Schools & S ports ON THE MARK

BY D. MARK MITCHELL

AHSAA in the News

OPINION —

The Alabama High School Athletic Department held its quarterly Central Board of Control Meeting last week in Montgomery. There were several significant decisions approved by the board, including that the AHSAA will return a record $2.25 million to member schools as a part of the revenue sharing program set up in 2009 to 2010. The total amount of money returned to member schools is $23,450,000 over 14 years. The board waived membership dues totaling over $85,000 (annually) for the 32nd year in a row. This has resulted in member schools saving approximately $2.25 million since being implemented 14 years ago. The Central Board voted to sanction girls flag football and wrestling starting in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 classification period. Seventy-six schools declared the sport of wrestling for the upcoming season while

89 schools are playing flag football.

There will be two classifications in both sports, Class 1A through 5A and Class 6A and 7A. Two flag football tournament championship games will be played during this year's Super 7 Championship at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Dec. 6.

The AHSAA increased the sanctioned sports to 13 for females compared to 12 sports for males. In other news, Executive Director Alvin Briggs will form a bylaw task force to help the AHSAA move forward as they continue to grow.

Briggs led off "FOX Sports the Game 9101310’s High School Media Days" presented by the Orthopaedic Clinic, last Tuesday.

Briggs made his sixth straight appearance to our media days, the last three as executive director.

Briggs started by thanking all the

See ON THE MARK, page B6

Media Days— B2, B3

Day Photos — B7

Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023