSAA," Ruark said. "You could end up with a more complicated and confusing mess than we have now."

A similar proposal to split private and public schools failed in the past, but that does not comfort Valleroy.

"We hope it doesn't pass, but until the vote comes out, I'll be worried sick," Valleroy said.

The meeting's other big topic was another new football playoff proposal. A proposal to switch to eight-team, seeded districts failed at a December 2005 MSHSAA board meeting.

Under the new proposal, the top two teams from each district would advance. The districts would then cross-bracket with the District 1 winner playing the District 2 runner-up and so on.

A new system would reward teams which come from tough districts. Among the arguments made by opponents to the proposal are that not all districts have two teams which deserve to make the playoffs -- Central's district last year did not have a team with a winning record.

"It doesn't matter what system you have, that's going to happen," Ruark said. "I'm not necessarily crazy about changing the current system."

With the addition of another playoff round, the start of the regular season would be one week earlier on the schedule. This would include moving the annual jamborees as well.

Ruark said he does not see an improvement from the current system in the new proposal.

"To me, if we're going to change things, you have to show me an improvement," he said. "Change for the sake of change doesn't make sense."