The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) is the governing organization of high school athletics in North Carolina, United States. The association maintains the official rule books and governs the officiating standards across the state.
The NCHSAA organizes member schools into conferences and oversees the state championships for each of the sanctioned sports. The NCHSAA headquarters is located at 222 Finley Golf Course Road, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The mailing address for the NCHSAA is PO Box 3216, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27515.
History
Ethan Hnasko- West Forsyth vs De'Andre Swinson -South View - North Carolina High School Athletic Association state wrestling tournament 2017 4A 120 pound weight class semi final.
The NCHSAA was founded in 1913 by Dr. Louis Round Wilson, a professor at the University of North Carolina. The University served as the primary source of funding and leadership for the Association from 1913 through 1947 before the organization adopted its current model, which provides school administrators with direct influence through the presence of the NCHSAA Board of Directors. The NCHSAA remained affiliated with UNC until 2010 when it became an independent organization.
The first state playoffs were held in the Association's inaugural year in both football and track. Baseball (1914), Basketball (1915), and Tennis (1916) were added over the next three athletic seasons, and the organization has sponsored 16 different sports throughout its history, including: Soccer (1927), Wrestling (1938), Golf (1938), Swimming (1950), Cross Country (1956), Slow-Pitch Softball (1975), Volleyball (1976), Indoor Track (1987), Fast-Pitch Softball (1994) and Lacrosse (2010). Women's athletics were introduced in 1969, and there are currently 13 sports offered for men and 10 for women.
Organization
The high schools in the state are organized (since 1929) into classifications by the size of the student population. Prior to 1929 all schools played in a single "open" format and postseason play was decided within "east" and "west" regions by meetings of school administrators. The east versus west postseason approach continues to this day. In 1929 the NCHSAA split schools into "Class A" and "Class B," generally by school size.
Due to this and other factors, 36 schools in the Piedmont and western foothills of the state broke away in 1929 and formed their own association, the Western North Carolina High School Activities Association or WNCHSAA. This association grew to as many as 44 high schools, including many of the most successful high school athletics programs in the state. The WNCHSAA merged back into the NCHSAA in 1977.
The NCHSAA, due to segregation, also did not include African-American high schools. These schools played in the North Carolina High School Athletics Conference (NCHSAC) until 1971.
Several other changes occurred to NCHSAA classifications between 1929 and 1958, which eventually went to three classifications. In 1959 due to significant growth and consolidation, the member schools were split into four classifications, identified by 1A, 2A, 3A, & 4A. 4A is made up of the largest schools, and 1A the smallest. Prior to 1993, a set minimum enrollment number delineated each school's classification. In 1993, the schools were split so that approximately 25% of the schools were in each of the four classifications. However a new approach was instituted in 2017 known as the 20-30-30-20 model, with the largest 20% in the 4A classification and the smallest 20% in the 1A classification. The middle 60% is spilt between 2A and 3A. This model has already received considerable criticism for the unbalanced classes. The classifications are reordered every four years based on updated student population numbers.
Team sports have a separate state championship competition and title for each of the classifications. The only exceptions are cases in which the 1A & 2A classifications are combined, or in football, where each classification is separated into a single "A" and double "A" (AA) classification, with the double "A" classification being made up of larger schools than the single "A".
Each classification has a number of conferences for local play. Some conferences have teams from two different classifications.
Sports
NCHSAA sanctions the following sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball, Wrestling.
Many North Carolina schools, particularly in urbanized areas, have programs in field hockey and gymnastics, but these sports are currently not sanctioned by the NCHSAA.
Conferences
These are the conference alignments starting with the 2017-2018 school year. With minor adjustments to accommodate new schools, these alignments will remain through the 2020-2021 school year.
4A
3Aâ€"4A
3A
2A
1Aâ€"2A
1A
Awards
The NCHSAA Player of the Year Awards are awarded annually to the best male and female high school athletes in North Carolina:
Hall of fame
The North Carolina High School Sports Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for high school athletics in North Carolina. It is administered by the NCHSAA and includes coaches, officials, broadcasters and others who have supported high school athletics in the state. The hall was created in 1987 with Bob Jamieson of Greensboro, Leon Brogden of Wilmington, and Dave Harris of Charlotte as charter members.
As of 2012, 125 members have been inducted.
References
External links
- Official website
