The Louisiana High School Athletic Association annual convention gets underway today and there’s a proposal on the table to allow the private schools, hold championship events in football, basketball, baseball and softball at sites that are in different locations from public schools. Teurlings Catholic principal Mike Boyer says ideally, “select” teams could host the championship at the higher seeded team’s home field to save on rental costs.
“Certainly the profitability for the select schools would be greatly increased. We all fund our athletics though he sports that garnish revenue to help those non-revenue sports.”
The proposal is inspired in part by disappointing revenue for high schools who participated in the 2017 state football championships.
But LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine doesn’t like the idea of having football championship games outside of the Superdome.
“Whenever I see a proposal that takes any kids, any participants out of the Superdome, it’s not good, no matter what the reason or reason could be one way or another argument wise.”
Boyer says he understands the argument about having kids play in the Dome, but believes students are not motivated by the venue, they’re motivated by the title.
“The prize is really playing for a state championship, regardless of where that site may be.”
Many select schools have indicated that they do not think they need the rest of the LHSAA to hold a select school vote on the matter, but Bonnie disagrees. He says the whole argument is a moot point, because the constitution of the LHSAA would prevent such an action.
“At the end of the day the select schools can vote on whether they want to change their playoff structure, but they cannot tell us where they are going to play.”
A vote on the proposal for separate championship venues will take place Friday.
