Ohio High School Athletic Association

Membership

There are approximately 820 member high schools and 850 more schools in the 7th-8th grade division of the OHSAA. Most public and private high schools in Ohio belong to the OHSAA.

Structure

Districts

The Association is divided into six districts, each with its own District Athletic Board, including the Central District, East District, Northeast District, Northwest District, Southeast District, and Southwest District.

The District boards conduct Sectional and District tournaments. The main OHSAA board conducts Regional and State tournaments.

Classifications and divisions

Member high schools are divided into three classifications (A, AA, AAA). Prior to 1989 many sports held tournaments based on these classifications. Since then, each sport individually divides into numbered divisions based on enrollment, taking into account the total number of schools offering that varsity sport and placing an equal number of schools in each division.

The classifications (A being the smallest schools, AAA the largest) are still used to fill spots on the six District Athletic Boards (two representatives from each class).

The number of divisions varies based on how many schools offer that sport. Football has the most, with seven divisions (Division I being the largest schools). Three sports have a single division: Boys' Ice Hockey, Girls' Field Hockey, and Gymnastics. Beginning with the 2024-25 School year Baseball, boys and girls basketball, softball and girls volleyball will grow from four to seven postseason divisions and boys and girls soccer will go from three to five.

History

The OHSAA is an unincorporated, non-profit organization founded in 1907. Members of the Western Ohio Superintendents' Round Table had frequently discussed the need of a central organization for high school athletics. In 1906 they passed a resolution to appoint a committee, headed by George R. Eastman, the first President of the Board of Control.

The first OHSAA-sponsored state tournament, Track and Field, was held on May 23, 1908, at Denison University. Columbus North became the first state champions, finishing ahead of Dayton Steele.

The OHSAA is currently headed by a commissioner. Prior to 1925, the Board of Control officers handled duties now associated with the Commissioner.

In 1979, OHSAA adopted a bylaw prohibiting out-of-state students from competing in OHSAA-sponsored activities. This rule was affirmed by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in the 1985 case Alerding v. Ohio High School Athletic Association, regarding St. Xavier High School students from Northern Kentucky.

Commissioners since 1925

• H.R. Townsend (1925–1944)
• Harold Emswiler (1944–1958)
• W.J. McConnell (1958–1963)
• Paul E. Landis (1963–1969)
• Harold A. Meyer (1969–1977)
• George D. Bates (1977–1980)
• Richard L. Armstrong (1980–1989)
• Clair Muscaro (1990–2004)
• Daniel B. Ross, Ph.D. (2004–2018)
• Jerry Snodgrass (2018–2020)
• Doug Ute (2020–present)

OHSAA–sponsored sports tournaments

Boys

Girls

: **(Individual/Doubles only, no Team championships)

Past team state champions

Main article: List of Ohio High School Athletic Association championships

Schools with most team titles

: * X = single-gender school

Schools with most team titles in one sport

Schools with most consecutive team titles in each sport

active streak

References

References

1. Fred Dafler. "The History of the OHSAA".
2. OHSAA. "Ohio High School Athletic Association Web site".
3. (February 15, 2024). "OHSAA votes to add postseason tournament divisions in seven sports, including basketball". Columbus Dispatch.
4. OHSAA. "Ohio High School Athletic Association Web site".