OHSAA to vote on school membership dues proposal

By Mitch Spinell

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio High School Athletic Association Board of Directors is expected to vote on Monday, May 3 on a recommendation that membership dues be levied in the amount of $50 per OHSAA-recognized sport sponsored by member high schools, which would take effect in the 2021-22 school year.

The OHSAA sent a release to schools on Friday explaining that, under the proposal, fees would not exceed $100 per recognized sport, such as basketball in which boys and girls both participate. However, no later than September 15 will every school be invoiced a minimum of $300 for the base level of six sports required for schools to sponsor as a condition for membership.

Total dues for the 2021-22 school year would range from $300 to $1300 per school depending on the total number of sports in which the school is participating for the year.

With the proposal, the membership would be all-inclusive, meaning schools would no longer have to pay entry fees for tournaments, as well as lineage fees for bowling, greens fees for golf, or weight management fees for wrestling. The OHSAA also announced middle school sports would not be levied for membership dues, although fees would still be assessed for 7th and 8th-grade cross country and track and field tournaments.

Twenty-six sports are sanctioned by the OHSAA: baseball; boys' basketball; girls' basketball; boys' bowling; girls' bowling; boys' cross country; girls' cross country; field hockey; football; boys' golf; girls' golf; gymnastics; ice hockey; boys' lacrosse; girls' lacrosse; boys' soccer; girls' soccer; softball; boys' swimming and diving; girls' swimming and diving; boys' tennis; girls' tennis; boys' track and field; girls' track and field; volleyball, and wrestling.