As reported by Ferd Lewis and Nick Abramo in Tuesday’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser, a possible 10-team super league composed of OIA and ILH football teams is being discussed and is expected to be voted on soon by both leagues.
A compelling feature of the deal, called the “OIA-ILH Football Alliance Proposal,” includes $3 million in support from the business community. The money would be divided up by all of Oahu’s football-playing public schools, not just the ones in the proposed super league, evenly over the three-year term of the proposal for use in not just football-related activities.
The proposal also includes a rule forcing transfers to sit out for two years. Juniors would not be allowed to play at the junior varsity level and athletes would have to hold a grade-point average of at least 2.0.
Should this go through, it is likely that ILH schools Saint Louis, Punahou and Kamehameha would join forces with Kahuku, Farrington, Kapolei, Mililani, Waianae and Campbell and one other, possibly Kailua, Leilehua or Kaiser. Under the proposal being considered, the OIA would choose which seven schools would play in the super league, which is being called the Open Division.
The proposal also calls for 10 Oahu teams (OIA and ILH combined) in Division I and nine in Division II, and a three-division state tournament.
What say you? Is this what high school football on Oahu needs? Which 10 teams should comprise the super league? Comments are welcome below.
And if you missed it, here is Nick’s story and Ferd’s column on the issue in Tuesday’s Star-Advertiser.
it will just intensify the recruiting by the private schools at the 8th/7th grade level in the outside Jr Prep league which they do already. It would seem the ILH has much more to gain then the OIA from this alliance as they will have a full game schedule. In light of this, the OIA should ask for a 60-40 split of the monies. if this surprising alliance concept passes, I would imagine it would take effect next season? as games have been formalized already and it’s only 4 months away.
So what happens when the $3 million isn’t there? Just leave it the way it is, the best teams eventually play for the championship anyway.
No matter what 10 schools you put in there, only 4 schools will make a legitimate run for it each year. That’s just the reality of it.
Both sides get what they want. The OIA gets the restriction on transfers and the juniors out of JV and the ILH gets the justifiable increase in births to the state tournament. All for it, this way we will get a real state tournament.
@bumbucha, depends how they count Pac5 if they count it as one “school”, then There’s about 23 football playing schools in the OIA, and 7 ILH. If the $3million is split between the schools evenly (as stated in the article) the OIA will receive 76% of the money…………roughly $2.28 million.
But you right, if they count all the schools in Pac5 as each individual school then that’s kind of ridiculous.
I’ll believe it when I see it. The OIA can’t keep on playing the victim.
This is a great idea. 5 years ago I was telling my colleagues about a 3 division league which includes neighbor islands too but that’s kinda pushing it.
I also wonder if Paul Honda’s got a negative opinion of this.
The OIA playing the victim? You mean the OIA that has won 9 out of the 17 State Championships? That OIA?
two sit out for transfers? that is a joke. That is the OIA trying to keep kids from moving. They can move teams in and out of the Open division to maximize there money, but kids can’t move to maximize their opportunities? These Admin keep saying sports are not special, but keep making special rules for sports. They are no rules to stop a kid from transferring for an academic program a different school may offer. A sport is just another school program.
@Phil, Kahuku 8, Leilehua and Mililani have 1 each. So 10 of the 17 HHSAA titles. Next to Kahuku I think St. Louis has the most at 3?
@SimpleSimon, but those 4 will be the top four overall. Meaning no more coulda, shoulda, woulda, from the ILH pool with 4 teams fighting for one spot. Now there is a possibility ILH could take all 4 spots (unlikely) or not get a spot (also unlikely). Some of these OIA schools may have a hard time competing but such is life.
One question: will the merger happen in 2016 or 2017?
if an OIA-ILH alliance happens, then it would be this fall. it’s in the newspaper story.
FYI Oway — the money would all go to public schools (as it says in both the newspaper story and the Hawaii Prep World story) and Pac-Five is not made up of public schools. Private schools, or so the thinking goes, already has money.
FYI Hahashandah … ‘Iolani would go to Division I (not the Open division) if the OIA-ILH Alliance is approved, so the ILH would only get three Open state tournament sports, not four.
This is long overdue and as usual $MONEY and not safety for the kids appears to be the reason it’s finally going to happen.
And here we go again… This is just another one of THE ILH schools crying each year because only 1 representative makes it for the state tournament! Also stupid is the transfer rule…seriously 2 years? Killing me! And it’s all about the money, making a 10 team bad azz league and giving ALL public schools money from the 3mil? This is just ridiculous! VOTE NO!!!
If you read the article it says only the oia gets the money and it would be split evenly between all of the schools not just the 7. And two yeah ban is great. I can see kids transferring between the 10 schools. Now the parents will have to think twice.
I want to know how the top 3/4 will be chosen to represent at states. Is there going to be playoffs? Does regular season first place, maybe even second place get auto bid? Then you play for the 3rd and 4th spot in playoffs? Sounds like a lot of games but every single game will matter and hopefully we will finally be able to watch ilh on tv
The ilh doesn’t need more money like the oia does. Ilh is able to keep whatever is made while public school has to share or isn’t able to excect money as easy private school. You also don’t have rich alumni donating back to the schools like ilh. And why vote no? Some of your guys comments are contradicting yourselves.. Oia needs whatever money they can get. More money means teams can buy new equipment or books. That money is going to go a long way into education and safety.
Abcdeer: so bride the OIA schools with this 3 million so it makes it feel Right to vote yes? and make this league? Lol seriously!!! This is too funny, it’s so obvious this Idea has been coming from the ILH because every year we hear it, only 1 school makes it and it should be 2 from the ILH? Lol just too funny! Use the kids all about the money, just like the NCAA banning satellite camps smh! Nothing but love man! Will see how all of this turns out! Aloha.
ILH CRYBABYS, MONEY CANT BUY YOU A CHAMPIONSHIP!
Thxs Nick for the clarification on where the monies go. Yes, sadly, it’s all about money, even in HS athletics. If it’s for this coming fall, we have Kahuku taking a mid-season trip in early Sept. to LAS to play Bishop Gorman, and Aiea going at the same time to play a game up in Oregon. do they work around that? I would think so as commitments have been made. Heck, half of Kahuku have made plane & hotel reservations already.
Do schools all drop out of their pre-season games during the 1st week in August? this development is surprising as it was discussed much a surprise back then too, in January and was shot down. Ok, which ILH school leaked this I would assume confidential e-mail? They must be trying to get public sentiment to get this proposal going. From a confidential source, the OIA had also discussed a similiar 3 Tier division but was not received favorable. Agree though, the elite of both schools, outmatch their fellow league teams and pretty much dominate. Too much talent, resources. It’s kind of exciting but many reservations. Why would the OIA knowing blatant recruiting of superior athletes is ongoing, concede and give in? I know! MONEY! hehehe
Abcdeer … in the newspaper article, it says that after the 9-game regular season, the top six schools would make the Open Division state tournament.
gman … the OIA schools would be getting the money. ILH private schools already have money.
On second thought, go for it! What will happen is the lower tier “super League” schools will jump between “open” and “DI” and a whole lot of discussion will take place regarding why certain schools (like Iolani, Campbell, or Leilehua) should be playing up. I say you play “open” you stay there, you play DI, stay there, DII stay there, not decide every year. If a team dominates, so be it.
btw, how would you all feel about an all ILH State finals? it may happen not to say Kahuku wont make it back but one never knows! The Saints are loaded!
OIA school in super conference along w/the 3 super power ILH teams:
Kahuku
Mililani
Farrington
Waianae
Kapolei
Campbell
Leilehua
ILH fronting the 3 mill money so they can increase their chances of winning a title. Thats what I mean when I say they trying to buy a championship. When buying elite athletes dont work….buy the whole conference!
All because the St. Louis brotherhood are crybabys!
88, Kainoa Keama, and gman=OIA-loving hypocrites!
Who else cries and plays the victim more than the OIA?
When you got no money you are allowed to play the victim
When you got money (ILH) you dont need to play victim you just continue to buy athletes, buy coaches, buy a brand new super conference until everything works out in your favor
BUY SO’O
“Public schools ain’t go no money in Hawaii.”–is that the fault of private schools?
We dont care what the private schools are doing, stay in your own lane. But when you want to recruit our talent out of our schools and then create a super conference to rub it in, then yeah! of course we are going to be bitter and whine about it.
Take all the elite talent that you recruit from Waianae, Farrington, Kahuku, Ewa beach, Kapolei and go play a mainland school like Bishop Gorman and De La Sale. Dont turn around and want to play the same OIA schools that you are depleting their talent so that you can beat them down and feel superior over them.
88, if you don’t care, why rail against the ILH as bitterly as you have while sucking the teet of the OIA? Ain’t nobody gonna care or agree with you that the OIA is flawless and does nothing wrong.
1. Injuries-all teams would be about equal size in numbers and physical size.
2. Money-fantastic idea the money would be put to good use, ILH doesn’t need the money.
3. Transfer rule-any player who is transferring should sit out one year no matter what school your transferring from unless it’s a out of state school. Hence. NCAA rules
4. No teams switching division, once it’s set then it’s set in stone.
5. Give the 3 years a try
I think this is a good plan but the players should not have to sit out two years just to move to a school that they want to go to. It really is a pain to have to sit out of games for two years or even three years if you repeat a grade.
The 3 million dollars should be split with the 7 OIA schools who are in the super conference to improve their facilities and athletic departments. Kahuku is the real reason why this conference is being created because they are the bullys on the block and the ILH is trying to find a way to take them down.
While Kahuku gets 0 dollars for their athletic department all the other OIA schools get new turf and facilities. But Kahuku is the only one winning championships and driving ticket sales.
If other OIA schools want money, improve your athletics…oh wait, the ILH is depleting you of your talent. Sucks to be you!
This is no longer about the kids or the game, its now about money! Pretty soon we should be paying our public school high school players. The ILH already pay their top athletes via tuition waivers etc..
88, you right on about the recruiting. Back in the 1970s the ILH was going after 1 bonafide Pac-10 player a year. Now they going after UH caliber and small college type players. No longer just Pac-10 players. Back in the 1970s Punahou stole Mosi Tatupu and Mark Tuinei from the OIA. Iolani had the Samoan Scanlan brothers, the Tufono brothers and Tiloi Lolotai. Pac-5 too, also landed Samoans in the 1970s: Lia Moevao and Tauanuu Lolotai.
As they say, money talks so of course this world is money driven. Perhaps you all do not remember all those commercials on oc16, that say the OIA needs money to continue the athletics programs. If this is what needs to be done to keep HHSAA afloat, then so be it. What’s the problem with that?
Mahatma Gandhi, nobody cares about your memories of the ’70s. Why can’t you grasp that?
AOK, I think money is why the OIA is finally considering merging its top football teams with the ILH. I remember the days when the OIA football championship would draw 28,000 fans to see Waianae and Kaiser play.
Football should be taken out of high school and made into a club sport. Just like soccer and volleyball clubs that are gaining traction. Some elite soccer and volleyball club players dont even play on their high school teams because they got their college exposure and scholarship offers while in the club.
Got no money 88? Do you even know the operating budget for the DOE? It’s in the billions. Now with that being said, they do have a lot of expenses which uses a lot of that money. But to play the victim and say public schools have no money is absurd and ignorant. You are one of the biggest crybabies, hypocrites, and pessimistic people on this board. You are the kind of person who gives the OIA and public schools a bad name.
You continue to make theories with absolute no evidence to support your theory. I can see why you use a nickname on here. No one in their right mind would write some foolish and absolutely ridiculous things and put a real name behind it.
Mahatma Gandi–and your point is what? Wanna walze down memory lane, do it somewhere else!
Girls BB Fan–you said it best! I don’t think parents would want their kids to attend a public school because of the ineptitude of the DOE!
@ Girls BBall Fan
Education First back at it again…damn Daniel!
So the 1980s and 90s prep bowl error was not a legitimate state tournament because the neighbor islands were not involved in it? and thats why the HHSAA state tournament was created in 1999.
Now they want to eliminate the neighbor islands again from the open division and so we are back to the prep bowl era of it being an Oahu state title…and their excuse is that Maui and Big Island cannot compete against Oahu teams…discrimination right there.
$3 mill up front. What about the gate receipts? There is bigger money in this then the up front fee,which I think is the the upside to all of this.
So ALL high school.atheletes should sit out on all sports if they violate the rules? Girls and boys? Oh and all outer islands? This is about children sports. Not about oldman ILH pride. Really. Watch lawsuits be tossed at DOE if football kid sits 2 years,lose college scholarship, and tennis boy or judo girl gets away with same rule.
Hi Good Story, or should I say Charles, haha. And don’t accuse me of being anyone. The moderator will come on here to let you know that is not me. If it was me, I would talk about how football is really irrelevant. And what everyone should be talking about is poor test scores. They also should talk about why there is so much interest on a hobby or extracurricular activity and not as much interest or talk about academics. That’s what I would write about.
Now if you were writing, then the piece would have something to do with excuses, name calling, or having inappropriate thoughts about kids.
Bumbuchas … you bring up some good points. The sources I have say if it happens it would be for 2016 and yes, they would work around any teams that have scheduled mainland trips, and they feel they would have enough time to create a schedule for this fall. However, I read in two TV station news reports yesterday that their sources say it would be for 2017. So I will continue to check on that fact. It’s my opinion that if the OIA goes ahead and approves it, it will be for at least three reasons 1) the money that will go a LONG way in helping athletic departments that are severely underfunded. 2) the 2-year transfer rule so that excellent freshmen and sophomores don’t all of a sudden end up at a private school. 3) the more competitive schedule that will likely lead to safer games (no powerhouses going up against teams struggling to field teams),