N.C. High School Athletic Association Winter Meeting Set to Address Key Issues

CHAPEL HILL – This week, the N.C. High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Board of Directors will hold its annual winter meeting, starting on Wednesday at 8:15 a.m. Board members are set to tackle significant topics that could impact high school athletics across the state.

The agenda includes voting on the consent agenda, which will welcome three new schools into the NCHSAA for the next school year. After a brief session, the board will transition into closed meetings for committee discussions. A major focus of Wednesday’s discussions, starting around 1 p.m., will be realignment, the structure of playoffs with eight classifications, as well as potential amendments to current policies.

Another important proposal involves differentiating charter and parochial schools from traditional public schools during state playoffs. This proposal, submitted by Nash Central High School, highlights the lack of defined attendance zones for certain schools and aims to clarify playoff competition. Dr. Jonathan Tribula from Nash Central stressed the significance of gathering input from all member schools before changes could be made for the 2025-2026 school year.

On the following day, Thursday’s meeting is slated to begin at 8:30 a.m., where reports from various committees will be presented. These include the Finance & Personnel, Policy, Review & Officiating, and Sports Committees, which will lay the foundation for votes later in the day.

Additionally, there will be discussions regarding the sanctioning of flag football as an official sport for the 2025-2026 school year. Durham, Johnston, and Wake County schools have proposed this idea after a notable rise in the number of participating teams. Currently, 116 schools are expected to have flag football teams, exceeding the threshold needed for NCHSAA consideration. The growth of this sport is aided by financial support from the Carolina Panthers.

Moreover, the board plans to revisit a proposal concerning the RPI formula, which calculates playoff qualifications. Last spring, many coaches expressed dissatisfaction with the current formula, prompting a deeper examination of how playoff seeding is determined. Meanwhile, schools have raised concerns about existing playoff ticket prices, suggesting that adjustments may be necessary due to the lack of change over the past seven years.

The outcomes of these discussions and votes are anticipated to have lasting effects on high school athletics in North Carolina. Stay tuned for more updates as the meetings unfold this week.