COLUMBUS – The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) plans to hold tournaments for all 26 sanctioned sports this school year.
Unfortunately, the revenue lost due to COVID-19 cancellations in the spring and massive attendance reductions at events this year forced the OHSAA to make drastic cuts.
“The prospect of conducting all of our tournaments for the 2020-21 school year with spectator capacity limits of 15 percent, with no more than 1,500 permitted for outdoor events and 300 for indoor events, has already had a significant impact on the Association from a financial standpoint,” Bob Goldring, OHSAA interim executive director, said in a news release.
Eighty percent of OHSAA revenues come from postseason-tournament ticket sales. The rest comes from corporate partners and officials dues. OHSAA may resume collecting dues from member schools, something not done since 1998. The OHSAA has 815 member high schools and approximately 760 member 7th and 8th grade schools.
Fans will have to buy tournament tickets online for all sports. No ticket sales are planned at the gate. Sectional and district tournament tickets will cost $8.
Member schools in 2020-21 tournaments will not receive shares or bonuses from football and basketball ticket presales, nor will they be paid for team expenses.
The OHSAA staff felt the pain also, with three full-time positions cut. Senior staff members took a 20% pay cut. All part-time staff and intern positions were eliminated, and retirement contributions for all staff members were cut. The OHSAA currently has 18 full-time staffers.
The OHSAA suspended publication of the School Directory, Pocket Calendar, Year in Review and the OHSAA Magazine. It also suspended the OHSAA Radio Network and video production of public service announcements. It will bring printing the OHSAA Handbook and many state tournament programs in-house.
Tournament entry fees were set at $25 for most boys and girls sports, except for the “emerging” sport of lacrosse, which will have a $100 fee.
The individual wrestling tournament enters its 83rd year and will continue, but OHSAA suspended the dual-team wrestling tournament. Additionally, the association will not pay bowling lane or golf greens fees for tournaments.
