05/08/19 – Board Approves BA/FP Semi-State Sites, Adopts Spectator Conduct Policy

May 8, 2019 2018-2019 News Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 8, 2019

The Board of Control conducted its final meeting of the 2018-19 academic year on Tuesday and Wednesday at the KHSAA Offices, approving sites for the upcoming baseball and softball semi-state games while also addressing a number of policy revisions.

Acting on a prior directive from the Board of Control, KHSAA staff has worked throughout the year to secure neutral venues for the baseball and softball semi-state rounds – with a preference given to collegiate sites if possible. The semi-state games will take place Saturday, June 1st, with the Board approving the following sites:

SOFTBALL
Semi-State 1 & 2 (Regions 2 vs. 1 and 4 vs. 3) – Western Kentucky University
Semi-State 3 & 4 (Regions 6 vs. 5 and 8 vs. 7) – University of Louisville
Semi-State 5 (Region 10 vs. 9) – Northern Kentucky University
Semi-State 6 & 7 (Regions 12 vs. 11 and 14 vs. 13) – Berea College
Semi-State 8 (Region 16 vs. 15) – Kentucky Christian University

BASEBALL
Semi-State 1 & 2 (Regions 2 vs. 1 and 4 vs. 3) – Western Kentucky University
Semi-State 3 & 4 (Regions 6 vs. 5 and 8 vs. 7) – University of Louisville *
Semi-State 5 & 6 (Regions 10 vs. 9 and 12 vs. 11) – TBD
Semi-State 7 & 8 (Regions 14 vs. 13 and 16 vs. 15) – Morehead State University
*-in the event UofL is selected to host NCAA Baseball, the site would be the newly renovated Eastern High School.

“We are incredibly grateful to these host facilities,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett. “Our Board’s directive has been to curtail the cost of travel for some teams by playing games closer to the schools and yet offer a neutral field to replicate a state finals qualifying experience. Thankfully, many of these institutions offered their facilities at no cost to truly support the member schools and we are very thankful. This gets our students onto their campuses as potential students and, at the same time, creates a positive postseason environment.”

In an effort to further promote sportsmanship and support contest officials and administrators, the Board approved a recommendation from the Commissioner to adopt a Spectator Conduct provision into its policies and procedures. The approved policy states that “any adult spectator (adult who is not listed on the current roster of coaches for the school) at any KHSAA sanctioned interscholastic event (scrimmage, regular or postseason contest) who is removed by school administrators or by law enforcement (whether or not referred by a contest official) for unsportsmanlike conduct shall be suspended from attending, at minimum, the next contest at that level of competition and all other contests at any level in the interim.”

“It is my sincere hope, and I believe that of our Board, that this penalty never be implemented and this be yet another tool in the toolbox of our school administrators to address some of the concerns we see throughout the year, ” said Tackett. “Hopefully this is a deterrent that, when implemented in our schools, becomes that one last chance for people to stop short of acting in such an unsportsmanlike manner that ejection is the only option.”

Four changes were approved by the delegates at the September, 2018 Annual Meeting of the membership. With three of those changes impacting the transfer rule and its application, the Board approved a request from the Commissioner of an interpretation that will allow staff to utilize these provisions in eligibility rulings for transfers submitted on or after May 13, 2019. Without this interpretation, many rulings made between now and the final effective date would have to be re-adjudicated in order to have a non-disparate impact on students enrolling for 2019-20.

The proposals 1) clarify that transfer ineligibility impacts only those sports in which the student has participated in the last 365 days prior to enrollment; 2) allow for practice or non-varsity competition at the discretion of the member school while a ruling is in progress; and 3) add a specific exception for situations applicable to KRS 158.148 (Bullying).

These rules are currently working their way through the promulgation process and will likely see final formal effect around July 15, 2019.

The Board also helped provide clarity by endorsing an enrollment verification interpretation to ensure consistent application of all KHSAA Bylaws (4, 6, 23 and 24) by the membership. The subject matter deals with how the bylaws handle students (in terms of enrollment) who participate over the summer (after school is out) before “sitting for class” as it is defined by KDE, particularly when coaches are present.

The Board’s endorsement Wednesday confirmed a school’s summer open facility program is only open to: (i) students who attend the school; (ii) to students who attend a feeder school of the school as defined by the local Board of Education adopted policy; (iii) incoming 9th grade students who are no longer enrolled at the non-feeder school and have enrolled at the member school; (iv) newly enrolling students in grades ten, eleven or twelve that are not subject to the provisions of Bylaw 6, 7 or 8; and (v) transfer students subject to Bylaw 6, 7 or 8 who have enrolled at the school and who have completed and submitted to the Association a KHSAA Transfer Form (if one is required by the Bylaw 6, 7 or 8 situation).

“This clarification has been requested by our member schools in light of additional stipulations put in place by the schools to address non-season play,” said Tackett. “It is important for consistent application that the schools and students know the points in time that offseason workouts cross any proverbial lines drawn within the regulations.”

Additionally, the Board finalized its meeting schedule for the 2019-20 academic year:
July 10-12 (Wed.-Fri.) – Board of Control, Covington
September 18 (Wed.) – Annual Meeting, Lexington
September 19 (Thurs.) – Board of Control, Lexington
November 19 (Tues.) – Board of Control, Lexington
January 16 (Thurs.) – Board of Control, Lexington
February 19 (Wed.) – Board of Control, Lexington
May 5-6 (Tues.-Wed.) – Board of Control, Lexington

In other action, the Board:

• Accepted the report of deficient schools in regards to Prime Date Scheduling with the Commissioner scheduled to implement penalties for violations per Bylaw 27.
• Set championship dates and sites for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic years.
• Approved the cessation of the presentation of the “combined award” at the state swimming and diving championships.
• Heard a review by staff on the Association’s Strategic Plan.
• Conducted a review of Commissioner Tackett as required by 702 KAR 7:065, noting that the evaluation marks were exemplary in all areas.

– KHSAA –

About the Kentucky High School Athletic Association
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association was organized in 1917 and is the agency designated by the Kentucky Department of Education to manage high school athletics in the Commonwealth. The Association is a voluntary nonprofit 501(c)3 organization made up of 280 member schools both public and private. The KHSAA sanctions 44 state championships in 13 sports and 5 sport-activities, licenses and trains over 4,000 officials, provides catastrophic insurance for its more than 70,000 member school student-athletes, as well as overseeing coaching education and sports safety programs.