OHSAA adds state dual tournament, denies basketball request for 22 game schedule

By Jamie Baker
COLUMBUS — The Ohio High School Athletic Association’s board of directors did not make a decision on the future site of its state football finals as the group held its regular June meeting in Columbus.
The Board did not receive a recommendation from the football championships site selection committee regarding the current proposal process that is underway. The site selection committee will continue to meet and discuss the proposals during the summer before likely deciding the matter at it’s next board meeting.
The site selection committee visited state football finals site finalists Massillon/Canton and Columbus earlier in the week.
The OHSAA’s contract to host the state finals at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium and Canton’s Fawcett Stadium will expire after the 2011 season. The playoffs have been held in the Stark County venues  since 1998. The games were played at 105,000-seat Ohio Stadium from 1983-89.
In other OHSAA-related news:
• The board also acted on a pair of proposals by the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches’ Association. In a rare 5-4 vote, the board denied a proposal to allow schools to play 22 regular season games during the 2011-12 school year. The board tabled a proposal to allow individual instruction during open gym settings.
• The board of directors approved a proposal by the Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches’ Association to sponsor a a dual meet state tournament, to begin during the 2012-13 school year. The team tourney will be conducted in addition to the current individual state tournament.
• In hockey, the board approved a proposal that would extend the length of periods from 15 to 17 minutes on an optional basis during the regular season. The board denied a request by a 7-2 vote that would have expanded the state tournament field from four to eight teams.
• Three area schools were reprimanded for rules infractions at the OHSAA’s May board meeting.
Arlington High School’s varsity track and field team had a student-athlete violate Bylaw 4-7-2 regarding transfers. Since the team was not victorious in any of the contests in which the ineligible student participated,
no forfeitures were required. New Riegel and North Baltimore’s varsity track and field teams both had a student-athletes
violate OHSAA Bylaw 4-4-1, which deals with scholarship. Both schools were forced to forfeit the contests in which the ineligible students participated along with the student’s points and records. However, all eligible participants may keep their points and records from those meets.