It's Finally Hit The Fan

Several years back there was a vote to ban all private schools  from playing in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.   The number of those that voted  overwhelmingly were in favor of kicking those out but just enough schools abstained from voting to not get the require percentage to make the vote legal.


Just before Christmas Cardinal Gibbons asked and was granted permission to join the Pac 6-4A  Conference.   Gibbons citing enrollment increases and that may have had some consideration in the matter but we all know that Cardinal Gibbons has dominated in what would be considered in the non-revenue sports in  3-A ever since they have been allowed into the NCHSAA.  They offered to jump to 4-A hoping to head off expulsion from the NCHSAA.


The 2015-2016 school year they will be joining the Pac 6 4A conference.  Just last week other Wake County area schools athletic conferences changed their by-laws and in doing so require their members to not play any Non-Boarding Parochial   school.  The shots have been fired.  High school conferences have found a way to keep Cardinal Gibbons and the likes from taking part in any athletic events with them.  If other conferences follow suit like all the area 3-A conferences who then can Cardinal Gibbons play?


If this is the tidal wave to shun Cardinal Gibbons then Charlotte Catholic and Bishop McGuinness in Winston Salem had better look out they are next. I would suspect that Charter schools will eventually make the list too. These by-laws changes will require no member to play non conferences games with Cardinal Gibbons.  They will abide by any playoffs or tournament action where you might be seeded against Cardinal Gibbons.


This will limit who Cardinal Gibbons  can fill out a complete schedule in any sport with.  They just might find that conference games may be the only games they can play without heavy travel involved.  Can the Pac-6 Conference withstand the pressure from other NCHSAA members and eventually say no to Cardinal Gibbons


This  is the first shot across the bow of Cardinal Gibbons to get them to start playing in the private school playoffs and not in public NCHSAA.  The NCHSAA is right in the center of the cross hairs as Cardinal Gibbons was voted in just like the other private schools were in joining the public school sector.  I see no way around it now that there has to be another vote by the members of the NCHSAA to include or exclude Private schools and who knows Charter Schools too that have their athletic boarders outside their school district.


I think this is only right that private schools should be excluded.  They have no set boundaries where their students come from while the public schools can only have players from their school districts.  The public schools are at a major disadvantage in there own system.  If this doesn't get the changes this go round it is only a matter of time.  The public schools especially the 4-A sector didn't mind Cardinal Gibbons dominating the 3-A cause they were not effected.  The shoe is now on the other foot.