Abbreviation | NJSIAA |
---|---|
Formation | 1918 |
Type | Volunteer; Non-Profit Organization |
Legal status | Association |
Purpose | Athletic/Educational |
Headquarters | 1161 Route 130 Robbinsville, New Jersey 08691 |
Region served | New Jersey |
Membership | 425 high schools |
Official language | English |
Executive Director | Colleen Maguire |
Affiliations | National Federation of State High School Associations |
Staff | 16 |
Website | njsiaa.org |
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports. [2]
In order for schools to move on to the state championship, they must achieve a winning percentage of .500 or greater by a pre-set date (the "cut–off" date). [2] Football, wrestling and bowling are the only sports where a school may have a .500 record and not qualify for the postseason. For football and wrestling, it is only the best eight schools in each section that move on. This is determined by power points, awarded to each game's winning team and based on the size of the school that is defeated and the score of the game. Winning percentage alone, however, is not sufficient to qualify for the playoffs. If a school's team has too many disqualifications, it is disqualified from the state championship. In bowling the top 2 teams in each division (North I, Group I; North I Group II, etc.) in the State Sectional Tournament, qualify for State Finals. [2]
When a team wins its sectional championship, it is awarded a blue trophy on which is noted the section and the sport. For public schools, the two North Jersey winners face off against one another, while the South and Central teams play each other in the statewide semi-finals. The two winning teams then play each other for the statewide Group championship. For non-public schools, the two section winners compete in the state Non-Public championship; the champion receives a gold trophy. [2]
For some sports, each group's state champion play each other in the Tournament of Champions for the overall state championship and #1 state ranking. [2] For boys, the tournament is offered in basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, tennis, track-indoor, track-outdoor, and volleyball. For girls, the sports are basketball, bowling, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, and volleyball. [2]
In some sports, there are no group championships. In these sports — all schools, public and non-public alike — compete for a single state championship. For boys, the sports are fencing and golf. For girls, they are fencing, golf, and gymnastics. [2]
Student athletes may also be state champions. The sports that offer individual state championships are bowling, cross country, fencing, golf, gymnastics, tennis (singles and doubles), swimming, diving, indoor and outdoor track, and wrestling. All of these sports — except gymnastics (girls only) produce both male and female individual champions. [2]
A proposal introduced by Northern Highlands Regional High School to the NJSIAA executive committee in April 2012 would create a Group V for football that would include the 15 largest schools in each of the four regions. Under the proposal, 160 public schools (up from 128) would be eligible for the playoffs and there would be an additional 28 games played in the sectional tournaments. [3]
Source [4]
On August 11, 2008, the NJSIAA released an official proposal for a realignment of athletic conferences located in Central and North Jersey. [5] The proposal affects over 200 NJSIAA high schools in 31 conference divisions, making it the single largest realignment in state history. [5] The result is six "super" conferences according to geography. A seventh, football-only conference would also be created for teams from two of the new super conferences. [5] Not affected by this move are schools located in Mercer, Monmouth, and Middlesex counties as well as all of South Jersey. [5]
Multiple reasons account for the super conferences realignment. First, the plan was triggered by dissatisfaction with competitive balance between schools, particularly in the football programs in public and non-public schools in the northern part of the state. It would allow schools more flexibility with whom they schedule for such events. [5] Second, new enrollment totals and rates have vastly changed since the conferences were set up 27 years ago, and therefore have not adequately met the needs of all the schools. [5] A final catalyst is the economy; the move would create cheaper overall traveling expenses. [5]
The realignment by the NJSIAA has garnered very mixed reactions among the high schools that it would affect. [6] For instance, Eastside High School, which has traditionally been beaten handily in athletic competition, endorses the move. [6] Meanwhile, Summit High School has enjoyed great success in their conference and sees no need to part ways. [6] Other schools generally share one of these two views.
The NJSIAA undertook a major realignment of conferences in the northern part of the state in 2009 and 2010. [7] The main impetus for realigning the league's listed below into six superconferences with multiple divisions each was to defuse tension between public and private schools in the area, which had risen to the point that the public schools attempted to force the private schools into their own separate conferences. [8]
In 2018, the NJSIAA become the first state governing body to sanction the use of video replay during high school football's regular season. [11]
In the 2016–17 season, the NJSIAA featured 283,655 participants, with 57% boys and 43% girls. [12]
The sports with most girls are:
Sussex County Technical School is a county-wide technical public high school located in Sparta Township in Sussex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Sussex County Vocational School District. It is the home of the McNeice Auditorium and the Fighting Mustangs. The school's official colors are hunter green and gold. Gus Modla is the Superintendent and Principal. There are 20 different trades to choose from; Building Trades, Business Management and Administration, Carpentry, Cinematography and Film/Video Production, Clerical Skills, Commercial Art, Commercial Baking, Computer Aided Drafting and Design, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Electrical, Electronics Technology, Engineering, Graphic Design, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), Horticulture/Landscape Design Technology, Performing Arts, Transportation Technology (Auto/Diesel), Vehicle Maintenance Technology and Welding.
Seton Hall Preparatory School, generally called Seton Hall Prep, SHP, or "The Prep", is a Roman Catholic all boys' high school located in the suburban community of West Orange in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating under the supervision of the Archdiocese of Newark. Founded in 1856 with an original enrollment of five boys, Seton Hall Prep was originally located on the campus of Seton Hall University, where it became commonly known as "The Prep" as a way to distinguish it from "The University." In 1985, the school moved to its present location which was, at the time, West Orange High School. Seton Hall is the oldest Catholic college preparatory school in New Jersey.
West Essex High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in North Caldwell. The high school is part of the West Essex Regional School District, which is comprised of the constituent municipalities of Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell and Roseland, four municipalities in western Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The constituent municipalities are largely filled with single-family homes and populated by individuals with high socioeconomic characteristics.
Passaic County Technical Institute, is a vocational public high school in Wayne, that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from all of Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located near the city of Paterson. PCTI offers some vocational classes in addition to several college credit courses.
Montclair High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school located in Montclair, in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as the lone secondary school of the Montclair Public School District. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1928.
The Watchung Conference was a high school sports association under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). The conference consisted of eleven public high schools covering Essex County, Hudson County and Union County in northern New Jersey. In 2009, the conference was disbanded. The Essex County schools joined the Super Essex Conference, the Union County schools joined the Union County Interscholastic Athletic Association, and the Hudson County schools joined the temporary North Jersey Tri-County Conference, before joining their Hudson County schools in reviving the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association in 2010.
The Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League, abbreviated NNJIL, was a former athletic conference located in Bergen County, Passaic County and Essex County, New Jersey. The NNJIL was separated into three divisions, according to the classification they were given from the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.
Westwood Regional High School is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Borough of Westwood and the Township of Washington, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Westwood Regional School District. Beginning in the 2019–20 school year, students in eighth grade who had previously attended the then junior-senior high school began attending the new Westwood Middle School.
Moorestown High School (MHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Moorestown in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Moorestown Township Public Schools. Moorestown High School was established in 1898 and has completed a $12.9 million renovation and addition project.
The Skyland Conference is a New Jersey high school sports association under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). The conference is made up of 22 public and parochial high schools covering Hunterdon County, Somerset County and Warren County in west central New Jersey.
Newark Tech High School is a regional public high school located in Newark, that offers occupational and academic instruction for students in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Essex County Vocational Technical Schools.
Mount St. Dominic Academy is a four-year Catholic college preparatory school for young women located in Caldwell, in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades. The school was founded in 1892 by the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell. It is located within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.
East Orange Campus High School is a comprehensive community public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in the city of East Orange, in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, on the former campus of Upsala College. The school is part of the East Orange School District, classified as an Abbott District. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1928.
Central High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in Newark, in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Newark Public Schools.
DePaul Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic, high school in Wayne, in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. The school is accredited by AdvancED.
The Big North Conference is a high school athletic conference in New Jersey. It is one of six North Jersey "super athletic conferences" created by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) in 2009. There are 41 member schools in the Big North Conference, with all members located in either Bergen County or Passaic County, New Jersey.
The North Jersey Interscholastic Conference, or NJIC, is a high school athletic conference located in New Jersey. It is one of the so-called "super conferences" created by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) as a part of a realignment of high school sports leagues in North and Central New Jersey announced in 2009. The conference is composed of small-enrollment schools.
The Super Essex Conference (SEC) is a high school athletic conference located in Essex County, New Jersey. The conference was formed in 2009 by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association and was a result of a larger realignment that swept through North Jersey. The Super Essex Conference was formed by all of Essex County's high schools, the majority of which either came from the NNJIL, Iron Hills, Northern Hills, or Colonial Hills conferences. Several schools were members of either the Mountain Valley or Watchung conferences, while several further were independent. The only school that did not participate was St. Benedict's Preparatory School, which is not part of the NJSIAA's jurisdiction.
The North Jersey Tri-County Conference was a high school athletic conference in New Jersey, created by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) as a holding conference. The NJTCC consisted of 45 public and non-public schools in Bergen, Passaic and Hudson counties, and existed for the 2009–2010 academic year.
Bergen County Technical High School, Paramus Campus is a tuition-free public magnet high school in Paramus, serving students in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school is part of the Bergen County Technical Schools, which also includes Bergen County Academies in Hackensack and the Bergen County Technical High School, Teterboro Campus.