MHSAA Statement On Sixth Circuit Court Of Appeals
Decision In Sports Seasons Case

EAST LANSING, Mich. – July 27 � The Michigan High School Athletic Association issued the following statement on a decision issued today by the Sixth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals in the litigation involving the placement of sports seasons by member schools:

Today, the Sixth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals affirmed a U.S. District Court decision of December 17, 2001, that the sports seasons favored by Michigan schools must be realigned.

In a brief and unanimous decision, the three-judge panel ruled that the current alignment of interscholastic sports seasons violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

�We are disappointed that the decision is based on the relationship of the high school program to non-school and college athletics, rather than the benefits of participation to girls and boys within the interscholastic program,� said John E. �Jack� Roberts, executive director of the MHSAA.

Roberts added that the leadership of the MHSAA will be discussing the response of the Association. This will include action to assure that no changes of seasons must occur in the 2004-05 school year, which begins with Fall sports practices next week.

The District Court, on August 1, 2002, ordered the placement of the girls basketball season in the Winter and the girls volleyball season in the Fall. The MHSAA Compliance Plan adopted by the District Court on November 8, 2002, would reschedule its Lower Peninsula Golf and Tennis tournaments, moving girls tennis and boys golf from Fall to Spring and boys tennis and girls golf from Spring to Fall. The MHSAA will offer Upper Peninsula Soccer Tournaments for boys in the Spring and girls in the Fall.

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MEDIA ADVISORY � The MHSAA staff will have no further comment on today's decision until a formal response to today's ruling has been developed. For more information about the history of this case, you are invited to visit a page on the MHSAA Web site devoted to this litigation. The address is: http://www.mhsaa.com/news/gesuit.html

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