Albany, NY – October 21, 2025 – The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Executive Committee convened for its Fall meeting on Tuesday, October 21 at the Albany Capital Center to review and act on a number of proposals impacting interscholastic athletics across the state. Throughout the meeting, committee members considered handbook revisions, sport-specific recommendations, school classifications, and future championship sites for statewide events.
Among the measures adopted were multiple NYSPHSAA Handbook revisions, including updated language for Senior All-Star Contests and Combining of Teams. In addition, the Executive Committee approved sectional criteria and an appeal process for classifying nonpublic and charter schools, as recommended by the Schools Without Boundaries Committee.
Several classification items were also approved, including 2026–2027 school enrollment figures and classification cut-off numbers for six-class sports. Finalized numbers will be posted on the NYSPHSAA website under the ‘ADs & COACHES’ tab.
State championship site selections highlighted the meeting, with host approvals granted for upcoming years in multiple sports. Among the sites approved were Queensbury High School for the 2027–2029 Cross Country Championships, Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex for the 2027–2029 Indoor Track & Field Championships, and the JMA Wireless Dome for the 2026–2028 Football State Finals. Football semifinal host locations were also approved for Vestal, Cicero–North Syracuse, and Middletown High Schools.
Sport-specific actions included the optional use of backstroke ledges beginning in Fall 2026, and several updates in Girls and Boys Wrestling, including match limits, multi-school meet language, video review expansion, and revised penalties within the Weight Management Program. The Committee also voted to break the current cheerleading competitive scoresheets into three divisions, rather than two.
One proposal—related to adopting a boys basketball rule interpretation regarding a closely guarded rule—was discussed and brought to the floor for immediate action, but failed to receive majority support and will not be implemented for the 2025–26 season.
“The Executive Committee continues to take thoughtful and comprehensive action on behalf of our member schools and student-athletes,” said Dr. Robert Zayas, NYSPHSAA Executive Director. “We remain committed to strengthening interscholastic athletics statewide and ensuring that our policies and championship experiences reflect the integrity, safety, and educational mission of school-based sports in New York.”
The meeting agenda can be found here.
The voting items and meeting minutes can be found on the NYSPHSAA website under the “Central/Executive” portion of the ‘About’ tab.
The Fall Executive Committee Meeting was called to order by President Tim Mullins at 9:00 AM and adjourned at 11:25 AM. The next Executive Committee Meeting is scheduled for February 4, 2026, in Saratoga Springs, NY.