Posted: Wednesday, September 23, 2015 10:30 pm
BY ERIC KOLENICH
Richmond Times-Dispatch
CHARLOTTESVILLE - Further change seems certain at the Virginia High School League, as conferences, regions and the league itself struggle to turn a profit.
In the two years since the league instituted sweeping changes to how high school teams compete for championships, the league has suffered financial shortfalls of hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the 2014-15 fiscal year, the league lost more than $300,000, according to the VHSL.
But tweaks to the system, VHSL leaders say, can right the ship.
“I don’t think we’re looking at the demise of the organization,” VHSL executive director Ken Tilley said. “There can be modifications that should help us financially.”
The league has a plan that already has the support of many schools throughout the state.
The first step of its implementation would be to eliminate conferences. As part of the realignment that took place in 2013, the VHSL divided the state into 40 conferences that group schools first by enrollment and second by geography.
But this new structure suffered from two major problems. The teams were often spread out by hundreds of miles, and the conferences often lacked natural rivalries. So a playoff basketball game between Patrick Henry (Roanoke) and Cosby, cost a lot of money in transportation and drew a small crowd.
Step two is to break each region in half. So each classification 1A-6A would have four regions of 12-14 schools per region. This is what region 5A South has done already, in concept.
In that region, half the teams are from Richmond, half from Hampton Roads. During the playoffs, the Richmond section determines a champion, as does the Hampton Roads section. Then the winners from each side meet in the region final. This cuts down on travel and keeps geographic rivals together as long as possible.
“We feel like that’s a win-win,” said Tom Dolan of the VHSL. “5A South is the model for how the original six classifications allowed them to do some things that were appropriate and advantageous for them.
“What this is is a hybrid of the old and the new,” Dolan said.
Another benefit of having four regions per classification is that it easily allows eight teams to reach the state tournament. So the state tournament will have quarterfinals, semifinals and a final, as opposed to the current structure, which has just semifinals and a final.
The VHSL collects all the revenue from state tournament games, so an extra round of playoffs means extra revenue. The league already decided to add in state quarterfinal games to this year’s basketball tournaments.
“It’s significant,” Dolan said of the financial gain from the quarterfinals. “How significant? $300,000? $310,000? I don’t think anyone knows.”
The leagues blames some of its financial woes on bad weather during state tournaments each of the past two years. So just how much money the state tournaments should make post-realignment, Tilley said, is still somewhat unknown.
In an effort to boost revenue, the VHSL also will raise membership fees from $700 to $800 per school. And it’s taking a closer look at its investments.
What the league won’t do is completely overhaul alignment again. Six classifications are here to stay. Prior to 2013, there were three classifications, but football crowned six state champions and basketball five.
“People are still committed to the six-classification format,” Tilley said. “We’ve made that loud and clear.”
None of these changes are expected to take effect until the 2016-17 school year. The alignment committee will finalize its recommendation in October and the executive committee would vote on its proposal in December. Membership would have the opportunity to overturn the decision in March.
In the spring, the league surveyed its member schools, and 53 percent of respondents approved this new plan.
Other results from the survey:
- 53 percent believe the current system doesn’t function well, while 35 percent believe it does function well, and 12 percent had no opinion.
- 67 percent of schools have seen increased travel in the postseason.
- 58 percent are seeing less income from games.
- 57 percent are facing greater expenses.
When realignment took effect in 2013, it was deeply unpopular in the Richmond area. But there’s a sense of optimism among some Richmond-area schools, which feel they’ve made the best of their new situation.
The old way isn't coming back anytime soon.
“Can (the new system) survive in this format? Yes it can,” Hermitage athletics director Chris Rollison said. “Can it survive without some adjustments made? …That I would say I’m not sure of.”
ekolenich@timesdispatch.com
(804) 649-6109
@EricKolenichRTD
BY ERIC KOLENICH
Richmond Times-Dispatch
CHARLOTTESVILLE - Further change seems certain at the Virginia High School League, as conferences, regions and the league itself struggle to turn a profit.
In the two years since the league instituted sweeping changes to how high school teams compete for championships, the league has suffered financial shortfalls of hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the 2014-15 fiscal year, the league lost more than $300,000, according to the VHSL.
But tweaks to the system, VHSL leaders say, can right the ship.
“I don’t think we’re looking at the demise of the organization,” VHSL executive director Ken Tilley said. “There can be modifications that should help us financially.”
The league has a plan that already has the support of many schools throughout the state.
The first step of its implementation would be to eliminate conferences. As part of the realignment that took place in 2013, the VHSL divided the state into 40 conferences that group schools first by enrollment and second by geography.
But this new structure suffered from two major problems. The teams were often spread out by hundreds of miles, and the conferences often lacked natural rivalries. So a playoff basketball game between Patrick Henry (Roanoke) and Cosby, cost a lot of money in transportation and drew a small crowd.
Step two is to break each region in half. So each classification 1A-6A would have four regions of 12-14 schools per region. This is what region 5A South has done already, in concept.
In that region, half the teams are from Richmond, half from Hampton Roads. During the playoffs, the Richmond section determines a champion, as does the Hampton Roads section. Then the winners from each side meet in the region final. This cuts down on travel and keeps geographic rivals together as long as possible.
“We feel like that’s a win-win,” said Tom Dolan of the VHSL. “5A South is the model for how the original six classifications allowed them to do some things that were appropriate and advantageous for them.
“What this is is a hybrid of the old and the new,” Dolan said.
Another benefit of having four regions per classification is that it easily allows eight teams to reach the state tournament. So the state tournament will have quarterfinals, semifinals and a final, as opposed to the current structure, which has just semifinals and a final.
The VHSL collects all the revenue from state tournament games, so an extra round of playoffs means extra revenue. The league already decided to add in state quarterfinal games to this year’s basketball tournaments.
“It’s significant,” Dolan said of the financial gain from the quarterfinals. “How significant? $300,000? $310,000? I don’t think anyone knows.”
The leagues blames some of its financial woes on bad weather during state tournaments each of the past two years. So just how much money the state tournaments should make post-realignment, Tilley said, is still somewhat unknown.
In an effort to boost revenue, the VHSL also will raise membership fees from $700 to $800 per school. And it’s taking a closer look at its investments.
What the league won’t do is completely overhaul alignment again. Six classifications are here to stay. Prior to 2013, there were three classifications, but football crowned six state champions and basketball five.
“People are still committed to the six-classification format,” Tilley said. “We’ve made that loud and clear.”
None of these changes are expected to take effect until the 2016-17 school year. The alignment committee will finalize its recommendation in October and the executive committee would vote on its proposal in December. Membership would have the opportunity to overturn the decision in March.
In the spring, the league surveyed its member schools, and 53 percent of respondents approved this new plan.
Other results from the survey:
- 53 percent believe the current system doesn’t function well, while 35 percent believe it does function well, and 12 percent had no opinion.
- 67 percent of schools have seen increased travel in the postseason.
- 58 percent are seeing less income from games.
- 57 percent are facing greater expenses.
When realignment took effect in 2013, it was deeply unpopular in the Richmond area. But there’s a sense of optimism among some Richmond-area schools, which feel they’ve made the best of their new situation.
The old way isn't coming back anytime soon.
“Can (the new system) survive in this format? Yes it can,” Hermitage athletics director Chris Rollison said. “Can it survive without some adjustments made? …That I would say I’m not sure of.”
ekolenich@timesdispatch.com
(804) 649-6109
@EricKolenichRTD
