OHSAA: Fate of winter sports tournaments still unknown, executive director says

The fate of the OHSAA’s winter sports tournaments will be known within the next 24 to 48 hours, according to executive director Jerry Snodgrass.

In a March 19 news conference from OHSAA headquarters in Columbus, Snodgrass said winter sports tournaments of boys basketball, girls basketball, wrestling and ice hockey remain “indefinitely suspended,” but that cancelling is “certainly on the table” in light of restrictions imposed to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Snodgrass said the window for resuming the winter sports tournaments is “rapidly closing.”

When the winter tournaments were indefinitely suspended, the girls basketball, wrestling and ice hockey state tournaments were beginning, while boys basketball was in the midst of the regional tournaments.

“We will make a decision probably within the next 24-to-48 hours,” Snodgrass said. “We have to. I think it’s imperative that we have to and cannot procrastinate. I do not want to lead people on. That’s the No. 1 thing I don’t want to do and give them false hope.”

The OHSAA issued a mandatory no-contact period last week for coaches and players that will run through April 6. That mandate, coupled with Snodgrass’ statement on March 19 that the fate of the winter tournaments could be known within the next 24-to-48 hours gave area coaches little hope that they’ll be resuming their treks for state championships.

“The kids can’t train and they’re not allowed to do anything,” said Elyria wrestling coach Erik Burnett, who has a contingent of nine (including four seniors) awaiting word on whether their season will continue. “Everything’s shut down and I get it. I understand. Just hoping to know more in the next 48 hours. It’s really tough.”

In his news conference, Snodgrass indicated the sports of wrestling is facing a difficult issue in that

it requires weight limits, which are difficult to hit when wrestlers aren’t able to practice or train on a daily basis.

It’s a tough scenario, Burnett said.

“Everybody would like a little more clarity on it, but I don’t know who’s truly going to be happy with the finality,” Burnett said. “The wrestling community has been incredible through this and I think the administrative people working through this have been trying their best and that’s all you can ask for.”

Elyria Catholic girls basketball coach Eric Rothgery, whose team remains hopeful to play in the Division II state girls basketball tournament, indicated he was not optimistic to resume playing.

“Looks like we’re in a holding pattern,” he said. “I don’t expect anything to change.”

If students aren’t permitted to return to school until May 1, while an abbreviated spring sports season would still be possible, any continuation of winter tournaments in mid-May likely would not be, Snodgrass indicated.

“I’d say probably not,” he said. “I know that upsets many people. But many of our kids play multiple sports. The impact of that impacts spring sports and if they could continue. I doubt it.”

The fate of spring sports is also in question, although state tournaments are still scheduled, albeit with an abbreviated season due to a late start. Snodgrass said the OHSAA would be

in contact with member schools before making any such decision, but that cancellation is possible.

“It’s certainly on the table. It absolutely has to be,” Snodgrass said.

How COVID-19 might impact fall sports has not yet been discussed by the OHSAA, Snodgrass said.

Other items Snodgrass discussed included:

• The apprehension for the OHSAA to extend another year of eligibility to graduating seniors who either lost their winter sports tournament season or potentially their spring season to cancellation via COVID-19, as the NCAA is considering for college athletes.

“Giving student-athletes in high school an extra year of eligibility becomes more problematic than on any other level,” he said. “We don’t redshirt. I don’t know how many students want another year of high school anyhow.”

• The financial ramifications of potential cancellations of tournaments.

“Our best first estimate is we’ll lose in the neighborhood of $1.4 and $1.5 million just on revenue from tournaments of winter sports,” he said, noting that the OHSAA is a non-profit organization of which 80 percent of its budget comes from ticket sales.

• How champions would be crowned without tournaments being played.

“We haven’t discussed that,” he said. “Someone asked if we’d declare all 16 teams in the girls state tournament state champions. I’m not into that. I don’t have that kind of intention.”