By: Joe Altieri, NYSPHSAA Assistant Director
Latham, NY - The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Executive Committee met on Wednesday, February 4, at the Embassy Suites in Saratoga Springs for its quarterly meeting, addressing a wide range of proposals impacting interscholastic athletics across New York State.
During the three-hour session, committee members reviewed sport-specific and standing committee recommendations, future championship sites, proposed rule changes, and section concerns. The committee also heard reports from NYSPHSAA staff, committees, and affiliated organizations.
A major focus of the meeting was the approval of host sites for upcoming state championships. Among the sites approved for the 2027–2029 championship cycles were Hudson Valley Community College (2) for Game Day Cheerleading, Baldwinsville High School (III) for Field Hockey, Binghamton (IV), utilizing Mirabito Stadium, Binghamton University, and Union-Endicott High School for Baseball, and the Rochester area (VI), featuring Greece Central Schools, St. John Fisher University, and Pittsford Sutherland High School for Flag Football.
Several proposals were introduced for discussion and are scheduled for a vote at the May meeting. These included a two-year pilot program for Field Hockey allowing 9-vs-9 competition at the Junior Varsity and Modified levels, and a Softball proposal to adopt a standardized pregame timeline and protocol for all regular season contests.
Three winter sport proposals were approved, highlighted by a significant change impacting girls wrestling. The committee approved a revision to the NYSPHSAA Representation Rule for girls wrestling. The revision includes any girls that compete against boys during the regular season are only eligible for the boys’ postseason. Girls continue to be permitted to practice against boys during the regular season and be eligible for the girls’ postseason. Additional winter sport approvals included eliminating the five-second closely guarded rule for the dribbler in boys basketball and requiring bowling teams to roster a minimum of five athletes to qualify for state tournament competition.
For spring sports, three rule changes were approved in Flag Football, including the introduction of an onside play option. Outdoor Track and Field also saw three proposals approved, requiring athletes to finish in the top five at the state qualifier meet to advance, eliminating post-qualifier advancement opportunities, and adopting a three-year average to calculate qualifying standards using seed performances.
The committee also approved new language for inclusion in the NYSPHSAA Handbook and Modified rules. Handbook language was approved to now read, “A contestant or athletic team shall not represent a school in a game, contest or scrimmage, except in conformance with all the rules and regulations.” Additionally, revised three Modified rules were approved including new language stating, “With Section approval, contestants may be promoted to a higher classification within the Modified program or to a junior varsity or varsity team at any time.”
Among section concerns, Section I formally presented a sectional concern regarding ongoing inequities within the NYSPHSAA related to the classification of open enrollment schools in championship tournaments. This concern has been referred to the Schools Without Boundaries Ad Hoc Committee, which is scheduled to meet on March 11 in Saratoga Springs. Section representatives serving on the Ad Hoc Committee, along with each Section’s Superintendent representative, will convene to review the concern, engage in discussion, and develop a recommendation to present to the NYSPHSAA Executive Committee at its May 6 meeting.
“The Executive Committee continues to take thoughtful and comprehensive action on behalf of our member schools and student-athletes,” said NYSPHSAA Executive Director Dr. Robert Zayas. “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 full meeting agenda is available on nysphsaa.org. Voting items and official meeting minutes can be found on the NYSPHSAA website under the “Central/Executive” section of the About tab.
The Executive Committee Meeting was called to order by NYSPHSAA President Tim Mullins at 9:00 a.m. and adjourned at 11:15 a.m. The next Executive Committee Meeting is scheduled for May 6, 2026, in Saratoga Springs, NY.