PIAA could alter competitive-balance rule next week
Teams winning consecutive state titles would move up in class regardless of transfers.
Teams winning consecutive state titles would move up in class regardless of transfers.
Some might call it the Southern Columbia rule.
Any PIAA team that wins two consecutive state championships would be forced into a higher classification regardless of whether it added any transfers under a proposed change to the competitive-balance rule that the PIAA board will consider next week.
The suggested change was endorsed unanimously by the PIAA strategic planning committee, which makes recommendations to the PIAA board. The rule change would impact a successful team like Southern Columbia football, which has drawn scrutiny for winning seven consecutive PIAA titles yet remaining in Class 2A throughout.
The PIAA board will consider a number of proposed changes to the competitive-balance rule when it meets Wednesday in State College.
The PIAA meeting agenda also includes committee recommendations to increase the number of classifications in girls volleyball and track. Girls volleyball would increase to six, and track would go from two to three.
However, the PIAA board ultimately decides whether to accept any recommendation.
Another proposed change to the competitive-balance formula would increase the number of transfers needed to trigger the rule. Basketball and tennis teams, which now need only one transfer to trigger the rule, instead would need two. Football would increase from three to four.
The competitive-balance rule currently impacts teams that have success in the state playoffs, as measured by a PIAA Competition Formula, and surpass the threshold for transfers in a two-year cycle. The PIAA moves teams that meet both criteria into a higher classification to play against schools with larger enrollments.
As currently written, teams must accumulate six “success points” to be moved up. However, another idea to be considered by the PIAA would change that threshold to seven points and a state championship.
The formula awards four points for reaching the state finals, three for the semifinals, two for the quarterfinals or one for the first round.
According to meeting minutes, other ideas discussed by the strategic planning committee included the elimination of transfers as one of the criteria in the formula.
The PIAA competitive-balance rule has faced added scrutiny since Aliquippa filed a lawsuit that challenged the rule. In its lawsuit, the school district extensively highlighted how the rule hasn’t impacted Southern Columbia yet has forced the Quips up twice.
The PIAA has said Southern Columbia remained in 2A because the team didn’t surpass the threshold for transfers.
The competition formula has been rewritten a number of times since it was enacted in 2018. The rule at first impacted only football and basketball, but the PIAA board voted last summer to expand the rule to all team sports.
The rule nearly got a complete overhaul two years ago when the board considered eliminating the transfer element from the formula. The proposal to make the rule entirely success-based passed the PIAA board on the first two votes, but, ultimately, was denied on a third and final reading in December 2022.
