As reported by Nick Abramo in this story from Friday’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the OIA is debating whether or not to participate in the new state high school football tournament format.
A Sept. 6 letter signed by league president Wade Araki was sent to Hawaii High School Athletic Association executive director Chris Chun. Chun responded in a letter dated Sept. 9 addressing Araki’s issues. Here are the concerns expressed by the OIA and the responses from Chun:
OIA: 1. The legitimacy of the procedures involved in the HHSAA’s executive board decision of Aug. 22 to implement a three-tiered state football format as a one-year pilot program.
Chun: “From Article V of the HHSAA constitution, (the HHSAA) has exclusive control over state championship contests and tournaments. Each regular member of the (HHSAA) executive board shall have the number of votes equal to the number of HHSAA member schools in the league he/she represents.” (Of the five Hawaii leagues, four voted in favor of the new football structure and the OIA abstained.)
OIA: 2. The validity of the new Open division (the top tier of the new format) as a “true” state championship, since only two leagues (the OIA and the Interscholastic League of Honolulu) are involved and since all HHSAA tournaments have at least three leagues participating.
Chun: “The Open division is a state championship. You referenced that the HHSAA needs three leagues to conduct a state championship. However, this refers to the creation of a new sport, not a new division within that sport. In this case, the Open division refers to the sport of football, in which all leagues currently participate.”
OIA: 3. A departure from the HHSAA’s formula for state tournaments, which gives out berths to leagues in proportion to the amount of teams in a given league. In this case, the OIA is wondering why two Open division berths were given to the ILH and four to the OIA, when the proportion of OIA football-playing teams to ILH teams (22-7) is much greater.
Chun: “The Division I and II tournaments follow the league representation formula, but there are exceptions when the formula is not followed. Leagues are granted minimum berths in some state tournaments, which include air riflery, bowling, golf, cheerleading and even football. In the Open division, if the formula (based on four OIA Open teams and three ILH Open teams) was followed, the OIA woud only receive three berths (instead of four) and the ILH would receive three berths instead of two.”
OIA: 4. Whether the HHSAA addressed Title IX compliance when increasing the state football tournament from two divisions and 12 teams to three divisions and 20 teams. (By law, Title IX mandates that girls and boys have the same opportunities in sports, and football is played almost exclusively by boys.)
Chun: “The HHSAA has always been cognizant and proactive when it comes to Title IX. Even after the expansion (of football), there will still be 28 more girls teams (166) participating than boys (138). The HHSAA has met, and will continue to meet, with community leaders and experts in this area to ensure that we remain compliant.”
OIA: 5. The uncertainty of how the evaluation of the pilot program will be conducted and the process of how it will be determined if the format continues or is made permanent.
Chun: “The (HHSAA) football committee will be convened following the fall season to evaluate the new format and advise the HHSAA executive board of its findings. This topic will be placed on the agenda at (the next four) board meetings for discussion.”
OIA. 22 teams strong
ILH. 7 teams
MIL. 5 teams
BIIF. 8 teams
KIF. 3 teams.
So the five leagues have one vote @ in the HHSAA? Not even Congress would except those numbers. Lol.
Every team play one time round robin.
Best 6 team record in wins go to playoffs.
Loser go home
#1 vs #6
#2 vs #5
#3 vs #4
#1 vs #6 winner gets a bye
#2 vs #5 winner plays #3 vs #4 winner
Winner of that game plays in the Championship game
Vs the #1 vs #6 winner.
Simple not rocket science. Everybody has a chance.
No more D1 or D2 participation award football.
You win or lose. You the Champ or not period.
Cut out the politics. This is football and at the end of the season, there is to be only ONE TEAM CHAMPION FOR THE STATE OF HAWAI’I.
Bring back the PRESTIGE and HONOR of
HAWAI’I FOOTBALL!!!!!!
“So the five leagues have one vote @ in the HHSAA? Not even Congress would except those numbers. Lol.”
Not sure if you’re dumb or just trolling, but congress DOES accept numbers like that. It’s called the US Senate. Each state has two votes regardless of population to prevent “tyranny of the majority.”
smh fam
“It’s in Comparison to Hawaii drivers paying per mile.
We’re all going to the same destination but costing Hawai’i people more to get there.
As for tinfoil hats I don’t use them. As for men in black suits, that’s a whole different topic.
Love the comment to get a laugh but better luck next time. Don’t quit your day job!”
checkyoself: it’s still a dumb and extremely terrible analogy that makes no sense.
I hope you don’t quit your day job as well.
C’mon OIA, it’s a trial format. Let the kid’s play!
@ al
It’s ok al keep reading and hopefully sooner than later you’ll get it. For some of us it just takes a little longer to comprehend what’s being said. If you don’t get it, no harm no foul. We can move forward to agree to disagree on the next topic if you would like.
“It’s ok al keep reading and hopefully sooner than later you’ll get it. For some of us it just takes a little longer to comprehend what’s being said. If you don’t get it, no harm no foul. We can move forward to agree to disagree on the next topic if you would like.”
It’s always the brainless who think they know everything. Go away little boy. You are boring me now.
@ al
And your humor is getting better. Keep up the good work little al. Let’s keep up with the topics shall we?
go back to the old prep bowl, one and done, beat from OIA vs best from ILH.
“And your humor is getting better. Keep up the good work little al. Let’s keep up with the topics shall we?”
Keep up with your reading comprehension skills and complete your homework, little boy. Education First may be pretty harsh and over the top, but apparently he was absolutely correct with you.
What a joke like nothing on a positive note coming out of this debate and they suppose to be the sports authority for high schools in Hawaii; just like pidgin English semantics whereas the statement ends with a question like a typical islander hanging non verbal if you know what I mean Nick?
@ al
Thank you for your concern for me to finish my assignments little al. For I hope you do the same.
Going back to basics, this is a comment section and not a customer complaint section.
As for Education first, I believe you are one in the same with probably a couple more personalities.
little al, education first or whatever you call yourself,
I really would like to stay on topic instead of your in capability of comprehension skill level and multi-personality dimensia comments. We have already been through your comedic routine and surely has no
future.
Once again, let us stay on topic. Maybe write it down first. Ask yourself, little al, Education first, whom ever you are at the moment, Am I on topic?
Then we could get somewhere. If not, I respectfully decline anymore of your humor. ALOHAZ
CHECKYOSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF…… IM OUT!!!!!!!
Just how many tuition waiver players are there on the Open Division ILH schools. Does anyone really know the exact number? Maybe capping the number of tuition waivers a football team can give out is a possible suggestion. Another suggestion with nightmarish ramifications would be to allow public schools to recruit the same number of players via district exceptions.
Chun’$ number 3 question is screwed. Oia has a 14 team D1 that is eligible for the open. The ILH has 3 period. He even tries to voodoo it by saying the right formula would be 3 ILH and 3 Oia. HUH? In other words, they decide who the final Open teams would be. How selective is that. Araki is right. The OIA should form a PUBLIC SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP then invite a 3 tier format with the outer island teams. The ILH can beat thems selves up and say they are the best.
Manley is nothing more than an OIA-loving crybaby who feels entitled to everything because of the league’s size.
Ferd Lewis would disagree with Manley and own his ignorant opinions
In some states On the mainland, it’s just private school leagues and public school leagues. They don’t play each other unless it’s pre-season or an arranged game. There is no State Champ, just public school champ and private school champ. Good Idea or Bad Idea for Hawaii????
@outlawjose-y….. Hawaii had what you just described, but at the end the season the oia champ plays the ilh champ Known as the Prep Bowl.
Manley what school you went to? Know you stuff! Congress does have an system of equal votes. The Senate. Two votes for every state. 2nd know your math! The OIA has 100 percent participation in Open. Every team that eligible (top 4) gets in. ILH has 3 eligible, but only 2 get in.