Suburban League administrators seek split of OHSAA state tournaments

Administrators in the Suburban League of Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) are seeking to separate public and private high school state tournaments. A petition has been organized by superintendents, principals, and athletic directors, who aim to place a referendum item on the May 2027 ballot for high school principals to vote on.

To achieve this, they need 75 signatures, with at least five from each of the six OHSAA districts. If successful, separate state tournaments could begin in the 2028-29 school year. This petition stems from discussions among OHSAA member schools about the potential separation of public and private high schools, which have been considered before, most notably in 1978, 1993, and the late 2000s.

Despite past attempts, OHSAA member schools voted against these initiatives each time. The OHSAA requires each member high school to submit a ballot during the annual referendum voting period, May 1-15. The petition has received support from all Suburban League schools, except Wadsworth, which opted not to participate. If the referendum passes, Ohio would join other states like Alabama, Maryland, Texas, and Virginia that already have separate public and private state tournaments.