slappy4428 said:
The law says nothing about when the seasons are played, Starman. If you think that, you have missed the whole point of the last 10 years and you're smarter than that.
The basis of the suit is lost scholarship opportunities because of the change. The MHSAA isn't in business to provide scholarships.
You want forked up? I'll give you the Alabama High School Athletic Association, which has 12 sports in the spring. There are 250 school that have some form of boys golf and 150 in girls. There are 5 classes of boys and one of girls.
This year, the AHSAA announced it was moving the girls to the fall and adding an extra class. One coach and player from Mobile bitched and the AHSAA decided to move it back. It wasnt going to tell anyone, just do it, under the guise of Title IX. It was brought to his attention that 13 states do the split. His retort was those has always been like that and this was new, so it was a Title IX violation, overlooking the fact that if it had moved to the fall, the many football coaches who coach golf would have to give up their stipend.
When one reporter asked the AHSAA counsel if the AHSAA director had informed him that other states do split seasons for boys and girls, the response was "Oh. (long pause). No. No he didn't."
If you are misguided enough to think that the two basketballs playing in the same season is illegal, then EVERY OTHER SPORT PLAYED IN OPPOSItE SEASONS IS TOO.
You can't make the exception for one and not the other.
So please, tell me again how playing basketball in opposite seasons is discrimination for basketball, but not for soccer or golf or tennis....
It isn't. Eventually, there will be lawsuits regarding the other sports, and it will be ruled across the board: Directly comparable boys' and girls' sports, must be played during the same season. Basketball and basketball. Tennis and tennis. Golf and golf. Soccer and soccer. Lacrosse and lacrosse. Baseball and softball.
Sure, it will be inconvenient for a lot of people, difficult for some and possibly impossible for a few. But the courts won't care.
slappy4428 said:
And,... every Michigan athletic director was ordered during last school year to come up with two sets of schedules -- one for basketball in the same seasons and one for opposite, just in case an immediate change was mandated. Not every AD made it a priority, but they were told to do it.
Any athletic director who couldn't get this done inside of one work week, ought to be fired at 9:00 a.m. on the Monday of the next work week.
How tough is it to simply take your fall sports schedule, go down the list for
girls' basketball, and write in "girls' volleyball'?? Then do the opposite for your winter schedule.
Yeah, yeah, I know, you got Saturday morning volleyball tournaments and all that. You simply schedule nonconference games, JV or freshman tournaments during those time slots.
One thing I heard was, a lot of conferences were planning to schedule as many volleyball matches as possible for 7:30 p.m. Friday nights.
In effect, saying, "you want to play in the fall?? OK, fine, play in the fall. Have fun with your 23 spectators at your volleyball matches."