TSSAA places entire Lipscomb Academy athletic program on probation due to social media post, school to appeal

[fredjones]

Appeal denied by a 6-5 vote

[Navy21412]

48 minutes ago, 3DayWknd said:

As boarding schools - Baylor, McCallie, Webb Bell Buckle, etc - are able to have national and international student bodies. Unless they are giving financial aid beyond a family's demonstrated need (typically through a 3rd party service), they aren't doing anything wrong and those student-athletes are eligible to play in TSSAA sports. I am aware of situations in Florida where the FHSAA routinely asked schools to provide documentation regarding a FA award. I am not aware of the TSSAA making similar requests but that's not to say it doesn't happen.

In regards to Lipscomb, I actually feel badly for their athletic department because it was an Admissions or Marketing staff member that approved and posted that post on the school's (not a team's) social media account.  And considering the discussed fine of $1,000, the school and the program the post marketed got their money's worth in "free" advertising. 

This is all true, and not the issue; what I and others have an issue with is that these inbound transfers are immediately eligible to play sports.  Each year they are turning over their rosters with incoming upperclassmen who are immediately eligible to play.  The rest of us can all hope that a great athlete moves to the area and chooses our school, in which case he/she would be immediately eligible.  But a local transfer is sitting out a year, which it just seems like no one is going to be willing to do, and who can blame them?  Kudus to the BA basketball player who transferred from Centennial and sat out his junior year to play as a senior and is a key member of their team which will be the favorite to win state this weekend.

But whatever, the TSSAA took up the question and voted it down, so the issue is settled for now.  Really, because the TSSAA isn't concerned about intra-private school matters.  But any inkling (i.e., this dumb thing with LA) that private schools are taking advantage of their local public schools, and they are all over it.

[Intense]

55 minutes ago, 3DayWknd said:

As boarding schools - Baylor, McCallie, Webb Bell Buckle, etc - are able to have national and international student bodies. Unless they are giving financial aid beyond a family's demonstrated need (typically through a 3rd party service), they aren't doing anything wrong and those student-athletes are eligible to play in TSSAA sports. I am aware of situations in Florida where the FHSAA routinely asked schools to provide documentation regarding a FA award. I am not aware of the TSSAA making similar requests but that's not to say it doesn't happen.

In regards to Lipscomb, I actually feel badly for their athletic department because it was an Admissions or Marketing staff member that approved and posted that post on the school's (not a team's) social media account.  And considering the discussed fine of $1,000, the school and the program the post marketed got their money's worth in "free" advertising. 

University of Webb probably isn’t doing anything outside the TSSAA rules.  The problem is that they are able to assemble an International all star team within the rules!  The rules need to be changed for boarding schools.  If a student transfers they should sit out a year unless there is a bona fire change of address!  That’s the rule for all other schools!  Why don’t they have to play by the same rules?  If they did, the AAU pipeline to Webb would stop because those DI power 5 players aren’t going to sit out a year.  Huge unfair advantage to boarding schools.  I don’t blame them for using the rules to their advantage.  Playing field just needs to be leveled. 

[ChuckDSanAntonio]

55 minutes ago, Navy21412 said:

This is all true, and not the issue; what I and others have an issue with is that these inbound transfers are immediately eligible to play sports.  Each year they are turning over their rosters with incoming upperclassmen who are immediately eligible to play.  The rest of us can all hope that a great athlete moves to the area and chooses our school, in which case he/she would be immediately eligible.  But a local transfer is sitting out a year, which it just seems like no one is going to be willing to do, and who can blame them?  Kudus to the BA basketball player who transferred from Centennial and sat out his junior year to play as a senior and is a key member of their team which will be the favorite to win state this weekend.

But whatever, the TSSAA took up the question and voted it down, so the issue is settled for now.  Really, because the TSSAA isn't concerned about intra-private school matters.  But any inkling (i.e., this dumb thing with LA) that private schools are taking advantage of their local public schools, and they are all over it.

And on that very point, who is to say D1 West Nashville isn’t a front to pluck public school athletes to close the financial gap of the 3rd party ruling for financial aid?  

[Navy21412]

17 minutes ago, ChuckDSanAntonio said:

And on that very point, who is to say D1 West Nashville isn’t a front to pluck public school athletes to close the financial gap of the 3rd party ruling for financial aid?  

I don't think that's what is happening....D1 West (as I understand it) was offering kids "NIL Deals" that were basically free workouts and gear in exchange for recruiting your friends to join the gym and post about it on social media.  It could certainly grow into something from there...but D1 is now a big business and sold a big piece to private equity in 2021.  For them to do something like that it would have to make business sense and get the blessing of the shareholders.  That's not to say all sorts of shenanigans are on the table now under the guise of "NIL" but even then you are still dealing with transfer/eligibility rules.

[3DayWknd]

As always, appreciate everyone's contributions and sometimes seeing things a second time brings some clarity. At the end of the day, it seems like it's the TSSAA we're all looking to for some teeth. Speaking of transfers, am I correct that there is a 10th grader at Goodpasture who is in 4th semester of high school and has attended a different school each semester?  And he reclassed to the Class of 2025 before getting out of Middle School? I love how when a student repeats a year in school it's called being held back or repeating, but if they are an athlete they are "reclassing". Maybe if got back to calling it "repeating" it doesn't sound so cool. 

[Booger]

the church mouse has arrived

Booger just sayin 

[theawesomebro]

25 minutes ago, Booger said:

the church mouse has arrived

Booger just sayin 

what else is there to say?  I don't think the punishment fits the crime but i think this is getting back at LA for dilfer generally speaking.  his brashness didn't make a lot of friends.  I think this new coach will mend some of those fences with his approach.  hopefully.    

time to move on I guess.  im excited for them to announce their football schedule.  I don't want to be the one to leak it but I think it will revive the D2 board for some healthy debates.  : )

[cbg]

Lipscomb now has a difficult decision to make:  1. They can play nice, take the punishment and do nothing.  2. They can fight the TSSAA and do their very best to string this out in a legal battle much like BA did and force the TSSAA into insolvency.  IMO, the TSSAA and its Board of Control is nothing more than an inept group of educational bureaucrats that have only one goal and that is to protect their little communities.  I have said it in the past and I will continue to say that the TSSAA and the Board of Control do not have enough business experience to manage a church bake sale.  Who is their right mind would ever place someone in control of a multimillion-dollar business with absolutely zero business experience other than a government agency.  If I were in Lipscomb's position, I would file suit against the TSSAA Board of Control and the employees of the TSSAA.  Yes, I know that they would eventually hide behind the attorneys of the TSSAA, but I would do everything possible to force them into spending some of their personal monies.  When you force people to defend themself legally their attitudes change very quickly.  

Edited March 9, 2023 by cbg

[MichaelMyers76]

54 minutes ago, cbg said:

Lipscomb now has a difficult decision to make:  1. They can play nice, take the punishment and do nothing.  2. They can fight the TSSAA and do their very best to string this out in a legal battle much like BA did and force the TSSAA into insolvency.  IMO, the TSSAA and its Board of Control is nothing more than an inept group of educational bureaucrats that have only one goal and that is to protect their little communities.  I have said it in the past and I will continue to say that the TSSAA and the Board of Control do not have enough business experience to manage a church bake sale.  Who is their right mind would ever place someone in control of a multimillion-dollar business with absolutely zero business experience other than a government agency.  If I were in Lipscomb's position, I would file suit against the TSSAA Board of Control and the employees of the TSSAA.  Yes, I know that they would eventually hide behind the attorneys of the TSSAA, but I would do everything possible to force them into spending some of their personal monies.  When you force people to defend themself legally their attitudes change very quickly.  

They didn't change after the BA case. And in case you forgot, they won.

[cbg]

1 hour ago, MichaelMyers76 said:

They didn't change after the BA case. And in case you forgot, they won.

Yes, the TSSAA did win in the BA case, but they were very close to becoming insolvent.  Lipscomb has enough attorneys that a few may just take the case Pro Bono (For the Public Good) to try and force the TSSAA into insolvency.  If they became insolvent, they would be forced to reorganize the entire organization.  Sometimes you have to break someone financially to get their attention and force them to change the way that they do business.  

[MichaelMyers76]

What you don't seem to understand is that the NFHS will only recognize one association per state so if you "take down" the TSSAA our state will not have a governing body and no sports will be played competitively.

Maybe that is what you want.  To " reorganize" anything would take much longer than you think. There is a lot more good about the association than bad. Unfortunately some folks just like to dwell on negatives.

Everybody has all the answers on their couch.