2020-2021 News Releases
07/13/21 – Spring Officials, Supervisor of the Year Winners Announced
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 13, 2021
Each year, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association honors the top officials for the 10 sports in which it licenses officials. Finalists in each sport are selected through a combination of not only on-field/court performance but local association activity and leadership, training efforts and the mentoring of newer officials.
One official in each sport is named “Outstanding Official of the Year” for his/her sport in appreciation of their dedication and service to schools and student-athletes across the state. Winners are selected following consultation with local assigning secretaries, veteran officials’ observers, coaches throughout the state and additional staff review.
The Outstanding Officials of the Year for the 2021 spring season are Jerry Mohr for track & field, Ronnie McGuffey for softball and John Carroll for baseball. Each finalist will receive a commemorative watch and certificate courtesy of the Officials Division Trust Fund, with the Official of the Year receiving an […]
07/07/21 – Official of the Year Winners Announced for Winter Sports
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 7, 2021
Each year, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association honors the top officials for the 10 sports in which it licenses officials. Finalists in each sport are selected through a combination of not only on-field/court performance but local association activity and leadership, training efforts and the mentoring of newer officials.
One official in each sport is named “Outstanding Official of the Year” for his/her sport in appreciation of their dedication and service to schools and student-athletes across the state. Winners are selected following consultation with local assigning secretaries, veteran officials’ observers, coaches throughout the state and additional staff review.
The Outstanding Officials of the Year for the 2020-21 winter season are John Eschan for wrestling, Terri Tonges for swimming & diving and Hannah Reynolds for basketball. Each finalist will receive a commemorative watch and certificate courtesy of the Officials Division Trust Fund, with the Official of the Year receiving an […]
06/23/21 – Official of the Year Winners Announced for Fall Sports
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 23, 2021
Each year, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association honors the top officials for the 10 sports in which it licenses officials. Finalists in each sport are selected through a combination of not only on-field/court performance but local association activity and leadership, training efforts and the mentoring of newer officials.
One official in each sport is named “Outstanding Official of the Year” for his/her sport in appreciation of their dedication and service to schools and student-athletes across the state. Winners are selected following consultation with local assigning secretaries, veteran officials’ observers, coaches throughout the state and additional staff review.
The Outstanding Officials of the Year for the 2020 fall season are Jamie Gatewood for field hockey, Michael Samaan for soccer, Jim Nunley for volleyball and Burney Jenkins for football. Each finalist will receive a commemorative watch and certificate courtesy of the Officials Division Trust Fund, with the Official of the […]
06/22/21 – Seven Former Standout High School Athletes Headline 2021 Class of National High School Hall of Fame
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 22, 2021
Former Leslie County High School standout Tim Couch will become the 10th individual from Kentucky to be inducted into the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) National High School Hall of Fame next week in Orlando, Fla. The induction ceremony will take place at 6:00 p.m. EST on July 1 at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Florida, and will be streamed live on the NFHS Network at: https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/nfhs/evtfb1ffdd8eb
Couch will become just the fourth athlete from Kentucky, and the first overall individual honoree since 2013, when he is inducted on July 1st. The NFHS will conduct a press conference with the hall of fame class at 12 p.m. on the day of the banquet that will also be streamed on the NFHS Network.
Kentucky in the NFHS National High School Hall of Fame
Athlete – Cliff Hagan (Owensboro) 1988; Paul Hornung (Flaget) 1989; […]
06/17/21 – State Softball Tournament Resumes Friday at UK
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 15, 2021
The 2021 KHSAA State Softball Tournament (June 18-20) culminates this weekend as the final eight teams head to the University of Kentucky’s John Cropp Stadium. Tickets to the event are only available for purchase online and can be found at khsaatickets.org. There will be no onsite cash or credit card sales, and fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance to expedite the admission process.
The KHSAA State Softball Tournament gets underway Friday morning with the first of four quarterfinal games at 11 a.m. as Boyle County takes on Lewis County. Daviess County will square off against Pendleton County in the second game of the day at 2 p.m., followed by Lafayette versus Butler at 5 p.m., and Warren East against Green County in the final game of the day at 8 p.m. Saturday’s semifinals will be played at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., with the championship […]
06/15/21 – State Baseball Tournament Resumes Wednesday at Legends Field
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 15, 2021
The KHSAA State Baseball Tournament (June 16-19) concludes this week in Lexington as the final eight teams visit Legends Field to contend for the 2021 state championship. Tickets to the event are only available for purchase online and can be found at khsaatickets.org. There will be no onsite cash or credit card sales, and fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance to expedite the admission process.
The state tournament resumes with quarterfinal action Wednesday evening as Collins takes on McCracken County at 5 p.m., followed by Danville vs. Lafayette at 8:30 p.m. The quarterfinals continue Thursday as Lyon County faces Whitley County at 5 p.m., and Hazard squares off against Trinity (Lou.) at 8:30 p.m. The semifinals are set for 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Friday, with the championship game slated for 7 p.m. Saturday evening.
Each game will be webcast live at KHSAA.tv […]
06/11/21 – Friday’s Softball Semi-State Games Postponed Until Sunday
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 11, 2021
Friday’s softball semi-state games have been postponed until Sunday, June 13 at John Cropp Stadium due to severe weather conditions.
The rescheduled games will be played on Sunday as follows:
1:30 PM – Boyle County vs. Johnson Central (in progress)
3:30 PM – North Laurel vs. Lafayette
6:00 PM – Pendleton County vs. Boone County
Saturday’s games will be played as scheduled.
The updated schedule is available at https://scoreboard.12dt.com/scoreboard/khsaa/kyfp21/tournament_191200
– 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 284 member schools both public and non-public. The KHSAA awards 215 state championships to 51 teams and 164 individuals in 13 sports and 6 sport-activities, funds catastrophic […]
06/08/21 – Track and Field Championships Begin Thursday at UK
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 8, 2021
The 2021 KHSAA State Track and Field Championships (June 10-12) begin Thursday morning at 10 a.m. when the 1A Meet gets underway at the University of Kentucky’s Outdoor Track and Field Complex. The 2A Championship will be held Friday, June 11, followed by the 3A Championship on Saturday, June 12, with both meets starting at 10 a.m.
Tickets to the event are only available for purchase online and can be found at khsaatickets.org. There will be no onsite cash or credit card sales, and fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance to expedite the admission process.
Live webcasts produced by KYtrackXC will be available at khsaa.tv through a partnership between the KHSAA, MileSplit and the NFHS Network. Subscription plans for the NFHS Network are available for $10.99 a month. A monthly subscription entitles users to every broadcast by the KHSAA and the more than 45 […]
06/07/21- Lehmkuhler, Smallwood Named Midway/KHSAA Student-Athletes of the Year
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 7, 2021
The 2020-21 Midway University/KHSAA Student-Athlete of the Year awards program culminated on the campus of Midway University on Monday, as Claire Lehmkuhler (Woodford County) and Jackson Smallwood (Grant County) were recognized as the overall Student-Athletes of the Year.
Beginning in May of 2016, Midway University started presenting a Female Student-Athlete of the Year award at each KHSAA girls’ state championship event. The awards program was expanded in 2019-20 to include male student-athletes, with Midway honoring a deserving student-athlete in each of the 19 officially recognized KHSAA sports and sport-activities.
The awards are based on athletic and academic achievement as well as community service and leadership, with Midway choosing one overall male and female student-athlete of the year each academic year. School administrators, coaches and athletic directors nominate student-athletes online at KHSAA.org, and the nominees are voted upon by a closed panel consisting of representatives from Midway University.
05/28/21 – State Tennis Championships Begin Tuesday at UK and Top Seed Tennis Club
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 28, 2021
The 2021 KHSAA State Tennis Championships (June 1-3) get underway Tuesday at 8 a.m. as the girls’ singles and doubles competition heads to the UK Boone/Downing Tennis Club while the boys’ tournament opens at Top Seed Tennis Club in Nicholasville. Tickets to the event are only available for purchase online and can be found at khsaatickets.org.
Following the first day of competition, all remaining tennis matches will be played at Top Seed Tennis Club, with Wednesday’s competition starting at 8 a.m. Thursday’s action opens with the boys’ and girls’ singles and doubles semifinals at 9 a.m. Championship matches for boys’ and girls’ doubles are slated for 12 p.m., with the finals for boys’ and girls’ singles set for 2 p.m.
Team champions will be determined through an accumulation of points throughout the tournament, with each singles player and doubles team receiving one point for each match victory. Brackets […]
05/25/21 – Baseball and Softball State Tournament Draws Set for Thursday
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 25, 2021
The pairings for the 2021 KHSAA State Baseball and KHSAA State Softball Tournaments will be revealed Thursday, May 27 at 1 p.m. as the Draw Show will be conducted at the KHSAA offices and streamed online at KHSAA.tv.
The 2021 KHSAA State Baseball Tournament begins Saturday, June 12 with semi-state games played at local host sites. The opening round matchups were carried over from last year after the 2020 season was canceled due to the pandemic. Four sites will host the semi-state matchups with Region 1 vs. 4 and 3 vs. 2 played at Western Kentucky University, 5 vs. 8 and 7 vs. 6 at Elizabethtown, 9 vs. 12 and 11 vs. 10 at the University of Kentucky, and 13 vs. 16 and 15 vs. 14 at Morehead State.
The eight teams advancing from the opening round will travel to Legends Field (June 16-19) for the remainder of […]
05/19/21- NCAA Additional Flexibility for High School Seniors in 20-21 Utilizing the SSYP Under SB128
Information relative the additional flexibility granted on May 19, 2021, for 2020-21 seniors who return for supplemental education during 2021-22 is listed in the information at https://bit.ly/3dUJ9us
05/12/21 – Shot Clock Allowed by State Adoption for High School Basketball in 2022-23
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Beginning with the 2022-23 season, a 35-second shot clock will be permitted in high school basketball games by state association adoption. A proposal for a national rule mandating a shot clock was not approved.
A shot clock was among the topics discussed by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Basketball Rules Committee at its annual meeting April 20-22 held virtually this year. All recommendations were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
Rule 2-14 states that each state association may adopt a shot clock beginning in the 2022-23 season — according to guidelines outlined in the Basketball Rules Book — to encourage standardization among states. Guidelines include displaying two timepieces that are connected to a horn that is distinctive from the game-clock horn, and using an alternative timing device, such as a stopwatch at the scorer’s table, for a shot clock malfunction. The guidelines also allow for corrections […]
05/12/21 – KHSAA State Competitive Cheer, State Dance Championships Head to George Rogers Clark HS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 12, 2021
Multiple state champions will be determined this week in Winchester as George Rogers Clark High School hosts the 2020-21 KHSAA Competitive Cheer (May 13-14) and 2020-21 KHSAA Dance Championships (May 16). Both events will be streamed live at khsaa.tv for subscribers to the NFHS Network, with a limited number of tickets available for purchase at khsaatickets.org.
The ninth annual KHSAA State Competitive Cheer Championships begin Thursday, May 13 with the Game Day division. The first session is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by the second session at 1 p.m.
The competition continues Friday, May 14 with the Coed and All-Girls’ Small divisions in the first session of the day at 9:30 a.m. The second session will feature the All-Girls’ Large and All-Girls’ Super divisions and is set to begin at 12:40 p.m. The final session of the day will include the All-Girls’ Medium division and […]
05/10/21 – Recipients Announced for Sixth Annual Louis Stout Memorial Scholarships
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 10, 2021
Prestonsburg High School brothers Andrew Martin and Jacob Martin, and North Hardin’s Toné Melton have been selected as the recipients of the sixth annual Louis Stout Memorial Scholarships for the 2020-21 academic year.
When former Commissioner Louis Stout passed away in 2012, his late widow Anna directed that donations on his behalf go to the Louis Stout Memorial Fund for Students. Mrs. Stout felt this was an opportunity for the KHSAA to honor student-athletes who excel in athletics, academics, school service and community service.
Winners will receive a one-time $2,000 scholarship payable to an institution of higher learning. Brothers Jacob and Andrew Martin will share the boys’ scholarship, with $1,000 each going to their respective future institutions. The trio was chosen after careful review, with selection criteria based on athletic activities, non-athletic activities, non-school activities and an essay on the role a student-athlete should play in the community.
A […]
05/10/21- Senate Bill 128: Supplemental School Year Program Additional Guidance Related to NCAA
Information specific to this topic is now included in the compiled SB128 SSYP Informational post at https://bit.ly/3dUJ9us
05/05/21 – Board of Control Approves Football Playoff Format Changes for 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 5, 2021
The Board of Control conducted its final meeting of the 2020-21 academic year on Wednesday at the KHSAA Offices, during which time it addressed the football playoff structure after reviewing the results of a recent survey of the membership.
Following a presentation by the Football Coaches Association at its previous meeting regarding its preference for bracketing in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the board directed staff to seek a position from the official spokesperson from each member school (Principal or Designated Representative) per Bylaw 1 via a survey of the football playing schools.
The Board of Control originally changed football bracketing prior to the 2019 season to conduct play intra-district for those rounds, partially due to travel and financial concerns with those contests in prior years. The change, when implemented, was to span the entire four-year alignment period. The alternative was proposed within the membership to pair […]
05/05/21 – State Bass Fishing Championship Begins Friday at Kentucky Dam Marina
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 5, 2021
The eighth KHSAA State Bass Fishing Championship begins Friday morning at the Kentucky Dam Marina when 90 teams compete for the 2021 state title. The two-day KHSAA State Bass Fishing Championship (May 7-8), with Calvert City serving as official host city, begins each morning with the boat launch from Kentucky Dam Marina at 6:30 a.m. (Central). The weigh-ins are scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. each day and will be streamed live online at khsaa.tv.
Teams will launch in three flights each morning with a staggered return to the dock for weigh-ins. The launch order will then be reversed for the second day of the competition. Teams will start returning to the marina at 2:30 p.m. each day for the weigh-in, which will be streamed free of charge on the NFHS Network and available at khsaa.tv. Awards will be presented following day two’s weigh-in to the top […]
04/26/21- Change in Masking Requirements for OUTDOOR Sports and Sport-Activities With Less than 1,000 attendees
Based on today’s previously unannounced notice regarding masking from the Governor’s Office and the Department for Public Health, immediate changes in all sports and sport-activities conducted outside are being implemented.
For all outdoor sports and outdoor sport-activities in KHSAA member high schools and regulated middle schools, the mask /face covering requirement is being suspended for any event or activity with less than 1,000 attendees. This will immediately remove the mask requirement at outdoor events with less than 1,000 attendees for coaches, uniformed players not in the contest, officials during various interactions during these contests and fans and administrators in attendance. This includes baseball, lacrosse, fastpitch softball, tennis, track and field, and bass fishing events with KHSAA schools. This would also apply to those schools conducting spring football practice. Masks / face coverings remain permissible in all sports, even if normally precluded by the playing rules, as a COVID accommodation.
Off-season outdoor activity by member schools […]
04/23/21 – Initial RPI Rankings, Stat Leader Reports Released for Baseball and Softball
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 23, 2021
The first official KHSAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) Rankings and the initial stat leader reports for the 2021 baseball and softball seasons have been posted at KHSAA.org.
The RPI (https://khsaa.org/rpi-ratings-percentage-index/) is a tool developed for all team sports by using the official KHSAA/Riherds Scoreboard data. It is provided for a variety of reasons including district tiebreaking and football bracketing, and as a means to increase publicity, interest and promotion. The Board of Control has approved the RPI to be used as a tiebreaking/contest result mechanism to decide seeded district games not played by the deadline.
The RPI rankings are updated on an hourly basis, but are not calculated for teams with missing scores from the previous day or earlier. For the 2021 baseball and softball seasons, COVID cancellations are marked on a team’s schedule as a 0-0 tie but are not factored into the RPI calculations and rankings.
[…]04/21/21 – KHSAA State Championships Begin Thursday For Swimming & Diving and Archery
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 21, 2021
The KHSAA State Swimming & Diving and KHSAA State Archery Championships will be conducted across various sites this week in response to COVID-19 restrictions on indoor events. The non-traditional format ensures the KHSAA is able to offer a culminating event for both Swimming & Diving and Archery, while advancing its standard number of qualifiers to the state championship.
The 2021 KHSAA State Archery Championships get underway Thursday morning at 9 a.m. Central, as Warren East HS hosts the Region 1 & 2 state qualifiers at Ephram White Gymnasium. The qualifiers from Regions 3, 5 & 9 will compete at Anderson County HS on Friday, April 23 with the competition beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. Ryle High School (Regions 4, 6 & 7) and Lexington Christian Academy (Region 8, 10 & 11) will serve as the other host sites for the state championship, with their events split across Friday and […]
04/13/21 – State Archery Championships To Be Conducted Across Four Sites
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 13, 2021
The 2021 KHSAA State Archery Championships will be conducted next week across four sites in response to COVID-19 guidelines and capacity restrictions. Conducting the championship in this manner will allow the KHSAA to have the full number of state qualifiers participate in the event, while also providing an opportunity for spectators to attend the competitions.
“Our office has been constantly involved over the last several months with our attempt to conduct some form of culminating event for Archery given the variety of restrictions in place for venues,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett. “While our desire for a single site has remained a priority, our main objective has been to conduct an event with the allowance for the same number of competitors as past years. Unfortunately, the combination of the pandemic, venue restrictions by the Commonwealth, and the number of qualifying competitors has made this objective unattainable.”
The finalized host […]
04/12/21- Senate Bill 128: Supplemental School Year Program Guidance for Sports and Sport-Activities
For a complete list of the provisions and information related to the implementation of SB128 and the SSYP, please see the following document-
04/11/21- Reminders about Off-season Team Sport Allowances and Restrictions
With the conclusion of basketball season, member schools are reminded of the regulations regarding off-season play. There have been no additional adjustments enacted, considered or contemplated at this time by the Commissioner’s office or the Board of Control for play by students and participation by coaches. While member schools are expected at all times to adhere to sport mitigation strategies as detailed in the COVID-19 documentation, no further adjustments to Bylaw 23 have been made.
The Bylaw references are Bylaw 23, listed in its entirety at https://bit.ly/2RGO1ZE, Section 1 of this bylaw applies to all sports and sport-activities.
Keep in mind the following references:
- Bylaw 23, Sec. 1 (c) – Defines the end of school. The rules prior to the end of school are somewhat more restrictive than the rules after the conclusion of the school year. Per Bylaw 23, the end of school is defined – For all interpretations and regulations concerning […]
04/06/21 – Mingua Beef Jerky Girls’ Sweet 16® Begins Wednesday at Rupp Arena
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 6, 2021
The 2021 Mingua Beef Jerky Girls’ Sweet Sixteen® gets underway Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. when Knott County Central takes on Sacred Heart at Rupp Arena. The Valkyries played in the final game of last year’s Girls’ Sweet 16® before the event was postponed, and ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, falling to South Laurel, 58-57, on March 12, 2020.
Fans can follow all the action through live webcasts at KHSAA.tv or listen to the games online at KHSAA.net. The games will also be carried statewide across 40 stations through the Kentucky Utilities/KHSAA Sweet Sixteen® Radio Network, with the championship game airing locally in Lexington on iHeart Media’s The Bull ICONS 98.5 FM.
Due to current COVID-19 restrictions in place in conjunction with the Governor’s orders and Department for Public Health guidelines, seating is limited and online purchases are sold in sets of 2 to […]
03/30/21 – Boys’ Sweet 16® Returns Wednesday at Rupp Arena
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 30, 2021
The 2021 KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16® presented by UK HealthCare Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine makes its return to Rupp Arena on Wednesday afternoon when Knott County Central squares off against Elizabethtown at 11 a.m. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the cancellation of the 2020 state tournament, Wednesday’s opening game will be the first Boys’ Sweet 16® game played since Trinity (Lou.) defeated Scott County, 50-40, in the championship game on March 10, 2019.
Fans can follow all the action through live webcasts at KHSAA.tv or listen to the games online at KHSAA.net. The games will also be carried statewide across 46 stations through the Kentucky Utilities/KHSAA Sweet Sixteen® Radio Network, with the championship game airing locally in Lexington on iHeart Media’s The Bull ICONS 98.5 FM.
Due to current COVID-19 restrictions in place in conjunction with the current Governor’s orders and Department for Public Health guidelines, […]
03/25/21 – State Wrestling Championships Conclude Saturday at George Rogers Clark HS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 25, 2021
The 2021 KHSAA State Wrestling Championships conclude Saturday in Winchester as the event makes its inaugural appearance at George Rogers Clark HS for the final round. Due to COVID-19 attendance restrictions, Saturday’s event is already sold out, but each bout will be broadcast live by Trackwrestling and available at KHSAA.tv for subscribers to the NFHS Network.
Gates open for fans at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday with championship bracket matches (bouts 1-56) starting at 9 a.m. across four mats. Championship and consolation bracket action will continue (bouts 57-112 and 113-140) until the meet reaches the consolation bracket finals, at which point the event will go down to three mats for the seventh, fifth and third place matches (bouts 141-182). Once the competition reaches the championship bracket finals, the final competitors will be introduced and the championship matches will be contested one at a time (bouts 183-196).
Action from each […]
03/23/21 – Interim Advisory to Basketball Ticket Holders, Rupp Arena Ticket Transfer Process, Between Games and Clear Bag Policy
ELECTRONIC TICKETING
- This is the first year of a permanent change where the events (and nearly all Rupp Arena and major venue events) will be using electronic ticketing, and no more commemorative or traditional paper tickets will be issued.
- We know that can cause issues as we all learn more about the options, so our friends at the Rupp Arena box office, who handle all of our ticket records and fulfillment, have produced a helpful, short video on how to transfer one or more tickets to someone else.
- Though our office is still involved in assigning specific seats to specific individuals, these professionals have gone out of their way to be of assistance. That video is located at https://youtu.be/3liwBnciSJU, you should take a look if you desire to use send any of your tickets to someone else.
TICKETS AND SCHEDULE
- Keep in mind this year that the tournament this year is […]
03/22/21 – Last Call for Complete Sets of Tickets to KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16® Presented by UK HealthCare & Orthopaedics
A limited number of sets of tickets (books of seats for the entire tournament) are available for the KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16® Tournament presented by UK HealthCare and Orthopaedics. The tournament will be held from March 31 to April 3. Due to current COVID-19 restrictions in place in conjunction with the current Governor’s orders and Department for Public Health guidelines, seating is limited and online purchases are sold in sets of 2 to 6 seats for the entire tournament. Adjust the Qty in the top left portion of the screen and then click on the illuminated section(s) to see available inventory in the desired quantity. The available sets of tickets for all fifteen games will be sold through Friday, March 26 after which time, all seats will be single tickets for each game.
03/21/21 – State Bowling Championships Begin Monday at Executive Strike & Spare
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 21, 2021
The 10th-annual KHSAA State Bowling Championships return to Executive Strike & Spare this week with a modified three-day schedule. The boys’ team and singles competition will open the week on Monday, March 22 with the boys’ team event starting at 8:15 a.m. and the singles tournament slated to begin at 2:40 p.m. The girls’ team and singles championships will be held on Tuesday, March 23 and follow the same time schedule as the boys’ competition, with the Unified Championship slated to start at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 24. A limited number of tickets are available and can only be purchased online in advance of the event at https://gofan.co/app/school/KHSAA.
The boys’ and girls’ team events will begin with two qualifying games in order to seed the squads in a 16-team bracket, with the state champion determined through baker games. For the Boys’ and Girls’ Singles Championship, each competitor […]
03/19/21 – Fan Cutouts Available for Boys’ and Girls’ Sweet Sixteen®
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 19, 2021
The Boys’ and Girls’ Sweet Sixteen® is back!!! Commemorate the return of the Greatest Show in Hoops to Rupp Arena by recognizing yourself or your loved ones with this once in a lifetime opportunity. Celebrate your fandom by showing your school spirit or pay tribute to your favorite student-athlete, by purchasing a fan cutout to be displayed during the boys’ and girls’ tournaments.
Purchased fan cutouts will be displayed in Rupp Arena during both the Boys’ and Girls’ Sweet Sixteen®. The 2021 KHSAA Boys’ Sweet Sixteen® presented by UK HealthCare Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine will be held March 31-April 3, followed by the 2021 Mingua Beef Jerky Girls’ Sweet Sixteen® on April 7-10.
To claim your spot at Rupp Arena, visit https://shop.fancutouts.com/products/kentucky-high-school-athletic-association-cutouts
Purchase by […]
03/19/21- Welcome Back Media to Winter Championships
From Commissioner Julian Tackett and the staff of the KHSAA.
Hello to all of the members of both the Kentucky Press Association and Kentucky Broadcasters Association. When we gathered and then adjourned abruptly at Rupp Arena last March, most of us had no idea what the next 12 months would hold. We left that fateful afternoon hopeful for a short pause and then the “normal” completion of the tournaments, followed by a complete spring season. Little did we know.
First, thank you. Thank you for your faithful service to our Commonwealth and, most importantly, to our member schools and communities and their most important asset, the students in our schools. We know you value each of them, whether or not they participate in sports and sport-activities, but we also know that the participants in sports and activities hold a place near and dear to so many of you.
Thank you also for your tremendous work […]
03/17/21 – Boys’ Sweet 16® Adds UK HealthCare Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine as Presenting Sponsor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 17, 2021
The KHSAA Boys’ Sweet Sixteen® and event participants around the Commonwealth received a boost this week as UK HealthCare Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine reached an agreement to become the presenting sponsor of this year’s event. One of the Association’s two Platinum Level corporate partners, along with Spalding, UK HealthCare Orthopaedics became the title sponsor of the state football finals in 2019 – the first of a four-year deal.
“UK HealthCare Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine is proud to sponsor the KHSAA Boys’ Sweet Sixteen Basketball tournament,” said Cynde Estep, UK HealthCare Senior Market Development Manager. “We have a long history of expert care of high school and collegiate athletes, and with the largest and most experienced sports medicine group in the area, we look forward to caring for all of the athletes of the KHSAA to keep them in the game.”
UK HealthCare Orthopaedics, which has been a […]
03/16/21 – KMEA’s John Stroube Named NFHS Heart of the Arts Section 2 Award Winner
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has chosen Kylen Running Hawk, a student at Morris Area High School in Morris, Minnesota, as the 2021 national recipient of the National High School Heart of the Arts Award.
The National High School Heart of the Arts Award is now in its seventh year and was created by the NFHS to recognize those individuals who exemplify the ideals of the positive heart of the arts and represent the core mission of education-based activities.
Kylen Running Hawk’s love for the theatre was nurtured very early in his life thanks to television commercials for the annual Medora Musical – a summer show held near his native Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota that he would later describe as “the most spectacular thing” he’d ever seen. However, the likelihood he would find his own success as a stage performer seemed improbable given the obstacles in […]
Anxiously Awaiting Return of Fans in High School Sports, Performing Arts
By Karissa Niehoff, Executive Director of the National Federation of State High School Associations and Julian Tackett, Commissioner of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted everyday life for almost a year at this point. There is hardly anyone who would dispute the validity of that statement. To survive and continue moving forward during the past 12 months, we have been faced with finding new ways to accomplish our daily tasks.
Instead of meeting face to face with a group of people, we converse with people in rectangles on computer screens.
Instead of sitting together with family and friends in crowded restaurants, we pay someone to bring the food to our homes.
Instead of those shopping sprees at the nearest mall, we order online and provide more business for the army of overnight delivery vehicles in our neighborhoods.
In high school sports and performing arts, everyone from the students to coaches, […]
03/05/21 – Change in Attendance Limitation Recommendation
We have confirmed that officially, effective today, all of the guidance limitations within the Governor’s orders on a variety of venues have been changed. The venue recommendations for limitation have been changed throughout the state increasing by ten percent each. Therefore the recommended maximum attendance threshold is increased to 25% of capacity effective today for indoor events hosted by our member schools. While this remains guidance, it is obviously in the best interest, legally and otherwise, of our member schools. Universal masking remains required, social distancing is to be consistently applied to the fullest extent possible.
It is certainly not required to change current procedures, but this does give them some planning time for upcoming events week. Guidance documents for spring outdoor events will be revised in the coming days to reflect this change.
From talking to so many of you, there remains considerable confusion in our membership as to the differences between “venues” as […]
03/02/21 – Sweet 16® Draw Show to Air March 10th on CW Lexington, KHSAA.tv
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 2, 2021
Pairings for the 2021 Mingua Beef Jerky Girls’ Sweet Sixteen® and the KHSAA Boys’ Sweet Sixteen® will be revealed on Wednesday, March 10th at 12:30 p.m. (ET) when the annual Sweet 16® Draw Show is televised by The CW Lexington. The Sweet 16® Draw Show will also be streamed live online at KHSAA.tv and WKYT.com.
Both tournaments will be held at Rupp Arena, with the 103rd installment of the Boys’ Sweet 16® taking place March 31-April 3, followed by the 60th Girls’ Sweet 16® on April 7-10. Ticket availability will be limited in light of COVID-19 attendance restrictions, with more information available in the coming days.
Each game of the boys’ and girls’ Sweet 16® will be webcast live at khsaa.tv for subscribers to the NFHS Network. By purchasing a month pass to the NFHS Network, fans can watch all 30 games of the girls’ and boys’ […]
03/01/21 – Wrestling Postseason Update
Dates and sites for the 2021 KHSAA State Wrestling Championships have been determined. Postseason instructions and details will be released in a few days with many more details. These events will be managed through the KHSAA including ticket sales and assignment of officials. All events will be held within the most restrictive of state and local COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions, including an absolute requirement of universal masking of all except for the competitors in action at the time and social distancing to the fullest extent possible.
The State First Round will be conducted as a full-wrestleback (consolation to 3rd place) format in each weight class, seeded by TrackWrestling/FloSports data and criteria following regions. The top-two from each weight class bracket at each First Round site will then advance to the final state round. Below are the host sites for each round taking place at four sites on March 20th:
- State First Round Site #1 (8 […]
03/01/21 – Swimming and Diving Postseason Updates
(Updated 3/11/21)
Following the February Board meeting, the staff has been working to re-confirm postseason sites while also finalizing plans for the swimming and diving postseason. The following is the current status of those postseason plans:
Attendance
Based upon building limitations and to maximize student participation, there will be no spectators at postseason swimming and diving events.
Swimming Region
All events will be timed finals only.
Regions may be conducted during the two-week window beginning April 5-17. Staff continues to work with managers in securing the schedule of dates and times. Region sites are as follows:
Region Site Date(s) Host School 1 Hopkinsville Boys’ & Girls’ SW-Sat., April 10 – Final Schedule TBD Hopkinsville 2 Owensboro Health Park Girls’ SW-Tues., April 13, 10:15 a.m.Boys’ SW-Thurs., April 15, 10:15 a.m. Owensboro Catholic 3 Russell County
Boys’ & Girls; SW-Sat., April 10, 11:30 a.m. CST – Final Schedule TBD
Russell County […]03/01/21 – Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame Banquet Set for July 24 in Lexington
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 1, 2021
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association will induct its Class of 2020 into the Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame presented by Roberts Insurance on Saturday, July 24, 2021, at the Embassy Suites Lexington. The banquet, originally scheduled for May of 2020, was postponed last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 12-member Class of 2020 will be the 33rd inducted into the Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame, and consists of former high school coaches, athletes, officials, administrators, and contributors; and will bring the total number of honorees in the Hall of Fame to 491. The 2020 inductees are:
- CHARLIE ADKINS (Coach / Paintsville)
- GREG BUCKNER (Athlete / University Heights)
- DONNIS BUTCHER (Athlete / Meade Memorial)
- JOEY COUCH (Athlete / Paintsville)
- GARY DEARBORN (Contributor / Harrison County & Pendleton County)
- SAM HARP (Coach / Danville)
- ROBERT JOE “BOBBY” LYNCH (Athlete / Ashland Blazer)
- SHARAE MANSFIELD (Athlete / DuPont Manual) […]
02/19/21 – Board of Control Updates Status of Winter Championships
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 19, 2021
The Board of Control conducted a virtual meeting this week in light of the State of Emergency declared for Kentucky due to severe weather conditions, during which time staff outlined postseason options for the upcoming winter championships.
The state bowling championships will be adjusted to a three-day format to allow for facility cleaning and appropriate ingress/egress. Gender-specific competition will be contested on the same day (the boys’ team and single competition on one day, the girls’ events on the next day, followed by the unified/adapted championships) to help alleviate travel concerns. The 2021 state tournament will tentatively be held March 22-24 (Mon.-Wed.) and will follow attendance restrictions per state guidelines.
The continued attendance restrictions in place statewide for aquatic centers necessitate a change for the 2021 swimming & diving postseason. Of the nine sites selected to host regional competition, only one site is currently allowing fan attendance, but even […]
02/01/21 – Initial Basketball RPI Rankings Available
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 1, 2021
The first official KHSAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) Rankings of the 2020-21 basketball season are now available on the Association’s website (https://khsaa.org/rpi-ratings-percentage-index/).
The RPI is a tool developed for all team sports by using the official KHSAA/Riherds Scoreboard data. It is provided for a variety of reasons including district tiebreaking and football bracketing, and as a means to increase publicity, interest and promotion. The Board of Control has approved the RPI to be used as a tiebreaking/contest result mechanism to decide seeded district games not played by the deadline.
The RPI rankings are updated on an hourly basis, but are not calculated for teams with missing scores from the previous day or earlier. For the 2020-21 basketball season, COVID cancellations are marked on a team’s schedule as a 0-0 tie but are not factored into the RPI calculations and rankings.
RPI measures a team’s strength relative to other […]
01/29/21 – Applications Being Accepted for Louis Stout Memorial Scholarships for 20-21
When former Commissioner Louis Stout passed away in 2012, his widow Anna directed that donations on his behalf go to the Louis Stout Memorial Fund for Students. She felt this was a chance for the KHSAA to honor student-athletes who excel in athletics, academics, school service and community service. The award process for 2020-2021 is now underway.
Applications are being accepted for students to apply for those awards through Sunday, February 28, 2021. The award winners will be announced in conjunction with the boys’ state basketball tournament in March. Two grants, each in the amount of a one-time scholarship of $2,000 payable to an institution of higher learning, will be awarded. The scholarship is not renewable and is not endowed for expansion. Minimum criteria is a 3.5 (converted to 4.0 scale) grade point average; involvement in varsity sports or sport-activities; involvement in other school activities, a record of community service/involvement and a member of the […]
01/27/21 – Three KHSAA Coaches Receive Section II Coach of the Year Honors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 27, 2021
Three KHSAA coaches were chosen as Section II Coach of the Year winners for 2019-20 by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association as part of its annual recognition program. Oldham County’s Kirk Thomas was the Section II honoree in girls’ cross country, while Elizabethtown’s Karen Henson was selected for girls’ tennis. Sacred Heart’s Donna Moir was the Section II award winner in girls’ basketball, where she was also the recipient of the National Coach of the Year award from the NFHS Coaches Association.
The NFHS, which has been recognizing coaches through an awards program since 1982, honors coaches in the top 10 girls sports and top 10 boys sports (by participation numbers), and in two “other” sports – one for boys and one for girls – that are not included in the top 10 listings. The NFHS also recognizes a spirit coach as a […]
01/27/21 – Initial Basketball Stat Leader Reports Released
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 27, 2021
The first statistical leader reports of the 2020-21 season for girls’ and boys’ basketball have been posted at KHSAA.org. The leader reports will be updated every day at approximately 3 a.m., and will include all teams missing stats for no more than two games.
Statistical entry is required of all member schools, and those failing to meet the requirement to enter stats are subject to penalties from the Commissioner, including fines and other actions within the constraints of Bylaw 27. Member schools are solely responsible for submitting statistical information. If a school or individual is omitted, or information is not updated, that means the team in question did not update its statistics through the KHSAA’s online system prior to the deadline.
The requirement to enter statistics, which has been in place for several years, was reiterated to coaches during the online rules clinic. Statistical entry has the benefit of […]
01/25/21 – 2019-20 National Coaches of the Year Selected by NFHS Coaches Association
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Twenty-three high school coaches from across the country have been selected as 2020 National Coaches of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association.
The NFHS, which has been recognizing coaches through an awards program since 1982, honors coaches in the top 10 girls sports and top 10 boys sports (by participation numbers), and in two “other” sports – one for boys and one for girls – that are not included in the top 10 listings. The NFHS also recognizes a spirit coach as a separate award category. Winners of NFHS awards must be active coaches during the year for which they receive their award. This year’s awards recognize coaches for the 2019-20 school year.
Recipients of this year’s national awards for boys sports are: Ron Murphy, baseball, Rio Rancho (New Mexico) High School; Jerry Petitgoue, basketball, Cuba City (Wisconsin) High School; Kevin Ryan, cross country, […]
01/21/21 – Board of Control Reviews Status of Winter and Spring Sports
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 21, 2021
The Board of Control held its fourth regularly-scheduled meeting of the 2020-21 academic year on Thursday at the KHSAA Office, conducting a thorough status review of ongoing operations and championship plans. Staff provided an overview of all winter and spring sports and sport-activities, while outlining considerations and options for the winter events that will be presented for final review at the Board’s next meeting on Feb. 17.
“Today’s meeting provided an opportunity to update the Board of Control and our constituency on the various issues and COVID-19 mitigations facing each of our sports and sport-activities,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett. “Circumstances change rapidly during the pandemic but we hope to have a clearer picture for how we can proceed with our winter championships when the Board next meets in February.”
Included in the staff’s report on basketball, was a preliminary discussion on ticketing to the 2021 Boys’ and Girls’ […]
01/19/21 – Dates Announced for Boys’ and Girls’ Sweet Sixteen®
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 19, 2021
The dates for the 2021 Boys’ and Girls’ Sweet Sixteen® State Basketball Tournaments have been set, with the boys’ tournament taking place March 31 through April 3, followed by the Mingua Beef Jerky Girls’ Sweet 16® on April 7-10. Each tournament will be played over four days at Rupp Arena, with the semifinals and championship played on the final day, as a one-year accommodation due to the events being scheduled around Easter Sunday. The four-day format was standard for the state basketball tournament for several years prior to the 2013 Boys’ Sweet 16® when a statewide legislatively-initiated panel recommended separating the prior semifinal/championship Saturday schedule into two days.
At this time, attendance for both tournaments will be restricted to 15% of capacity within the areas of the arena in-use. Details will be announced in February regarding the ticketing process, but all-session tickets will be limited for 2021 in order […]
01/14/21 – UK Healthcare Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Seeks Nominations for Kentucky Comeback Athlete of the Year Award
For the fifth year, UK Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, through its partnership with the KHSAA, seeks nominations for the Kentucky Comeback Athlete of the Year, meeting the following criteria:
- The nominee must have overcome illness or injury that affected their ability to participate in KHSAA sanctioned sports.
- The nominee must have returned to their sport(s) and demonstrated excellence and achievement beyond expectations.
- The nominee must consistently demonstrate good sportsmanship and ethical behavior on and off the playing field.
- The nominee must be in verified good academic standing with their school.
- The nominee must have participated and been a member of an athletic team during the 2019-2020 academic year.
- Nominations shall be submitted by March 1, 2021, to the KHSAA through the link at http://khsaa.org/ge36-uk-healthcare-comeback-athlete-of-the-year/.
Nominees will be automatically forwarded to UK HealthCare and the Sports Medicine Staff for review and selection.
- The selection committee, consisting of athletic trainers from each region […]
01/07/21 – KHSAA Adds FIFA and Madden as Newest Sanctioned Esports Offerings
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 7, 2021
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association today announced, in partnership with PlayVS, an expansion of its recognized varsity title offerings to include FIFA 21 and Madden NFL 21 for the upcoming Spring 2021 esports season. These latest additions bring the number of sanctioned games to five, joining the KHSAA’s previous offerings of League of Legends, Rocket League and SMITE. Amid continued COVID-19 concerns, and with traditional sports reworking their infrastructure, the value of esports is evident now more than ever as it provides high school students a safe extracurricular environment in which to compete.
Two of the most popular sports titles in the world, FIFA and Madden feature real professional football and soccer players on their actual professional teams. EA’s long-running sport simulation franchises represent all of the excitement gamers know and puts them in the center of the action.
“We are excited to expand our esports offerings to […]
12/15/20 – 2020 UK Orthopaedics State Football Finals Head to Kroger Field
For Immediate Release: December 15, 2020
The 2020 UK Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine State Football Finals begin Friday morning at 11 a.m. with the first of the weekend’s six championship games as Kentucky Country Day (10-1) takes on Paintsville (9-2) in the 1A title bout at Kroger Field. Live webcasts of all six games will be available at KHSAA.tv for subscribers to the NFHS Network, with a free audio broadcast available at KHSAA.net.
Tickets for the 2020 UK Orthopaedics State Football Finals are available online and must be purchased in advance, as there is no opportunity for walkup sales at this year’s event due to COVID-19 restrictions. Links to purchase tickets for each championship game, along with a summary of the policies and procedures for the state finals can be found at https://khsaa.org/uk-orthopaedics-state-football-finals-gameday-information/.
As a reminder to those in attendance, face coverings, over the nose and mouth, are required for all […]
12/10/20- Board of Control Confirms Decision to Start Winter Sports Practice December 14
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 10, 2020
The Board of Control conducted a special meeting on Thursday morning, upholding its earlier decision by a 12-5 vote to begin practice for winter sports on Dec. 14th and regular-season competition on Jan. 4th. Prior to confirming the start of the winter sports season, the Board voted 12-5 to push back the dates for the boys’ and girls’ Sweet 16® to March 29-April 8 after narrowly defeating other alternative dates, with the event schedule and format to be finalized at a later date in consultation with Rupp Arena.
“These are extremely complex issues. Our Board has spent an extraordinary amount of time examining every aspect surrounding the resumption of sports, particularly those that are indoors and have extreme concerns from public health officials,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett. “At the same time, there is significant data being shared about the need for students to be engaged with one another […]
12/01/20 – Schedule Set For State Football Finals
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 1, 2020
Following the Board of Control meeting on November 18th, the Association has worked to finalize the order of games for the 2020 UK Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine State Football Finals. The games will be played Friday, December 18th and Saturday, December 19th at Kroger Field with three games on each day.
The order of games and times for this year’s finals will be:
Friday, December 18th
- 11 a.m. – 1A Championship
- 3 p.m. – 2A Championship
- 7 p.m. – 4A Championship
Saturday, December 19th
- 11 a.m. – 3A Championship
- 3 p.m. – 5A Championship
- 7 p.m. – 6A Championship
As approved by the Board of Control during its November 18th meeting, the following provision will also be in place once the playoffs reach the Fourth Round:
- If one team from a game withdraws […]
11/20/20- Winter Indoor Sports Delayed, Information for Member Schools
With the Governor’s School Closing Order of this past Wednesday (details of which can be seen here) along with the Board of Control decision to delay the start of the indoor winter sports seasons to January 4 (details of which can be seen here), changes are going to need to be made over the next few weeks. The text of the orders is contained at the following links- https://bit.ly/36QG23f and https://bit.ly/3nz1ArU. As our office did not know the details of the final order until it was announced late Wednesday, we spent Thursday reconciling the details of the Board’s necessary action on the start of winter sports competition with the recent orders in order to best provide guidance to our membership. This conversation is ongoing with our office, the Governor and Lt. Governor’s office and the Kentucky Department of Education to ensure consistent messaging as well as our nearly daily consultation with […]
11/19/20 – Board of Control Pushes Back Start of Winter Sports Season to January 4
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 19, 2020
The Board of Control conducted its third regularly-scheduled meeting of the 2020-21 academic year on Wednesday and elected to postpone the start of the winter sports season to January 4th by unanimous vote. In congruence with the Governor’s order issued later the same day, official practice for all indoor interscholastic winter sports shall cease on Friday, November 20 at 5 p.m. and is planned to resume on Monday, December 14. This cessation will apply to all indoor interscholastic sports at all school levels, including but not limited to basketball, bowling, competitive cheer, dance, indoor track and field, swimming, and wrestling.
Details regarding any allowances for indoor interscholastic sports, which will be restricted prior to December 14, will be distributed to the membership prior to the Governor’s ordered shutdown of school-related in-person activity on Friday, November 20. The season calendar for each winter sport, as well as current virus data […]
11/07/20 – Start of Football Playoffs Delayed One Week
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 7, 2020
The KHSAA notified member schools this morning that the start of the football playoffs will be delayed one week in an effort to provide schools and school systems time to review their situations and work with their health departments to determine the best course of action. The first round of the playoffs will now take place the weekend of Nov. 19-21 with no additional planned changes in the playoff structure at this point in time.
In the meantime, schools and school systems should review site strategies, seating capacities, and all other facets of the likely contest(s) during this interim period and certainly remind students that what they do outside of practice and the game field can have a tremendous impact on themselves and those around them. It is highly advised that all levels of school administration be in on hosting decisions and use this interim time to play out various […]
11/05/20 – KHSAA Coach of the Year Honorees Announced for 2019-20 Season
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 5, 2020
As part of its annual awards program, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association recognizes Coach of the Year honorees from each state. Those named Coach of the Year at the state level then advance for consideration for Sectional Coach of the Year honors. Winners are chosen through a combination of their coaching accomplishments as well as their contributions outside of competition to help grow their respective sport.
The NFHS, which has been recognizing coaches through an awards program since 1982, honors coaches in the top 10 girls sports and top 10 boys sports (by participation numbers), and in two “other” sports – one for boys and one for girls – that are not included in the top 10 listings. The NFHS also recognizes a spirit coach as a separate award category. Winners of NFHS awards must be active coaches during the year for which […]
11/04/20 – State Volleyball Tournament Resumes Friday at George Rogers Clark HS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 4, 2020
The KHSAA State Volleyball Championship will debut in a new venue this weekend (Nov. 6-7) as George Rogers Clark High School hosts the remaining rounds of the tournament starting Friday morning. GRC’s Cardinal Arena will become just the ninth home of the state volleyball tournament, which spent the last eight years (2012-19) at Valley High School in Louisville.
The quarterfinal round gets underway Friday at 9 a.m. when Russell takes on West Jessamine. Assumption and Mercy will square off at 12:30 p.m., followed by Henry Clay versus Greenwood at 4 p.m., and Notre Dame against McCracken County in the final match of the night at 7:30 p.m. The semifinals will be played Saturday morning at 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., followed by the championship match that evening at 7:30 p.m.
As with the KHSAA’s other fall championships, the volleyball state tournament will operate under a severely limited seating capacity […]
10/29/20 – State Cross Country Championships To Debut at Bourbon County XC Course
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 29, 2020
History will be made at the 2020 KHSAA State Cross Country Championships, as the meet makes its debut at the Bourbon County Cross Country Course in Paris. This will mark the first time since 1978 that a state cross country championship was not contested at the Kentucky Horse Park. For the 1978 and 1979 seasons, the A and AA Meets were held at the Kentucky Horse Park, while the AAA Meet took place in Louisville. All classes moved to the Kentucky Horse Park in 1980, which served as the home of the state cross country meet ever since.
This year’s event will be contested over two days, with the 2A Meet starting at 4 p.m. on Friday, October 30. The 1A Meet will take place Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m., followed by the 3A Championship at 3:30 p.m. Attendance is restricted at the event to an allotment of two […]
10/28/20 – State Field Hockey Championship Rescheduled For Nov. 12
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 28, 2020
The championship game of the 2020 KHSAA State Field Hockey Tournament has been rescheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12 at Christian Academy of Louisville’s Centurion Stadium. Provided both teams clear all follow-up protocol by contact tracers, the local health department and school health officials; Sacred Heart (15-4) and Christian Academy-Lou. (16-1) will square off at 7 p.m. for the state title.
Tickets purchased through GoFan for the originally scheduled game on Oct. 26 will be honored on Nov. 12. The championship game will be streamed live at KHSAA.tv as part of the NFHS Network, which is a subscription-based service ($10.99 per month). Live stats and a free audio-only broadcast will also be available at khsaa.org.
– 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 […]
10/28/20 – KHSAA State Soccer Championships Head to Henry Clay HS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 28, 2020
The 2020 KHSAA State Soccer Championships move to Henry Clay High School this week for the boys’ and girls’ semifinals and finals. Each game will be webcast live by KHSAA.tv as part of the NFHS Network, with live stats and free audio broadcasts available at khsaa.org. A limited number of tickets are available for purchase online only at https://gofan.co/app/school/KHSAA.
As a reminder to all fans in attendance, all individuals entering a venue before, during, and after a contest shall wear a mask/face covering. Only the exercising athletes and assigned contest officials in the game on the court/field/mat at that specific moment are exempt from wearing a mask/face covering at all times. Social distancing of at least 6 feet shall be maintained at all times, where feasible.
All spectators must wear masks unless they are eating or drinking at the moment, or seated more than six-feet away from […]
10/27/20 – KHSAA State Volleyball Tournament Moving to George Rogers Clark HS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 27, 2020
After full consideration of the available data and the recommendations outlined in the KHSAA’s Stage 3 Return To Competition guidelines, the Association has made the determination to move the 2020 State Volleyball Tournament to George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester.
As referenced in the KHSAA guidelines, it is recommended that contests not be played during the following seven-day period in counties where the incidence of COVID-19 exceeds 25 average daily cases per 100,000 population each Monday morning as detailed on the KDPH COVID-19 Dashboard map (listed in Red) at https://bit.ly/2D0K526. With Jefferson County remaining red as of October 27 and experiencing a continual increase in the last several days, the decision was made to move the tournament from Valley HS to George Rogers Clark.
“Valley High School has done a tremendous job hosting this event for the last eight years, but we could not in good conscience […]
10/26/20 – Field Hockey State Championship Postponed
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 26, 2020
Tonight’s championship game of the 2020 KHSAA State Field Hockey Tournament is being postponed in response to a single positive COVID-19 test from a participant in Saturday’s semifinal round. The Association was appropriately notified this afternoon by one of its member schools that subsequent to the semifinal games, a rostered participant tested positive.
In order to give contact tracers, the local health department and school health officials time to properly conduct their follow-up protocol, the championship game will be delayed to a future date.
“With this being the culminating game of the state tournament, this office wants to make every effort to decide the state championship on the field, especially given that both teams expressed a desire to postpone,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett. “While it is not practical or feasible to take this type of step in every one of the earlier rounds of postseason play, it is […]
10/22/20 – Field Hockey State Tournament Begins Tonight at Campus Sites
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 22, 2020
The seventh annual KHSAA State Field Hockey Tournament gets underway this evening with four semi-state matchups on campus sites, before moving to Christian Academy-Louisville’s Centurion Field for the semifinals (Oct. 24) and championship (Oct. 26).
Tonight’s action will see Male head to Kentucky Country Day, Christian Academy-Lou. travel to Assumption and Holy Cross (Lou.) visit Sacred Heart, with all matches set for 6 p.m. DuPont Manual will host Ballard in the fourth semi-state match at 7 p.m.
Saturday’s semifinals are set for 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Centurion Field, with Monday’s championship slated for 7:30 p.m. The Semifinals and championship will be streamed live online at KHSAA.tv through the NFHS Network, which is a subscription-based service.
Subscription plans for the NFHS Network are available for $10.99 a month. A monthly subscription, priced less than the cost of admission to a state championship event, entitles users to every […]
10/16/20 – KHSAA.tv to Broadcast Fall Draw Show on Monday
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 16, 2020
The pairings for the 2020 KHSAA Field Hockey, Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer, and Volleyball State Tournaments will be revealed Monday, Oct. 19 when the annual Fall Championship Draw Show is conducted at the KHSAA Offices at 1 p.m. The Draw Show will be broadcast live online by KHSAA.tv through the NFHS Network.
The 2020 KHSAA Field Hockey State Tournament begins Thursday, October 22nd with quarterfinal matchups on campus sites. The semifinals and championship will be played Saturday, October 24th and Monday, October 26th at Christian Academy-Louisville.
The 2020 KHSAA State Soccer Championships open with the semi-state matches on Oct. 24, followed by the quarterfinals on campus sites Oct. 26. The semifinals (Oct. 28-29) and finals (Oct. 31) will move to Lexington and be played at a Fayette County Public School.
The format for the KHSAA State Volleyball Tournament will be a bit different this year, with first round […]
10/15/20 – KHSAA Cross Country State Meet Details & Location
As we approach the Cross Country postseason, the KHSAA wanted to update the membership regarding postseason meets for the sport of Cross Country.
STATE MEET SITE
The 2020 KHSAA State Cross Country Meet will be held at the Bourbon County Cross Country Course at 1054 Millersburg Rd in Paris, Ky. on October 30-31. Maps of the course will be available on the Cross Country website. The time schedule for 2020 will be posted with Class 2A to compete on Friday afternoon, October 30. Class 1A and 3A will compete on Saturday, October 31.
“We appreciate the great work of our longtime prior hosts at the Kentucky Horse Park and recognize their need for continual adjustments during the pandemic,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett. “We have a longstanding relationship with the park and their absolutely wonderful staff. But with their current focus on equestrian events combined with our need to finalize arrangements in a timely manner, […]
10/02/20 – Leachman/KHSAA State Golf Championships Set For Next Week
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 2, 2020
The first state championship of the 2020-21 academic year will take place next week, as the 2020 Leachman Buick•GMC•Cadillac/KHSAA State Golf Championships (Oct. 5-10) return to the Bowling Green Country Club for the 15th-consecutive season. The boys’ tournament begins with the opening round at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6, followed by the second 18 holes on Wednesday, Oct. 7. The girls’ championship opens with first round action on Friday, Oct. 9, with the final 18 holes slated for Saturday, Oct. 10.
The KHSAA will utilize Golf Genius for its scoring software this year, with one player in each group entering scores from a mobile device following each hole. Live scores entered in this manner will be considered unofficial, as players will be required to finalize their round in the official scoring area following completion of their 18 holes.
The state championship will follow all guidelines outlined in the […]
10/01/20- Celebrating Return to Play During National High School Activities Month (Op-Ed Column)
By Karissa Niehoff, Executive Director of the National Federation of State High School Associations and Julian Tackett, Commissioner of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.
The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly caused everyone to hit the pause button on life. During the stoppage and forced time away from routines, and even as some activities have resumed, many people have come to more deeply appreciate the important things in life – family, friends, and faith among others.
Still, the loss of certain routines and regular activities seem to hurt worse than others, namely last spring when high school sports and performing arts were shut down. Millions of students, coaches, parents, and fans quickly began to realize and more deeply appreciate the privilege of involvement in these education-based programs in schools.
Now, slowly but surely, high school sports and performing arts are on their […]
10/01/20 – Initial Stat Leader Reports Released for Football, Soccer, Volleyball and Field Hockey
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 1, 2020
The first statistical leader reports of the season for football, boys’ and girls’ soccer, volleyball and field hockey have been posted at KHSAA.org. The leader reports will be updated every day at approximately 3 a.m., and will include all teams missing stats for no more than two games (one game in football).
With the addition of volleyball in 2019, statistical entry is now available for all sports on the KHSAA/Riherds.com Scoreboard. Statistical entry has the benefit of allowing member schools to highlight and promote the accomplishments of their student-athletes, which should be a priority for all involved in school-based sports.
Statistical entry is required of all member schools, and those failing to meet the requirement to enter stats are subject to penalties, including fines and other actions within the constraints of Bylaw 27. Member schools are solely responsible for submitting statistical information. If a school or individual is omitted, […]
09/17/20- RPI Impact on Cancelled Contests/Open Dates
UPDATED: 10/1/20
As reviewed at the July Board of Control meeting, the following procedure will apply to canceled games during the COVID-19 pandemic with respect to the calculation of RPI. These provisions are subject to revision during the pandemic.
- The Board previously reviewed an adjustment (for 2020-21 only) to standings as well as RPI calculation methods due to possible cancelation of games resulting from the pandemic and local impact.
- For Field Hockey, Football, Soccer, and Volleyball-
- In all contests, games canceled due to the pandemic including mandatory quarantines and isolation shall not have a result recorded other than a 0-0 score, and no forfeit fee provisions will be applied.
- Games canceled for other reasons remain subject to Bylaw 22.
- In all seeded games, games canceled due to the pandemic or mandatory quarantines, the formerly announced provision of counting a contest unable to be played or rescheduled will NOT be implemented. That method of […]
09/16/20- Board of Control Approves Dates for Winter Sports to Begin Practice
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 16, 2020
The KHSAA Board of Control held its second regularly-scheduled meeting of the 2020-21 academic year Wednesday morning, approving practice and competition dates for the winter sports and sport-activities of basketball, bowling, competitive cheer, dance, swimming & diving, and wrestling.
Bowling is permitted to practice on November 2. Competitive cheer and dance can begin official practice for its seasons this Monday, September 21 with a gradual segmented approach to activity over the next few weeks. Further details will be distributed to the member schools that allow for the resumption. Both competitive cheer and dance have already seen regional championships moved into the new year per the board’s July meeting. In cheer, these segments will further clarify “stunting” which has been restricted during the pandemic and resumption to play.
Additionally, the Board approved clarifications on sideline cheer in that stunting (defined per NFHS rules as “One or more bases support one […]
08/31/20- Clarifications Around Board of Control Approved Waiver of Bylaw 9
REVISED 9/16/20 PER BOARD ACTION REGARDING BASKETBALL PRACTICE STARTING
As most school representatives are aware of information already distributed by this office following the meeting, the Board of Control approved a waiver of certain parts of Bylaw 9 for this fall. Normally, Bylaw 9 would normally preclude a student who had played basketball at any level (freshman, JV, or varsity) after enrolling in grade nine from participating in an outside organized contest in basketball from the first day of school until the end of the high school basketball season.
Due to the pandemic, students lost the ability to attend potential recruiting events during the summer with events either not being held or with college coaches not being able to attend. Bylaw 9 previously made exceptions for both boys and girls’ basketball team members to attend one-day events on an NCAA campus with specific restrictions.
For the 2020-21 school year, the restrictions have been […]
08/21/20- Restart of the Opportunity to Practice and Play Sports
This is being sent to all KHSAA member schools through the Principal and Athletic Director. It is also as a courtesy, copied to Superintendents. Good afternoon. As most of you are aware, the KHSAA Board of Control voted yesterday to stay on course with allowing practice for fall sports to begin in the member schools beginning on August 24 followed by fall sports contests (other than Golf) being allowed on September 7 (September 11 for football). The vote was 16-2 to continue to accept Option 1 as the allowances for fall sports. To see the breakdown of that option, see the link at https://bit.ly/31haSAh. As of today, there is no prevailing order governing practice for these sports of which we are aware. The current Commonwealth Youth Sports Order only impacts teams below middle school per guidance received in writing by the KHSAA staff on May 14 […]08/20/20- Board of Control Upholds Decision to Begin Fall Sports September 7
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 20, 2020
The Board of Control held a virtual Zoom meeting Thursday morning, affirming its July position by a 16-2 vote to begin practice for fall sports on August 24th with competition starting the week of September 7th. The Board considered two other motions during the meeting, both of which would have delayed the start of the fall seasons to varying degrees, but neither motion received enough support for adoption.
The fall sports of Field Hockey, Soccer, Volleyball, Cross Country, and Football can begin official practice August 24, with a restriction of 7.5 hours of practice during the first week (as previously approved by the Board) and full practice starting Monday, August 31.
“We hope to submit practice revisions early Friday following the Board’s approval, which will hopefully be relatively minimal. If approved to expand numbers and activity, it will hopefully bring a more normal look to some practices while still […]
07/31/20- Bylaw and Policy Revisions/Waivers Due to Covid-19
THIS POST IS OBSOLETE AS OF THE CONCLUSION OF THE 2020-21 SCHOOL YEAR AND IS MAINTAINED ONLY FOR HISTORICAL PURPOSES
The following Bylaw and policy considerations and revisions were reviewed by the Commissioner and approved by the Board of Control during the current pandemic emergency.
- Bylaw 3 – Maximum Number of Years
- There will be no waiver of the maximum number of semesters or additional eligibility for those students whose seasons are canceled due to Covid-19 and subsequent actions. For details and review, see the link at Click Here for Complete Details
- Bylaw 4 – Eligibility to participate by being enrolled.
- State regulations (not just KHSAA rules) set a minimum participation standard. In short, a student who is considered full-time enrolled (as verified through Infinite Campus or comparable system for those that do not use Infinite Campus) is eligible to represent a member school.
- A district may always place […]
08/03/20- Questions and Answers Regarding NFHS Network Pixellot Program
This document represents questions received from KHSAA member schools and districts since the start of the Pixellot donation program. This program was first announced in a post and email from the KHSAA on July 14, 2020. That post is archived at https://khsaa.org/07-14-20-pixellot-offer-webcasting-webinar/
As more are received and answered, this document will be expanded. Answers were provided by the staff at PlayOn Sports (the NFHS Network partner distributing the cameras).
1. Does this contract have any impact on radio rights to our games?
It could have a tremendous positive impact as you can add an audio mixture to the computer that comes with the system and add play by play commentating. Nothing in the contract prohibits or limits radio broadcasting in any way.
2. The contract allows for local TV to broadcast a game at our discretion. Can they live stream it as well, as long as we still stream on NFHS?
07/28/20- Board of Control Approves Fall Sports to Begin Practice August 24
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 28, 2020
The Board of Control conducted a virtual meeting Tuesday morning via Zoom, during which time it addressed the future of the 2020 fall sports season. With 17 members voting in favor (and one member abstaining), the Board approved a plan to leave fall sports in the fall and begin official fall practice on August 24th in Cross Country, Field Hockey, Soccer, Volleyball, and Football, with the first date of competition set for September 11th for Football and September 7th for the remaining fall sports.
“Our board strongly believes in the tremendous psychological advantages formed through the relationships between our student-athletes and their school coaches and school personnel, as well as the strong community values surrounding interscholastic, education-based athletics,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett. “College and professional sports are great, but our unique opportunity to build relationships with our neighbors within one state is not one we take for granted.”
[…]07/27/20 – Student-Athlete Participation Rises for the 3rd Straight Year to New Record Totals
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 27, 2020
Student-athlete participation increased for the third-straight year in Kentucky High School Athletic Association sports and sport-activities to reach record levels in 2019-20. A total of 107,166 rostered participants competed across the KHSAA’s 13 sports and six sport-activities according to information submitted by the membership, surpassing last year’s then-record total of 106,931. Football was one of 12 offerings to show an increase from the previous year, breaking a trend of declining participation for the last three years by adding 202 new student-athletes [freshmen, JV, varsity] during the 2019-20 season to remain the state’s most popular sport with 13,277 rostered participants.
“The continued rise in student-athlete participation the last three years emphasizes the importance of school-based athletics in the fabric of the educational experience for these young adults,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett. “The importance of these coach-to-student and student-to-student relationships is only amplified in these uncertain times, as we strive […]
07/14/20- Healthy at Sports Position Statement
As announcements are made across the country regarding the return to athletics or specific sports, our office will continue to be informed but not necessarily controlled or bound by decisions from other levels of play, as well as other state associations. This is a very fluid situation, and Kentucky data and discussions need to drive Kentucky decisions for the betterment of all involved in high school sports and sport-activities, as well as middle schools. Like most others, we are constantly receiving updated information from around the state and nation during this very dynamic period.
Our decisions in developing a Healthy at Sports timeline will continue to be made with the following primary goals and objectives in mind:
- To always keep participant safety and risk minimization as a top priority;
- To avoid a delay in the start of school and in-person learning;
- To recognize the physical, mental and emotional benefits to the educational […]
07/13/20- Board of Control Extends Segment 3 Restrictions to August 3
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 13, 2020
The Board of Control conducted its first meeting of the 2020-21 academic year on July 10 in Covington, examining various issues concerning the restart of school-based athletics in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. During the course of its meeting, the Board approved a recommendation to extend the guidance and allowances for Segment 3 of the document issued for summer play in KHSAA sports and sport-activities through Sunday, August 2, except for the sport of golf.
As a result of the Board’s action, the traditional July 15 start of practice for KHSAA fall sports has been pushed back until Aug. 3, however, it should be noted that Kentucky has some of the earliest starts to fall practice (dates when activity could be mandatory) in the continental United States. Mandatory tryouts or practices cannot be held prior to Aug. 3, including for the sport-activities of Dance and Competitive Cheer, which have […]
07/12/20- Segment 3 (Continued Through August 2nd) Guidance
From the Commissioner:
I realize that many of you were viewing the Board of Control work session on Friday morning as well as the full Board of Control meeting Friday afternoon, and between those webcasts and the news media coverage, most of what I will tell you on behalf of the Board of Control and staff is not news. But to be sure everyone is on the same page, this will officially inform you of the action of the Board of Control and its subsequent implementation. You will receive a second email early this week specific to the waiver of specific bylaws by the Board of Control, however, the allowances beginning tomorrow are of likely higher priority, and is the primary subject of this communication. The primary goal of the Association is the safety of all participants, coaches, and administrators involved while also attempting to ensure that no athletic activity and subsequent […]
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