LHSAA approves split postseason for other sports

It was another definitive split decision for the LHSAA.
Approximately 60 percent of member principals approved expanding the select/nonselect split into basketball, baseball and softball, punctuating the final day of the annual LHSAA convention held at the Crowne Plaza.
“There is no real way to make things absolutely fair, but this is the closest thing this association has come up with in 20 years to get it right,” Many Principal Norman Booker, author of the split plan, said. “So to expand it to other sports was the best thing we could offer.”
Booker insisted that his intent was not to tear the association apart with his proposal that passed by a 182-120 margin and will go into effect in 2016-17.
“We hope everyone can leave this room today and this summer work together to make it appeasable as possible to both sides so we can still be one strong organization,” Booker said. “I’m definitely not about tearing the association apart. I think it’s a great association. It just has some issues that are very difficult to address and this is just a small piece of it today.”
The LHSAA voted to split football schools along select/nonselect lines in 2013. Football schools play in five nonselect classes and four select divisions. The parameters for the newest split calls for seven nonselect classes and five select divisions for boys and girls basketball, baseball and softball.
Principals also voted to ratify pay raises for officials in a large number of sports by a huge 258-23 margin. The officials pay raise that was negotiated last summer and implemented in the fall was the other major order of business.
LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine pledged to move forward with what the membership approved.
“Of course the vote came down to not only continue the present nonselect and select playoffs but to also incorporate other sports within that process,” Bonine said. “Everybody’s cards were on the table today. The membership has voted and it’s a principals’ association. They have given direction to me and the direction we will go to continue to move forward to participate in the competitive format that has been approved.”