Why don't all Private Schools play in DivII A or AA

[Baldcoach]

I am trying to understand to whole picture. DII schools can offer scholarships to athletes, correct? Or is it called financial aid? The only schools in DII are private schools, correct? DI has private and public, but the private schools in DI do not offer financial aid or scholarships to their athletes, correct?

 

Did all this (financial/scholarship to athletes) change within the past couple of years? I was talking to someone last night and when their son was in school, if the school offered him a scholarship or financial aid, they couldn't play a sport.

 

The big question I have about this whole issue is: Are all the schools in DI on a level playing field? Do private schools in DI have an advantage over public schools, since public schools are restricted to a specific residential zone whereas private schools are not?

 

Again, I am trying to understand the big picture in this long standing issue and if TSSAA is doing the right thing.

 

 

 

If memory serves the DI/DII split occurred around 96 after BA beat Riverdale in the 5a chamionship in Football. The TSSAA Board of Control decided that schools that offered financial aid had a distinct advantage over those that could or did not. Thus, all schools that played athletes who were on financial aid were moved into a seperate division...DII.

 

Many of the smaller privates had very few if any students on financial aid. Thus, a lot of them decided to stay in DI and not play any varsity athletes who were on financial aid. Most of the larger/more elite/more selective privates had a large percentage of their student bodies on some sort of aid and elected to play in DII.

 

In the years following the split (specifically the 2000-2004 period) there were a handful of DI privates that won more than their share of the state Football titles. That, combined with small private dominance in Spring sports in general initiated the multiplier for ALL private schools in DI. The multiplier is 1.8 (not so coincidentally the largest in the country). So a private school with a student body of 300 is counted for classification purposes by the TSSAA as a school with 540 students.

 

The threads on this board are all essentially arguments about 1) whether the multiplier is too harsh or not harsh enough so (2) whether it should be increased, decreased, done away with, replaced with another system, or all the privates forced out, or (3) what the TSSAA is going to do in 09 when they sit down to discuss the issue.

 

I hope this is a fairly complete and unbiased explanation of the issues. As to whether there is a level playing field in 1a or 2a...

 

imho the idea of a 'level playing field' is like the idea of the perfect woman...both are sought after by people who aren't wise enough to realize that neither exists. But, I could be wrong. Heck, there could be a woman out there who looks like a supermodel, fishes like a pro, washes clothes and keeps the house clean while cooking like the Top Chef and laughing while she watches the 3 Stooges then turns everything off, hops into bed and actually initiates...naaaah. Sounds great but we all know that if she exists she sure isn't with any of us, just like no 2 schools have a level playing field...both have advantages and disadvantages when compared with each other.

[KCHSCoach]

We will all know in 10 days when the tssaa meets. Is it better to dance with the devil you know, or the one you don't know?

[PublicSecret]

Div II was made for privates no matter how you word it. Better still, it was made for private schools that refused to discriminate against any individual simply because they happen to play a sport. If you are in financial need, you are in need period. Hats off to the Division II privates who still make it possible for almost anyone to attend if they so choose. /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

 

 

 

but what that turns into is...ill pay your school if you come play football/baseball/softball for our school. even if the parents wernt in "need" of financial need

[WTBaller]

but what that turns into is...ill pay your school if you come play football/baseball/softball for our school. even if the parents wernt in "need" of financial need

 

 

Your're right......there are no guidelines as to qualification for financial aide and noone ever looks at it! It's just done by word of honor! All part of the Private's master plan to take over the world! They shot JFK as well from a hummer parked behind the grassy knoll!

 

Sorry for being a SA.......my bad!

[big red big blue]

imho the idea of a 'level playing field' is like the idea of the perfect woman...both are sought after by people who aren't wise enough to realize that neither exists. But, I could be wrong. Heck, there could be a woman out there who looks like a supermodel, fishes like a pro, washes clothes and keeps the house clean while cooking like the Top Chef and laughing while she watches the 3 Stooges then turns everything off, hops into bed and actually initiates...naaaah. Sounds great but we all know that if she exists she sure isn't with any of us, just like no 2 schools have a level playing field...both have advantages and disadvantages when compared with each other.

 

 

That's priceless.... /roflol.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflol:" border="0" alt="roflol.gif" /> /roflol.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflol:" border="0" alt="roflol.gif" /> /roflol.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflol:" border="0" alt="roflol.gif" />

[Redog]

If memory serves the DI/DII split occurred around 96 after BA beat Riverdale in the 5a chamionship in Football. The TSSAA Board of Control decided that schools that offered financial aid had a distinct advantage over those that could or did not. Thus, all schools that played athletes who were on financial aid were moved into a seperate division...DII.

 

Many of the smaller privates had very few if any students on financial aid. Thus, a lot of them decided to stay in DI and not play any varsity athletes who were on financial aid. Most of the larger/more elite/more selective privates had a large percentage of their student bodies on some sort of aid and elected to play in DII.

 

In the years following the split (specifically the 2000-2004 period) there were a handful of DI privates that won more than their share of the state Football titles. That, combined with small private dominance in Spring sports in general initiated the multiplier for ALL private schools in DI. The multiplier is 1.8 (not so coincidentally the largest in the country). So a private school with a student body of 300 is counted for classification purposes by the TSSAA as a school with 540 students.

 

The threads on this board are all essentially arguments about 1) whether the multiplier is too harsh or not harsh enough so (2) whether it should be increased, decreased, done away with, replaced with another system, or all the privates forced out, or (3) what the TSSAA is going to do in 09 when they sit down to discuss the issue.

 

I hope this is a fairly complete and unbiased explanation of the issues. As to whether there is a level playing field in 1a or 2a...

 

imho the idea of a 'level playing field' is like the idea of the perfect woman...both are sought after by people who aren't wise enough to realize that neither exists. But, I could be wrong. Heck, there could be a woman out there who looks like a supermodel, fishes like a pro, washes clothes and keeps the house clean while cooking like the Top Chef and laughing while she watches the 3 Stooges then turns everything off, hops into bed and actually initiates...naaaah. Sounds great but we all know that if she exists she sure isn't with any of us, just like no 2 schools have a level playing field...both have advantages and disadvantages when compared with each other.

 

In regards to perfect woman comments - "classic" and lol

[fiftyfifty]

but what that turns into is...ill pay your school if you come play football/baseball/softball for our school. even if the parents wernt in "need" of financial need

As parents of a child that plays sports at a private school, I will re-state my earlier post. We received financial aid based on our income and that was it period. Many many more parents of non-athletic students receive financial aid as well. Personally, your opinion is similiar to your English, its flawed, too narrow and simply not true as concerning the particular private school my child attends. I can't speak for other privates, but if their expenses are similiar to my child's school, I suspect they handle things in a like manner. I am so tired of a group of posters who think they have all the answers when it concerns private schools. I have never witnessed rule-breaking and bending to the degree that I have seen in some public schools, not all or even a majority of them. So therefore, having some common sense, I am not going to place public schools all in a barrel because of mistakes or miscues of a few. /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />