Coming into New York to watch and scout talent will be vastly different soon. New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) have met and created a proposal that is slated to go into effect 09/01/2023 school year that will alter all sports for years to come.

This week NYSPHSAA executive committee has approved a new criterion for a sixth classification AAA in soccer, basketball, baseball, and softball. Enactment will occur in the 2023-24 season, if supported by the sport committee. The new proposal gives more student athletes an opportunity to play, NYSPHSAA executive committee member Dr. Zayas tweeted out.

From Committee Meeting Notes:

There no longer will be a differentiate between 7-10 grade and 11-12 grade student athlete’s when deciding the eligibility of non-corresponding transfer students.

This new rule change is expected to go into effective immediately however, member schools can enforce and interpret the NYSPHSAA Transfer Rule more easily. Leagues and/or Sections continue to have the ability to limit participation of 11th and 12th graders on sub-varsity teams. Nowhere else in the NYSPHSAA Handbook are grade levels differentiated.

Currently, several NYSPHSAA sports have more than 600 teams competing in the NYSPHSAA State Championships. To provide more equity amongst all NYSPHSAA Championship sports and greater opportunity for students to experience a NYSPHSAA Championship, criteria for a sixth classification are being proposed by the Classification Ad Hoc Committee. With the proposed format by the Classification Ad Hoc Committee to establish classification cut off numbers of 75 (top) and 100 (bottom) a larger discrepancy exists for the number of teams competing for a NYSPHSAA Championship in the remaining classes when comparing five classes to six classes.

A sixth classification will result in additional expenses associated with hosting Sectional and NYSPHSAA Regional & State Championship competitions (facility usage, security, officials, team travel). A sixth classification will have the opportunity to generate additional revenue from ticket sales, merchandise and NFHS Network viewership.