Kentucky High School Athletic Association

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) is aware and continues to monitor the issues with COVID-19 (Coronavirus). We are keenly aware of the recently declared emergency status and the primary purpose for which those declarations were made, to enable and expedite federal assistance with state and local efforts. We will review any new developments and listen to medical experts as they advise not only the KHSAA but our Commonwealth and country on alternative next steps. We will work with our member schools and our host facilities to take every precaution to ensure a healthy and safe environment for everyone involved.

The last 96 hours have been particularly intense and nearly 24/7 for myself as Commissioner as well as others in communication with our office, with a continual review of information and advisories. We will continue to rely heavily on the information from the CDC and state and local health representatives while monitoring all available […]

03/05/20- Upcoming traffic changes on Upper Street and Avenue of Champions

See map of detour to Fayette Mall area from downtown (both events)

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 4, 2020) – Lexington visitors and commuters will notice traffic changes in the University of Kentucky area soon. Avenue of Champions, from South Limestone to Lexington Avenue, will be restricted to one-way traffic beginning Monday, March 9. The intersection of South Upper and Winslow streets will be closed starting at 7 p.m., Friday, March 13, through the weekend. These temporary changes are needed to facilitate sewer line construction.

Starting March 9, Avenue of Champions will be one-way westbound (toward Limestone), beginning at Lexington Avenue. The car and bike lane on the south (Gatton Student Center) side of Avenue of Champions will be fenced off, and closed for sewer construction. Traffic from Limestone will not be able to turn right onto Avenue of Champions, and must use Maxwell Street as a detour.

See Upper Street Closure Map, March 13-16

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03/03/20 – SAFETY NOTICE – Bat Decertified and Ruled Non-Compliant for NFHS Rules; NOCSAE Ball Reminder, Middle School Play

Middle School Blog Updates and Information

Louisville Slugger Meta 33″ Bat Not legal
The KHSAA received notification Monday afternoon from the NFHS that the Washington State University Sports Science Laboratory has advised that the BBCOR decertification review process had been implemented for the 33” model Louisville Slugger Meta Composite bat.

Therefore, effective immediately, this bat (33″ length Louisville Slugger Meta composite bat – 2020 Blue Bat) should be considered a non-compliant bat Pursuant to NFHS Baseball Rules 1-3-2d and 7-4-1a and not legal for play at any level until further notice.

NOCSAE Ball Certification and Middle School Contests
Also, we have received questions from coaches and umpires following the blog post advising of the NFHS rule requiring NOCSAE approved baseballs (Click Here to Read that Original post).

Questions are being received concerning middle school play and the requirement. Please be advised while the NFHS rules address high school play, these are safety-related concerns and administrators and coaches at […]

02/28/20 – KHSAA Reminds Administrators of 2020 Middle School Football Start Date

This is a reminder notification about an update to the state regulation specifically related to middle school football that was approved by the General Assembly through the regulatory process in 2019 as part of 702 KAR 7:065. Beginning July 1, 2020, the first regular-season middle school football contest (competition involving students enrolled in grades 5-8 competing against schools enrolling combinations of grades 6-8) has a fixed allowable starting date. Contests shall not be played before the Saturday preceding seven (7) of the National Federation of High Schools Standardized Procedure for Numbering Calendar Weeks, which for 2020 is August 15.

Congruent with this change, middle school football practice cannot have more than twenty-four days of practice prior to that first game, which closely correlates to the high school restrictions, and no activity involving helmets or any other equipment may occur before July 10 (following the dead period).

This reminder encourages senior school administrators to ensure that […]

BK157-Basketball Awards Ceremony Form

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Breckinridge County’s oh-so-sweet state title 25 years ago

BY MIKE FIELDS (Feb. 26, 2020)

HARNED – The specks of gray in Patrick Critchelow’s beard stubble are the first reminder on this visit to Breckinridge County that it has been 25 years – a quarter century! — since the undersized and underrated Fighting Tigers, led by their unflappable point guard, rolled into Rupp Arena, won the hearts of fans with a dazzling display of team basketball, and earned themselves the Sweet Sixteen title.

Critchelow, who was MVP of that state tournament, then tells you he’s been the head coach at Breckinridge County for 13 years now, and that he and his wife Kari have three kids. The oldest, daughter Lily, is a sophomore on the girls’ basketball team.

Bradley Payne, who was Critchelow’s shooting-guard sidekick, is also here to reminisce about those championship days. He still has boyish looks, but he’s been in coaching for more than two decades, and is currently head associate […]

02/25/20 – Safety Concerns and Baseball Requirements for 2020 season

In 2017, the NFHS adopted a playing rule dealing with safety and ball manufacturing that beginning Jan. 1, 2020, all baseballs used for high school competition shall meet the NOCSAE (National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment) standard and include the certified mark. This information has been included in annual rules clinics since to notify coaches of the pending requirement.

Questions have been asked by umpires and coaches of what to do if there were no such balls provided at the game site, should the game be played?

Rule 1-3-1 in the NFHS Rules Book details the requirement and unless otherwise mutually agreed upon, the home team has the responsibility to provide the balls.

The KHSAA Board of Control has mandated that in games where umpires arrive on-site and no NOCSAE approved baseballs are available to begin a contest, the contest shall not be played and will […]

02/24/20 – Baseball Online Rules Clinic Now Available

Board of Control Working 2019-20

The 2020 Online Rules Clinic that is required for all head and assistant coaches and licensed officials in the sport of Baseball is now available. The clinic is required for ALL coaches at each school, head or assistant, paid or unpaid.

HEAD AND ASSISTANT COACHES

For member schools, the clinics are located on the School Log-in Page. To access the clinic, log in to https://schools.khsaa.org and — under the section entitled Rules Clinics — click on the link entitled “View Online Rules Clinics“.
February 24 – April 14 – the Clinic may be viewed by coaches at no charge during this period.
April 15 – May 4 – the Clinic may be viewed by coaches for the late fee ($100) during this period.
May 5 – May 18 – the Clinic may be viewed by coaches for the late fee ($200) during this period. After this time, postseason penalties per Bylaw 27 will […]
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2019-20 Board of Control Committees

2019-2020 KHSAA Board of Control Committees Assignments
President- Galloway, Pete – President-Elect- Billings, Darrell

Audit/Finance Team
Adkins, Reed
Billings, Darrell
Bumps, Donna
Galloway, Pete
Hawkins, Scott
Lovett, Trent
Saylor, Jeff
Smith, Kirby
Wyman, Jerry

Executive Committee-Evaluation/Leadership Team
Billings, Darrell
Bumps, Donna
Galloway, Pete
Hawkins, Scott
Saylor, Jeff
Wyman, Jerry

Hall of Fame Selection Committee -2nd-year members (2022) and 4th-year members (2020)
BOARD
Adkins, Reed
Billings, Darrell *
Bumps, Donna
Clines, Mike *
Evans, Mark
Galloway, Pete
Miller, Marlon
Saylor, Jeff
Smith, Kirby
Wyman, Jerry
DESIGNATED EXECUTIVE STAFF MEMBERS
Angolia, Joe (Permanent)
Bridenbaugh, Sarah
Collins, Chad
Cope, Butch (Permanent)
Mitchell, Marilyn
Tackett, Julian (Permanent)
MEDIA
(A minimum of 5 media representatives)

Hall-of Fame Screening Committee -1st-year members (2022) and 3rd-year members (2020)
BOARD
Barnes, Bonnie *
Beichler, Debbie
Hawkins, Scott
Howard, Greg *
Lovett, Trent *
Moore, Lucy
Parker-Brown, Kim
Wilhoite, Matt *
STAFF
Angolia, Joe (Permanent)
Barren, Mike
Bilberry, Darren
Cope, Butch (Permanent)
Tackett, Julian […]

Father & sons & their LexCath basketball legacy

BY MIKE FIELDS (Feb. 20, 2020)

After Lexington Catholic junior star Ben Johnson poured in 42 points to power the Knights past Madison Central 78-75 in overtime last week, Indians Coach Allen Feldhaus Jr. confessed to having seen just about enough of Ben and his brothers, Tanner and Luke.

“I think every one of them has had a game against us where they’ve had at least 30-something,” Feldhaus said with a smile.

He’s got a good memory.

In 2015, Tanner hit nine three-pointers on his way to 43 points in a win over Madison Central.

In 2016, Luke put up 31 points in a loss to the Indians.

Last year, Ben had 40 points in a loss to Feldhaus’ team. Last week he topped that in Lexington Catholic’s OT escape.

“Thank goodness he’s the last one,” Feldhaus said of Ben and his brothers.

Lexington Catholic Coach Brandon Salsman, on the other hand, doesn’t want to even […]

02/19/20 – Board of Control Votes to Keep Field Hockey as a KHSAA-Sanctioned Sport

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 19, 2020

The Board of Control approved a motion during Wednesday’s meeting at the KHSAA Offices for the Association to continue offering Field Hockey as a sanctioned-sport. The vote followed a planned review and evaluation of the feasibility and growth of field hockey and preliminary discussion during the Board’s January meeting.

Included in the rationale for continuing to sanction field hockey were the facts that (1) there is no negative financial impact for the Association, and (2) the sport had been played for nearly 50 years when the KHSAA first adopted it as a sanctioned championship in 2014. In addition to continuing to sanction field hockey, the motion included a visible commitment from the Association to attempt to promote and monitor growth, and regular reporting to the Board, as well as an amendment to the sanctioning policy to be drafted to allow the Board to make an exception to its required […]

02/19/20 – Pannell Swim Shop/KHSAA State Swimming & Diving Championships Head to UK Thursday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 19, 2020

The Pannell Swim Shop/KHSAA State Swimming & Diving Championships will have a different look this year, with the event moving to the Lancaster Aquatic Center on the University of Kentucky campus. The state swim meet was last held at the Lancaster Aquatic Center in 2006 and spent the last 13 years at the University of Louisville’s Ralph Wright Natatorium.

Fans attending this week’s Pannell Swim Shop/KHSAA State Swimming & Diving Championships should be advised that backpacks may not be brought into the Lancaster Aquatics Center by the general public per campus policy (http://bit.ly/38IVMou).

On Thursday, parking will only be available in the Purple Lots located on Wildcat Court next to the Softball and Soccer Complex. After 2 p.m. ET, parking will also be available in the Green Lot next to Kroger Field off Cooper Drive.

On Friday and Saturday, fans will be able to park in the Green […]

02/18/20 – 2020 Sweet 16® Online Media Credentialing System

The media credentialing system for the 2020 Mingua Beef Jerky/KHSAA Girls’ and Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet Sixteen® State Basketball Tournaments is now available online, and can be accessed by going to credentials.khsaa.org. Both of this year’s events will be held at Rupp Arena, with the girls playing March 11-15, followed by the boys’ tournament March 18-22.

The deadline to apply for credentials is 5 p.m. on the Monday prior to each respective tournament – March 9 for the Girls’ Sweet 16® and March 16 for the Boys.

OWNERSHIP OF MEDIA AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
The intellectual property, corporate, broadcasting and media rights to all State championship rounds of the KHSAA postseason championships belong exclusively to the KHSAA, including titling agreements and sponsorships. As such, the KHSAA is the only entity permitted to originate a live broadcast during the Sweet 16® (this includes the use of social media streaming platforms such […]

02/17/20 – Dropped Ball Procedure Amended in High School Soccer

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (February 14, 2020) – Beginning next season, changes to the conditions and procedure for restarting play with a dropped ball will take effect in high school soccer.

The dropped ball procedure was among 15 rules changes made by the NFHS Soccer Rules Committee at its January 20-22 meeting in Indianapolis and subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

When a ball is caused to go out of bounds due to a simultaneous touch, Rules 9-2-2 and 9-2-3 now stipulate a referee will restart play with a dropped ball to one player of the team that last possessed the ball before going out of play. Previously, simultaneous touch resulted in any number of players contesting a dropped ball to restart play.

Additionally, if play is stopped with the ball in the penalty area or the last touch – by either team – was in the penalty area, the ball is dropped to the […]

02/13/20 – Board of Control Election Procedures

BOARD OF CONTROL BALLOT – BOARD OF CONTROL ELECTIONS – INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE BALLOT:

Balloting is ONLY done online for these positions.
All schools have at least one election in which to ballot, except for public schools in regions 9, 10, 11, and 12. Those schools may disregard this notice.
Only non-public schools may vote in the Region 9-16 non-public election.
Balloting is available per the Constitution beginning on February 15. For 2020, due to the opening being on Saturday, the balloting will open on February 14, 2020.
Only the Principal or Designated Representative may vote. The names on file as verified by the KHSAA website at the time of this ballot distribution are listed on the school directory page at http://khsaa.org/general/resources/member-school-directory/.
If the wrong individual is listed as the Designated Representative, the correction may be made by anyone with Athletic Director system rights (Principal, AD) prior to the ballot […]
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02/11/20 – KHSAA.tv to Carry State Wrestling Championships

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 11, 2020

The 2020 KHSAA State Wrestling Championships, which begin Friday morning at Alltech Arena, will be broadcast by Trackwrestling this year and available at KHSAA.tv for subscribers to the NFHS Network. Tickets to the State Wrestling Championships are available for purchase online at https://gofan.co/app/school/KHSAA, including a discounted online-only $30 all-session pass.

Gates open for fans at 8:30 a.m. on Friday with the first round matches commencing at 9:30 a.m. Friday’s opening session will continue through the third round of the championship bracket (bouts 1-616). Saturday’s opening session begins with third round consolation bracket matches at 9 a.m., and continues through the sixth round consolation bracket matches (bouts 785-812).

The medal round session is scheduled to begin with the KWCA awards at 3 p.m. followed by the consolation bracket finals for third, fifth and seventh place. Upon conclusion of the consolation bracket finals, the competitors in the finals will […]

02/06/20 – Additional Timing Changes on Play Clock Approved in High School Football Rules

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (February 6, 2020) — In an effort to eliminate a potential timing advantage gained by the defensive team in high school football, the play clock will be set to 40 seconds – effective with the 2020 season – when an official’s time-out is taken for an injury to a defensive player or a defensive player has an equipment issue.

This change was one of six rules revisions recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Football Rules Committee at its January 12-14 meeting in Indianapolis. All recommended changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

Last year, in an effort to establish a more consistent time period between downs, the play clock was expanded from 25 seconds to 40 seconds in many cases, although the play clock remained at 25 seconds in most cases following an official’s time-out. However, this coming season, the play clock will be set […]

02/06/20 – High School Field Hockey Moves from Halves to Quarters in 2020 Season

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (February 6, 2020) — High school field hockey games will be played in four quarters instead of two halves beginning with the 2020 season.

This significant change was one of several rules revisions recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Field Hockey Rules Committee at its January 13-15 meeting in Indianapolis. All rules changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

“The NFHS Field Hockey Rules Committee continues to strive to find ways to improve the ease and use of the rules for officials and coaches, which is evident in many of the changes made for the 2020 field hockey season,” said Julie Cochran, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the NFHS Field Hockey Rules Committee.

The rules committee’s change moves the game to four 15-minute periods from two 30-minute halves. The committee believes this will allow teams to maximize their play for the entire match. […]

02/06/20- Deadline Extended for 2019-2020 Seeded Basketball District Games

It goes without saying that many schools have missed many days of school recently. While little has been for the weather, when we have likely half of our school districts out of school at various points these last two weeks for illness, it is obvious that basketball has taken a second seat.

For that reason, and based solely on these extenuating circumstances this season only, the deadline for playing in seeded district games has been extended to THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20. This will no doubt cause hardship on some of our managers who will only have one business day for final arrangements, including brackets. However, it is apparent that this is a necessary step.

Any game not played by February 20 is to be counted as both a win and a loss for both teams in figuring the winning percentages for district seeding. This procedure has long existed in the Competition rules and was designed for […]

02/04/20 – State Bowling Championships Begin Thursday at Executive Strike & Spare

Public Service Announcements

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 4, 2020

The ninth-annual KHSAA State Bowling Championships begin Thursday at Executive Strike & Spare in Louisville with the Unified, Adapted and Singles competitions. The Unified Championship, which is in its fourth year as a KHSAA offering, and the second Adapted Championship open the day’s festivities at 8:30 a.m., followed by the Boys’ and Girls’ Singles Championship at 11:30 a.m. Advanced tickets to the event can be purchased at https://gofan.co/app/school/KHSAA.

The Unified Championship will consist of one qualifying game for seeding followed by baker’s doubles matches throughout a 16-team bracket. The Adapted Championship will feature one qualifying game for seeding prior to head-to-head competition. For the Boys’ and Girls’ Singles Championship, each competitor will bowl three games before the field is trimmed to the top eight individuals. The top eight will then roll two additional games, with the top four boys’ and top four girls’ performers advancing to the step […]

19-20 Radio – Public Service Announcements

BK156 – Sweet 16® Ball Boy/Girl Application

Online Forms

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01/30/20 – Roster Submissions a Focus for 2020-21 High School Volleyball Rules Changes

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (January 30, 2020) — Revised rules for roster submissions and penalties assessed to the team bench are among the most prominent high school volleyball rules changes for the upcoming 2020-21 season.

At its annual meeting January 5-7 in downtown Indianapolis, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Volleyball Rules Committee recommended six rules changes that were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

“High school volleyball is in a great place, which is reflected in the small number of both rules proposals and rules changes this year,” said Lindsey Atkinson, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the Volleyball Rules Committee. “The NFHS Volleyball Rules Committee continues to be dedicated to finding ways to improve the administration of the game as is evident in the changes made for the 2020-21 volleyball season.”

The first notable change pertains to the consequences for late roster submissions and changes made to the roster […]

01/30/20 – Official of the Year Winner Announced for Football

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 30, 2020

Following the completion of the 2019 KHSAA Football season, the Association has chosen the finalists for the sport’s Official of the Year Award. Of the 938 licensed officials in football, Shaun Williams (Lewisport), Jordan Tarrence (Lexington) and Gary Wise (Louisville) were chosen as finalists with Williams selected as the 2019 KHSAA Football Official of the Year.

The KHSAA will honor the top licensed officials for the 2019-20 season during the course of the year, with the honorees for each sport chosen in the weeks immediately following each respective sport’s championship. 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 will be 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 […]

Greg Buckner goes from underappreciated to KHSAA Hall of Fame

BY MIKE FIELDS (Jan. 29, 2020)

Who is the most underappreciated Kentucky high school basketball star of the last 30 years?

I’d go with a guy who as a sophomore helped his team win a state title, and as a senior averaged 21 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and got back to the Sweet Sixteen; who went on to start 122 consecutive college games for a Power Five conference school; and who played in the NBA for 10 years and served as an assistant coach for two NBA teams.

I’d go with Greg Buckner.

Buckner didn’t get the recognition he deserved from his home-state fans when he was in high school (or thereafter) because he played at University Heights Academy.

But he’s getting his just dues now. Buckner will be inducted into the Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame this spring.

To say he appreciates the honor would be an understatement.

“It’s unbelievable,” he said in a […]

01/28/20 – Sweet 16® Draw Show to Air February 11th on CW Lexington, KHSAA.tv

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 28, 2020

Pairings for the 2020 Mingua Beef Jerky/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet Sixteen® and the Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet Sixteen® will be unveiled on Tuesday, Feb. 11th at 1 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.

The 59th Girls’ Sweet 16® will be held March 11-15 with the 103rd installment of the boys’ basketball state tournament taking place the following week (March 18-22). Both tournaments will be played at Rupp Arena for the second year, with ticket information available at KHSAA.org 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’ Sweet 16® […]

01/27/20 – PlayVS/KHSAA Esports Winter State Championship Decided Thursday at UK

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 27, 2020

State Champions will be crowned in Rocket League and League of Legends on Thursday, Jan. 30 when the PlayVS/KHSAA Esports Winter State Championship takes place at the Gatton Student Center on the University of Kentucky campus.

The Rocket League finals are set for 4 p.m. and will feature Shelby County’s “Rockets Gold Squad” taking on Graves County’s “Leverage Esports” team. The League of Legends championship will follow at 5:30 p.m., with Elizabethtown’s “E-Town Panthers” squaring off against Lafayette’s “Generals (A)”.

Admission is free to the esports state championship, which will be held in Ballroom B&C at the Gatton Student Center. Those unable to attend Thursday’s championship can watch the event live online through the NFHS Network or Twitch.tv (https://www.twitch.tv/playvs).

This is the second year esports has been a KHSAA-sanctioned sport activity. Boyle County claimed the inaugural League of Legends state title during the 2019 winter season, with […]

Stan Steidel’s All ‘A’ legacy lives on and prospers

BY MIKE FIELDS (Jan. 26, 2020)

RICHMOND — Stan Steidel, the founding father of the All “A” Classic, passed away a few months ago, but his legacy is very much alive, and still providing athletic and educational opportunities for high school athletes across Kentucky.

The state-wide small-school basketball tournament celebrated its 30th anniversary this week, capped by the girls’ and boys’ finals in front of cheering crowds under the bright lights in EKU’s McBrayer Arena Sunday afternoon.

Stan Steidel would have loved it.

He was involved in high school sports in a myriad of ways for more than 50 years, in roles ranging from coach to athletic director to superintendent, but his signature accomplishment was the All “A”.

“This was his baby, this was his heart,” said Louise Steidel, Stan’s wife of 56 years.

Louise, along with daughters Jennifer Jones and Melanie Pelle, and several other family members, were recognized during tributes to Stan at […]

01/23/20 – NFHS Releases “Beyond The Scoreboard,” Second Video Resource for Adult Fan Behavior at Events

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (January 23, 2020) — The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has released “Beyond The Scoreboard,” the second installment of its new video series centered on correcting negative adult fan behavior at high school events.

Competitive high school events can be a highly emotional experience for the parents of participants and other invested adults, especially during the intense moments when winning and losing hangs in the balance. “Beyond The Scoreboard,” which follows “The Parent Seat” as the second non-course production housed on the NFHS Learning Center website (www.NFHSLearn.com), utilizes a list of 10 “life lessons” fostered by athletics and activities participation that are often forgotten by adult fans during the heated battle for victory.

“There are times when the scoreboard may indicate a loss, but there is actually a whole lot of winning going on,” said NFHS Director of Educational Services Dan Schuster. “As cliché as that sounds, we’re trying to […]

01/23/20 – Winter Sports Championship Credentials

The KHSAA’s online media credentialing system for the Winter Sports Championships (Bowling, Wrestling, Swimming & Diving) is now live, and can be accessed by going to credentials.khsaa.org.

Credentials to each KHSAA state championship event are issued by the KHSAA to working members of the media that regularly cover high school athletics. Credentials must be requested prior to the established deadline for each sport through the online credentialing system (credentials.khsaa.org).

Credentials should be requested by the sports editor/director for all members of his/her organization needing to attend an event. Credentials for freelance photographers and stringers must be requested by the sports editor/director at the outlet the freelancer will be representing. Media outlets are responsible for the actions of all individuals representing their organization, including compliance with KHSAA policies and procedures. No credentials will be issued outside of the online credentialing system. The KHSAA reserves the right to limit the quantity of credentials issued to […]

01/16/20 – 2018-19 National Coaches of the Year Selected by NFHS Coaches Association

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (January 16, 2020)— Twenty-three high school coaches from across the country have been selected as 2019 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 2018-19 school year.

Recipients of this year’s national awards for boys sports are: Glenn Cecchini, baseball, Lake Charles (Louisiana) Alfred M. Barbe High School; J.R. Holmes, basketball, Bloomington (Indiana) South High School; […]

01/16/20 – Board Approves Site and Date for Esports Championship, Approves Extensive Survey of Officials’ Fees, Reviews Ongoing Operations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 16, 2020

The Board of Control addressed several operational issues at its meeting at the KHSAA offices on Thursday. Among the actionable items on the agenda, the Board approved an offer from the University of Kentucky to host the upcoming esports state championship and approved the movement of five schools in Track & Field, as well as Cross Country, for the 2020-21 school year.

The University of Kentucky has offered to host the upcoming esports state championship on Jan. 30 and the Board accepted that proposal. UK has made a substantial investment into its Gatton Student Center as it expands its involvement in the world of competitive gaming.

“We are grateful to UK for reaching out to us to host a championship event in esports this year, allowing our competition and its participants to continue to receive outstanding support, ” said Commissioner Julian Tackett. “Their new facility is outstanding and will […]

01/09/20 – Mingua Beef Jerky Becomes Title Sponsor of KHSAA Girls’ Sweet 16®

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 9, 2020

Mingua Beef Jerky, family-owned in Kentucky since 1994, has become the title sponsor of the KHSAA Girls’ Sweet 16® beginning with the 2020 tournament. The agreement expands the existing corporate partnership between Mingua and the Kentucky High School Athletic Association which started last year when the Bourbon County-based company came on as a Silver Level partner. The increased corporate support moves Mingua to Gold Level status with the KHSAA, another symbol of their commitment to interscholastic athletics and Kentucky’s young people.

As a company that takes pride in its tasty Kentucky jerky that includes no preservatives or nitrates and uses real meat that is never chopped or formed, Mingua is showcasing its Kentucky pride even further by becoming the title sponsor of the state’s highest level of girls’ basketball competition.

[…]

Ashland Tomcats basketball ‘is our community’

BY MIKE FIELDS (Jan. 8, 2020)

ASHLAND – The bounce is back in Ashland basketball. For Tomcat fans of all ages, that means all is right in the world of high school hoops.

We’re talking about a symbiotic relationship here. The city and its hardwood heroes feed off one another. There’s a livelier vibe around this northeast Kentucky town when the Tomcats are winning, and the team seems to step up its game when the gym is loud and proud.

That’s the way it’s been for more than 100 years.

Ashland’s boys’ basketball history includes a state runner-up finish in 1920; state and national championships in 1928; back-to-back state titles in 1933 and ’34; a fourth state crown in 1961, and a fourth state runner-up in 1996.

The Tomcats have won more state tournament games — 49 – than anybody.

And — trumpets, please — just a few weeks ago Ashland became the first high […]

Travel Distance Between Member Schools (CROMS)

General Data Reports

12/19/19 – Initial Basketball Stat Leader Reports Released

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 19, 2019

The first statistical leader reports of the 2019-20 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 […]

New coaches, old hands take reins at pressure-packed programs PRP & Scott County

BY MIKE FIELDS (Dec. 19, 2019)

When Billy Hicks and Dale Mabrey – the two winningest coaches in the history of Kentucky high school basketball – retired after last season, they left high-profile but pressure-packed positions to fill at Scott County and Pleasure Ridge Park.

In 25 years at Scott County, Hicks guided the Cardinals to two state championships, five state runners-up, and 13 region titles. (Overall, in 37 years as a head coach, he won 1,013 games.)

In 38 years at PRP, Mabrey’s Panthers won a state championship, were state runners-up twice, claimed 13 region titles, and won 937 games.

Talk about tough acts to follow.

But long-time assistants Tim Glenn and Larry Kihnley were willing and able to step into the breach. One jumped at the chance while the other balked at first.

Glenn, who has been in the Scott County system since 1995 and joined Hicks’ varsity staff in 2001, didn’t hesitate […]

12/18/19 – KHSAA State Dance Championships Set for Saturday at Valley HS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 18, 2019

The third KHSAA State Dance Championships will take place Saturday at Valley High School in Louisville, with the Jazz Small, Hip Hop Large, Pom Large and Jazz Large divisions competing at 9 a.m. The second session will feature the Hip Hop Small and Pom Small divisions and is scheduled to begin at 12:15 p.m. Advance tickets to the event are available for purchase online at https://gofan.co/app/school/KHSAA.

The KHSAA State Dance Championships will be webcast live at KHSAA.tv for subscribers to the NFHS Network. Subscription plans for the NFHS Network are available for $10.99 a month and entitle users to every broadcast by the KHSAA and the more than 45 participating state associations.

Results will be posted to the Dance page at KHSAA.org upon the conclusion of each session. Following the event, fans can purchase DVD copies of the event and official championship photos at KHSAA.org.

12/11/19 – Competitive Cheer Championships Head to Alltech Arena Saturday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 11, 2019

The eighth annual KHSAA State Competitive Cheer Championships begin Saturday, Dec. 14 at 9 a.m. with the All-Girls Small, All-Girls Medium and Game Day Divisions at Alltech Arena. The afternoon session is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. with the All-Girls Large, All-Girls Super and Coed competitions.

Tickets to the KHSAA State Competitive Cheer Championships are available for purchase online at https://gofan.co/app/school/KHSAA. Doors will open for fans at 8 a.m. and those planning to attend should be advised that the Kentucky Horse Park charges $5 for parking.

The KHSAA Competitive Cheer Championships will be webcast live at KHSAA.tv for subscribers to the NFHS Network. 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 broadcast by the KHSAA and the more than 45 participating state […]

Mountain football battle hymn has championship ring(s)

BY MIKE FIELDS (Dec. 6, 2019)

Mine eyes have seen the glory of mountain football over the past few decades, including Pikeville’s three consecutive state titles under Hillard Howard, Tim Couch’s national record-setting career at Leslie County, and the blossoming of Belfry, Bell County, Breathitt County and Johnson Central into championship programs.

But mine eyes witnessed the zenith of mountain football on Friday at Kroger Field: All four teams in the KHSAA title games hailed from Eastern Kentucky, and one of the matchups featured the two winningest coaches in state history.

Pikeville pounded Paintsville 43-0 to win the Class A championship, and Belfry beat Bell County 30-20 to claim the 3A trophy.

The two games drew more than 16,000 fans to Kroger Field.

Never before in KHSAA playoff history had two mountain teams won state titles on the same day. (In 2015, Pikeville was crowned champ on a Thursday, and Belfry was crowned on a […]

12/04/19 – UK Orthopaedics/KHSAA Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl Broadcast Info

For Immediate Release: December 4, 2019

The 2019 UK Orthopaedics/KHSAA Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl gets underway Friday afternoon at Kroger Field when the first of six championship games slated for this weekend kicks off at 2 p.m. 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. Single-game tickets are available for purchase online at http://bit.ly/2DDfFj4.

Championship action begins Friday when Paintsville (11-3) takes on Pikeville (13-0) in the 1A Championship at 2 p.m., followed by Bell County (14-0) versus Belfry (10-3) in the 3A Championship at 7 p.m.

Saturday’s schedule opens with the 2A Championship at 1 p.m., as Mayfield (13-1) squares off against Somerset (13-1). The second game of the day will pit Boyle County (14-0) against Johnson Central (14-0) in the 4A Championship at 4:30 p.m., with Covington Catholic (14-0) facing Frederick Douglass (14-0) in […]

11/27/19 – Official of the Year Winner Announced for Volleyball

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 27, 2019

Following the completion of the 2019 KHSAA Volleyball season, the Association has chosen the finalists for the sport’s Official of the Year Award. Of the 559 licensed officials in volleyball, Mike Wooten (Paducah) and Doug Grinnell (Elizabethtown) were chosen as finalists with Wooten selected as the 2019 KHSAA Volleyball Official of the Year.

11/26/19 – Official of the Year Winner Announced for Soccer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 26, 2019

Following the completion of the 2019 KHSAA Soccer season, the Association has chosen the finalists for the sport’s Official of the Year Award. Of the 525 licensed officials in soccer, Terry Linscott (Radcliff) and Gustavo Turmero (Madisonville) were chosen as finalists with Linscott selected as the 2019 KHSAA Soccer Official of the Year.

11/26/19 – Official of the Year Winner Announced for Field Hockey

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 26, 2019

Following the completion of the 2019 KHSAA Field Hockey season, the Association has chosen the finalists for the sport’s Official of the Year Award. Of the 43 licensed officials in field hockey, Megan McGrath (Louisville) and Jamie Gatewood (Louisville) were chosen as finalists with McGrath selected as the 2019 KHSAA Field Hockey Official of the Year.

11/25/19 – NFHS Part 2 Exam Now Online for BK, SW/D & WR Officials

Basketball Blog Updates

NFHS Part 2 Tests for licensed officials in the sports of Basketball, Swimming & Diving and Wrestling are now available online. The Part 2 exams, required for postseason eligibility, will be open until Monday, December 9 at 11:59 p.m. (ET).

The tests will automatically close at that exact time. Login at https://officials.khsaa.org/authorize/ to take the test. A minimum score of 80 on the exam is required to be considered for assignment to officiate postseason play.

First-year officials are not required to take the exam, however, if any first-year official has completed licensing requirements, the test may be taken.

Any official determined to have been involved in the improper administration of the exam, including taking it for another official or having it taken by another official, will have the score disregarded for the year and be subject to other penalties in compliance with the jurisdiction of the office through the Federal Court Decree.

Please keep […]

11/22/19-Applications Being Accepted for Louis Stout Memorial Scholarships for 19-20

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 2019-2020 is now underway.

Applications are being accepted for students to apply for those awards through Friday, February 29, 2020. 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 […]

11/21/19 – NFHS Announces Plans to Launch “Center for Officials Services”

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (November 21, 2019) — The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) will be launching an online platform for high school officials, effective with the 2020-21 school year.

The NFHS Center for Officials Services, with its technology platform created by DragonFly Athletics of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, will offer a variety of services for officials, including registration, assessment, assignments and payments. In addition, NFHS Officials Association members will be able to access NFHS rules exams, NFHS digital rules books and case books, insurance information, video content and sport-specific officiating courses on the NFHS Learning Center.

In time, it is anticipated that the NFHS Center for Officials Services database would include all registered officials in NFHS member state associations. As a result, this new technology would assist the NFHS as it continues to recruit new officials through its #BecomeAnOfficial program as well as ongoing efforts to retain individuals who officiate high school contests.

“We are […]

11/19/19 – Board Reviews Fall Sports Championships and Ongoing Operations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 19, 2019

The Board of Control conducted a lengthy review of the recently completed fall sports and each respective championship, while also discussing ongoing operations and issues during the course of its meeting at the KHSAA Offices on Tuesday. Among the actionable items in the meeting, the Board addressed the format of the Swimming & Diving postseason meets and the future placement for Sayre football.

Over the last few years, staff received multiple requests to restructure region diving competitions due in part to facility issues and a shortage of qualified judges without a connection to a specific school. The situation was exacerbated by the expansion to 40 qualifiers in the state diving competition, with 22 at-large participants potentially leading to competitive issues if there is a perception that the judges are not consistent and objective at each meet.

Following a survey of the membership, 75% of respondents voted in favor of […]

11/19/19- First Phase (T35 Report) Open for Title IX Reporting Entry for 2019-20

The initial phase of entry for the 2019-2020 Title IX Reports, the ability to enter the financial information from 2018-19 to be entered on the form T-35, is available and online at schools.khsaa.org. There have only minimal changes based on the great cooperation and feedback from the membership.

T35 EMPHASIS POINTS

There has been a continual effort to eliminate inconsistent information that has been entered on that form, and the following points are emphasized:

Entry for the T35 is now open. Login to http://schools.khsaa.org and begin entry when you are ready.
The T35 requires you to enter 2018-2019 expense information, as it has been audited within your school and district.
Your previous Annual Reports can be quickly reviewed in the KHSAA School Subdomain (the login page) by clicking on the tab labeled Past Title IX Annual Reports, in case you want to review past submissions.
The T35 is to be entered with all KHSAA sanctioned […]
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2019 KHSAA State Football Tickets Availability

Class 1A, 12/6, 2 pm ET
TBA vs TBA
Click Here to Purchase Single Game Tickets for the Class 1A game (includes parking)
TBA vs. TBA

Class 3A, 12/6, 7 pm ET
TBA vs TBA
Click Here to Purchase Single Game Tickets for the Class 3A game (includes parking)
TBA vs. TBA

Class 2A, 12/7, 1 pm ET
TBA vs TBA
Click Here to Purchase Single Game Tickets for the Class 2A game (includes parking)
TBA vs. TBA

For Class 4A, 12/7, 4:30 pm ET
TBA vs TBA
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11/01/19- UK Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Seeks Nominations for Kentucky Comeback Athletes of the Year

UK Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, through its partnership with the KHSAA, seeks nominations for the Kentucky Comeback Athletes of the Year. This year, winners will be named for both male and female comeback athletes. Athletes should meet 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 2018-2019 academic year.
Nominations shall be submitted by January 15, 2020, 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.

[…]

Stan Steidel’s legacy: a champion for smaller schools

BY MIKE FIELDS (Nov. 6, 2019)

Stan Steidel, who tirelessly championed athletic opportunities for smaller high schools, and established the All “A” Classic as his hallmark, died this week in an automobile accident near his home in Northern Kentucky. He was 78.

“Stan’s driving force was he just wanted to do for kids,” said Gary Munsie, Steidel’s friend for more than 40 years and an All “A” board member since the tournament’s inception 30 years ago.

Steidel was involved in high school sports in a lot of ways during his career. He was a basketball and football coach at Dayton. He was a long-time athletic director at Dayton and Holmes. He served on the KHSAA Board of Control for 16 years. He headed the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference for more than two decades.

But he cemented his legacy by spearheading the creation of the All “A” Classic, a state basketball tournament for small schools.

“Stan […]

11/06/19 – UK Healthcare Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Becomes Title Sponsor of KHSAA Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 6, 2019

UK Healthcare Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine has expanded its corporate partnership with the Kentucky High School Athletic Association with a four-year agreement to become the title sponsor of the Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl State Football Championships. UK Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, which has been a long-time partner of the Association, provides top of the line sports medicine and athletic training services at all KHSAA Championship events in the Lexington area. UK Healthcare and UK Ortho’s increased corporate support elevates it to Platinum Level partner status with the Association, on par with Whitaker Bank and Spalding, the two existing Platinum Level partners. The arrangement also includes naming rights for the 2019 UK Orthopaedics/KHSAA Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl through the 2022 championships.

“UK Orthopaedics is honored to provide athletic training and medical care […]

11/06/19- High School Football Playoffs—A Community Happening

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.

Many people would agree that their years in high school were some of the best years of their lives—particularly those individuals who were members of a sports team or participated in other activities such as the marching band or debate team.

In many cases, team members become lifelong friends. Reunion parties are held from time to time as teammates return to remember the fun—more so than the outcome of games or events—they had while participating in high school activities. Quite often, reunions for sports teams are staged during the highlight of each sports season—the state playoffs.

And as the calendar turns to November, there is nothing like the excitement of high school football playoffs in cities across Kentucky and throughout the nation every Friday night as the fall sports season […]

11/05/19 – State Volleyball Tournament Begins Friday in Louisville

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 5, 2019

The 2019 KHSAA State Volleyball Tournament gets underway Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. when Henderson County takes on Greenwood at Valley High School. The last of eight opening round matches will take place at 8 p.m. with Rowan County facing Corbin. Advanced tickets for the state tournament, including a discounted online-only all-session pass, can be purchased at https://gofan.co/app/school/KHSAA.

The state tournament resumes Saturday morning with quarterfinal action starting at 10 a.m., followed by the semifinals beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday night. The championship match will be held Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.

The Semifinals and Championship of the 2019 KHSAA State Volleyball Tournament will be webcast live 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 […]

10/31/19 – Dawahares/KHSAA Hall Of Fame Class Of 2020 Inductees Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 31, 2019

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, May 30, 2020, at the Embassy Suites Lexington. This year’s 12-member class will be the 33rd inducted into the Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame, and consists of former high school coaches, athletes, officials, administrators, and contributors. The Class of 2020 will also be recognized during the semifinals of the 2020 Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16®. The induction of the 12-member Class of 2020 will bring the total number of honorees in the Hall of Fame to 491.

Nominations for the Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame are always welcome and can be submitted by filling out the online form available at http://bit.ly/2K6vrUX.

CHARLIE ADKINS (Coach / Paintsville) – Charlie Adkins coached baseball in the 15th Region for 34 years, amassing a career record of 805-293 with 20 […]

10/30/19 – KHSAA State Cross Country Championships Set For Saturday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 30, 2019

The KHSAA State Cross Country Championships return to the Kentucky Horse Park this Saturday with the first race of the day slated for 9:30 a.m. A full meet schedule is available on the KHSAA website at http://bit.ly/2JA6Tpf, with advance tickets available for purchase at https://gofan.co/app/school/KHSAA.

The 1A Girls’ race opens the day’s festivities at 9:30 a.m., followed by the 1A Boys at 10:15 a.m. The Class 2A meet will follow with the girls at 11:30 a.m. and the boys at 12:15 p.m. The 3A Girls’ Championship is set for 1:30 p.m., with the 3A Boys closing out the day’s events at 2:15 p.m.

Results will be posted at KHSAA.org following the conclusion of each race. Official championship photos will be available at khsaaphotos.org within 72 hours of the event.

For more information on each championship, visit the links below:

2019 KHSAA State Cross Country […]

10/29/19 – KHSAA State Soccer Championships Head To Bryan Station HS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 29, 2019

The 2019 KHSAA State Soccer Championships culminate this week with the semifinals and finals at Bryan Station High School. Each game will be broadcast live by KHSAA.tv as part of the NFHS Network, with advance tickets available for purchase at https://gofan.co/app/school/KHSAA.

Boys’ Semifinal action gets underway Wednesday evening when East Carter (19-3-1) takes on Daviess County (20-2-2) at 6 p.m., followed by Oldham County (16-5-1) versus Henry Clay (23-1-3) at 8 p.m. The Girls’ Semifinals are set for Thursday evening, with Ashland Blazer (20-0-2) facing Greenwood (21-2-3) at 6 p.m., and Sacred Heart (24-1-2) squaring off against Highlands (19-3-5) at 8 p.m.

Both tournaments conclude Saturday, Nov. 2 with the boys’ championship slated for 6 p.m. and the girls’ final set for 8 p.m. The semifinals and finals will be webcast live at KHSAA.tv through the NFHS Network, which is a subscription-based service.

Subscription plans for the […]

‘Cotton’ & Corbin & Redhounds football

BY MIKE FIELDS (Oct. 28, 2019)

CORBIN – On a clear, crisp October morning recently, Larry “Cotton” Adams sat in the concrete stands at Denes Stadium and recalled the first time he ever saw the Corbin Redhounds play football.

It was 1955. He was 9 years old. And the magic unfolded on this very field in front of him.

“I remember the opening kickoff. Calvin Bird took it to the house. I remember he hurdled a tackler at midfield,” Adams said, motioning toward the 50-yard line.

“It was something.”

It was something that would change his life.

The community of Corbin has had a special relationship with its high school football team for the better part of a century. The Redhounds have claimed mythical or official state titles in 1939, 1955, 1976, 1980 and 1982. They were runners-up in 1962, 1977, 1990, 2002, 2017 and 2018.

The fans here demand success as if it were […]

10/25/19 – Field Hockey State Semifinals Set For Saturday In Louisville

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 25, 2019

The sixth annual KHSAA State Field Hockey Tournament resumes Saturday evening with the Semifinals heading to Christian Academy-Lou. The first match of the night at Centurion Stadium will pit DuPont Manual (18-4-4) against Christian Academy-Lou. (15-6-1) at 6 p.m., followed by Sacred Heart (21-7) versus Assumption (15-10-1) at 7:45 p.m. Tickets to the 2019 KHSAA State Field Hockey Tournament can be purchased online at https://gofan.co/app/school/KHSAA.

The 2019 State Field Hockey Tournament concludes Monday evening at Centurion Field with the championship match at 7 p.m. Live stats for each game will be available on the Field Hockey page at KHSAA.org, with box scores posted following the completion of each match. Monday’s championship will be webcast live 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 […]

Past End of Year Summaries of Field Visit Reports to KBE from KHSAA

Title IX Working

10/11/19 – NFHS Understanding Copyright and Compliance Course Required for Cheer & Dance Coaches

This is a reminder that all KHSAA Cheer and Dance Coaches (Head and Assistant, paid or unpaid) must complete the NFHS Music Copyright Course “Understanding Copyright and Compliance”. This course is free and 100% online and is required whether or not a team competes in KHSAA competition. This course from the NFHS is geared toward music teachers, spirit coaches (cheer and dance) and school administrators. Understanding Copyright and Compliance is available through the NFHS Learning Center at www.NFHSLearn.com.

The course explores copyright laws and how those laws impact the interscholastic community and the course was produced with the assistance of NAME (National Association for Music Education) and USA Cheer. It also expands on topics such as fair use, public domain, copyright infringement penalties and much more. Spirit squads, as well as Dance teams, are increasingly met with copyright infringement claims and this course is a tool to assist cheer and dance coaches in education on […]

Kentucky High School Scoreboard Show

The Kentucky High School Scoreboard Show airs every Friday night starting at 10 p.m. (ET). The Scoreboard Show recaps all of the night’s action from across the Bluegrass. The show can be heard online at WLAP.com, or via WLAP Radio 630 through the IHeart radio app.

You can listen to the Kentucky High School Scoreboard Show at any time on any device by downloading the podcast. Simply go to WLAP.com, click “On Demand Podcast”, and scroll down to Kentucky High School Scoreboard hours 1 and 2.

CALLS CITY FREQUENCY WCLU AM/FM GLASGOW 1490/102.3 WHOP AM/FM HOPKINSVILLE 1230/95.3 FM WLAP AM LEXINGTON 630 WKRD LOUISVILLE 790 WMSK AM/WMSK FM MORGANFIELD 1550/101.3 More

test for errors

10/04/19 – Leachman/KHSAA State Golf Championships Begin Tuesday in Bowling Green

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 4, 2019

The fall championship season gets underway next week when the Bowling Green Country Club hosts the 2019 Leachman Buick•GMC•Cadillac/KHSAA State Golf Championships (Oct. 7-12). The girls’ tournament begins at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8 with the opening round, followed by the second 18 holes on Wednesday, Oct. 9. The boys’ championship opens with first round action on Friday, Oct. 11, with the final 18 holes slated for Saturday, Oct. 12.

Lexington Christian Academy will look to repeat as girls’ team champion after claiming the 2018 state title with a 639 total (324-315) led by individual medalist Laney Frye (72-74 – 146). On the boys’ side, Taylor County will also try to repeat as team champions after capturing the school’s first state title in 2018 with a 592 total (294-298) – edging St. Xavier by two strokes (291-303 – 594). John Marshall Butler (Trinity (Lou.)) enters the 2019 championship […]

10/01/19 – Fall Draw Show Set For Wednesday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 1, 2019

The matchups for the 2019 KHSAA Field Hockey, Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer, and Volleyball State Tournaments will be revealed Wednesday, October 2nd 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 2019 KHSAA Field Hockey State Tournament begins Thursday, October 24th with quarterfinal matchups on campus sites. The semifinals and championship will be played Saturday, October 26th and Monday, October 28th at Christian Academy-Louisville.

The 2019 KHSAA State Soccer Championships open with the semi-state matches on Oct. 21-22, followed by the quarterfinals on campus sites from Oct. 24-26. The semifinals (Oct. 30-31) and finals (Nov. 2) will move to Lexington and be played at a Fayette County Public School.

The KHSAA State Volleyball Tournament will be held at Valley High School in Louisville for the eighth-straight […]

Not even his dad could have predicted Justin Thomas’ rapid rise to stardom

BY MIKE FIELDS (Sept. 30, 2019)

When Justin Thomas won the KHSAA state golf title in 2009, could anyone have predicted that just 10 years later he would be regarded as one the best players on the planet?

He’s already won 10 times on the PGA TOUR, including a PGA Championship, a FedEx Cup title and a WGC event, and has spent time ranked No. 1 in the world.

He’s also earned more than $30 million.

And he’s only 26.

Could anybody have looked into a crystal ball and seen this kind of success for Thomas when he was winning the state high school title as a 16-year-old junior at St. Xavier?

“No way, no way,” said Mike Thomas, Justin’s dad, and the head pro at Harmony Landing Country Club in Goshen.

“So many members of the club and people in the Louisville community would always forecast these great things about Justin. Everybody was telling […]

09/30/19 – Official KHSAA RPI Rankings Unveiled

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 30, 2019

The first official KHSAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) Rankings are now available on the Association’s website (https://khsaa.org/rpi-ratings-percentage-index/) following a thorough development and implementation process. Approved by the Board of Control in January of 2018, the RPI will be incorporated into the football competition rules as a means of seeding Rounds 3, 4, 5. The RPI is simply an informational tool in the other team sports and is provided as a means to increase publicity, interest and promotion.

“It has been an important period the last few weeks experimenting with output formats and screen layouts, while determining what documents were needed to ensure both transparency and replicability. We have continually stressed that as the only official results source, any other data outside of our website should be regarded with skepticism,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett. “We are very thankful to our friends with the Colorado High School Athletic Association […]

RPI Details

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Most of the time, this is because of a scheduled release of information or data and the user is simply early. If you reach this page after the scheduled release of information, please notify the KHSAA offices.

RPI FAQ and What-ifs?

BASICS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE RPI

RPI was be implemented in all sports as a publicity tool.
In Football, the RPI will be incorporated into the competition rules as a means of seeding Rounds 3, 4 and 5
RPI stands for “Ratings Percentage Index”. In short, it is a way to measure a team’s strength relative to other teams, based largely on the strength of their schedules.

What percentages are being used in the formula?

Starting in 2019-20, the formula will be as follows for all sports:
- Each game RPI = GR*((0.35 × WP) + (0.35 × OWP) + (0.30 × OOWP)).
- The formula, which equally weights winning percentage and opponents winning percentage, has been the basis for nearly all states as they have started the use of the RPI.
- Balancing the formula in this manner, with a lesser impact on the opponent’s opponents also prevents schools that are located […]
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RPI Calculation Steps

RPI calculation example using 2018 Ashland Blazer football regular season, which is subject to revision given revisions approved for any RPI parameter. This long-published example of the calculations on the KHSAA website at https://ly.khsaa.org/uynq.

RPI Background (all sports)

RPI stands for Ratings Percentage Index.
RPI is used for district tiebreaking and football third, fourth and fifth-round bracketing, as well as a means to increase publicity, interest and promotion of interscholastic athletics.
RPI is also used as a tiebreaking/contest-result mechanism to decide seeded district games that are not played by the deadline.
The KHSAA is uniquely positioned to be the sole and authenticated source of RPI data due to the maintenance of required score reporting and scoreboard data for baseball, basketball, field hockey, football, soccer, softball and volleyball for more than two decades.
RPI rankings are updated on an hourly basis but are not calculated for teams with missing scores from previous or multiple contests.

09/27/19 – Fall Sports Championship Media Credentials

The KHSAA’s online media credentialing system for the Spring Sports Championships (Golf, Field Hockey, Soccer, Cross Country, Volleyball, Football, Competitive Cheer and Dance) is now live, and can be accessed by going to credentials.khsaa.org.

S2-Attendees

09/23/19- KHSAA and Midway University Expand Student-Athlete Awards Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 23, 2019

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association and Midway University are expanding their partnership in the Midway University/KHSAA Student-Athlete of the Year Awards program to include recognition for males beginning in the fall of 2019. The program originally began in the spring of 2016 as a way for Midway University to honor female student-athletes, and will now include male and female student-athletes for all KHSAA-sanctioned sports and sport-activities.

“We value our partnership with the KHSAA as we expand our on-campus offerings to include male students and male sports and look forward to continuing to get our message out across the Commonwealth to even more student-athletes and potential students,” said Midway University President John P. Marsden, Ph.D.

“It is exciting to expand our relationship with Midway University to coincide with its own expansion of sports offerings,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett. “This was already a tremendous partnership through its effort to […]

09/19/19 – Board Approves Next Steps for Potential Lacrosse Sanctioning

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 19, 2019

The Board of Control approved a recommendation on Thursday to appoint a sport-specific focus group to study the sanctioning of boys’ and girls’ lacrosse following a survey of the membership. Earlier this month, the Association asked the designated representative for each member school to provide feedback on the possibilities of adding lacrosse as a sanctioned sport in either the fall or the spring. The membership responded positively that they would have a team and enter championship competition if the KHSAA were to conduct a spring lacrosse championship for both boys (56 votes) and girls (54 votes). Interest for a fall championship failed to meet the required 50-school threshold for further consideration.

Following review of the survey, the Board approved a recommendation from staff to form a focus group to confirm genuine interest in schools adding lacrosse should the KHSAA sanction a spring championship, with the earliest implementation being for […]

September 2019 Middle School AD Meeting Presentations

Middle School Working

Middle School Season Limit Chart 20-21

Middle School Working

Middle School Season Limit Chart 19-20

Middle School Working

September 2019 Annual Meeting Presentations

Ma-ma & football shaped Donnell Gordon’s character & career

BY MIKE FIELDS (Sept. 9, 2019)

Sgt. Donnell Gordon gets a lot of TV time in Central Kentucky these days as a spokesman for the Lexington Police Department.

If the name sounds familiar, yes, it’s the same Donnell Gordon who was the best high school football player in the state 27 years ago.

He won the Paul Hornung Award as the top player in Kentucky in 1992 after rushing for more than 6,300 yards and 61 touchdowns in his career at South Oldham. Gatorade also honored him as the best in the Bluegrass State that year.

(Paducah Tilghman quarterback Billy Jack Haskins won Mr. Football.)

Gordon went on to play college football at Kentucky and Louisville.

With broad shoulders and thick chest, he still looks like he could suit up and make defenders tremble before trying to tackle him.

He wears a different uniform now — police blue — but just like in football, he’s […]

09/05/19- Interest Survey-Championship-KHSAA Lacrosse

As we have detailed in the regional meetings, the Board of Control desires additional feedback and clarification from schools on a prior triennial survey. This survey deals with LACROSSE and one response will be accepted per school. Duplicate responses will be deleted and the response from the Principal will take precedence over the Athletic Director in the event of duplication. It is an individual school administrator determination if other individuals are consulted prior to response. The deadline for submission is TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2019.

The survey is located at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Lacrosse2019

The KHSAA relies heavily on its triennial survey to determine the interest of its membership in adding a new sport or sport-activity. However, there are times in the interim when the Board of Control and the Commissioner receive enough interest in a particular sport or sport-activity that additional research is need.

The Board has asked the Commissioner to poll the schools about the membership […]

09/05/19- State Tennis Team Championship Survey Information

As we have detailed in the regional meetings, the Board of Control desires additional feedback and clarification from schools on a prior survey. This survey deals with TENNIS and one response will be accepted per school. Duplicate responses will be deleted and the response from the Principal will take precedence over the Athletic Director in the event of duplication. It is an individual school administrator determination if other individuals are consulted prior to response. The deadline for submission is TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2019.

Before you complete the survey, you will need to know how many singles players and doubles teams were entered from your school last spring.

The survey is located at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TeamTennisFormat2019Survey

The Board of Control has received requests from members of the recently formed Kentucky High School Tennis Coaches Association to replace the current format with a team vs. team, school vs. school format, or to conduct both the […]

09/05/19 – Initial Stat Leader Reports Released for Football, Soccer, Volleyball and Field Hockey

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 5, 2019

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).

The requirement to enter statistics in volleyball is new for 2019, and follows the addition of baseball, softball and field hockey stats to the KHSAA/Riherds.com Scoreboard during the 2018-19 academic year. Statistical entry, which is now available for all sports on the Scoreboard, 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 […]

09/03/19 – Reminders about Required Title IX Student Interest Survey During 2019-20, KHSAA Assistance Available

For all KHSAA member schools, 2019-2020 is the year for the biennial student interest survey related to Title IX. None of the basic survey requirements have changed, as you are to survey your students in grades 9 through 11, as well as the identified 8th graders within the feeder pattern of your school system. Only minimal changes have been made to the survey instrument, KHSAA Form T61.

T61 Student Interest Survey Assistance is now available as a membership benefit from the KHSAA. If you have specific questions about the survey requirement or other Title IX specific information, contact Assistant Commissioner Darren Bilberry at the KHSAA at 859-299-5472 or via email at dbilberry@khsaa.org. If you desire the KHSAA to setup and tabulate your survey for you via our electronic system and need assistance, contact Information Technology Director Rob Catron via email at rcatron@khsaa.org to request your survey.

The required target response rate for survey validity remains […]

08/29/19 – First Time “Coaching Cross Country” Course Now Available in NFHS Learning Center