LHSAA in Court Over Louisiana Select/Non-Select Designation

The biggest play in the 2023 Louisiana High School Football Season might just be played out today. No, the season isn't getting an early start. But this is the week Louisiana's high school football teams will meet in jamborees around the state. However, the real games and the real pad-knocking won't start until a week from this Friday.

But this morning at 9 am in a Louisiana courtroom a judge will hear compelling arguments from both sides of a high school football conundrum that seems to have Louisiana divided. And to be quite honest I am not sure if everybody in the state is divided over the same things when it comes to the Louisiana High School Athletics Association designation of select and non-select when it comes to athletic programs.

In very simplified layman's terms, a select school appears to be a school that can accept students into its student body from outside that school's predetermined zoning. For example, a student might go to a high school they are not zoned for because of their musical talents, their desire to learn business, or their desire to learn medicine.

Or, they might be extremely gifted in certain athletic endeavors and some overzealous coaches find a way to "help them find a reason" to join a certain school. And if they just happen to be gifted in athletics well, that's a darn stroke of luck, ain't it? Does that sound like recruiting? Nah, nobody would do that in Louisiana High School sports, not in the slightest.

Now, that we've all had our good laugh court will convene at 9 this morning and nine schools will bring their case against the LHSAA before a judge. The schools are seeking a preliminary injunction against the current playoff formats for football, basketball, baseball, and softball. The case was brought because last year the LHSAA executive committee moved dozens of schools from non-select to select. The reasoning, they had players/student-athletes from outside their attendance zone.

The result of the change in policy by the LHSAA resulted in private schools playing public schools in the postseason. The legal team representing the nine schools this morning seems to think the LHSAA hasn't even defined what a "select school" is at least as far as the playoffs are concerned.

Regardless, today's court hearing could have a substantial impact on how we see the high school football season play out come November and December.