Ohio High School Athletic Association

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Ohio High School Athletic Association
AbbreviationOHSAA
Formation1907
Legal statusAssociation
PurposeAthletic/Educational
Headquarters4080 Roselea Pl.
Columbus, Ohio U.S.
Region served
Ohio
Official language
English
Executive Director
Doug Ute
Affiliations National Federation of State High School Associations
Staff22
Website ohsaa.org
Remarks(614) 267-2502

The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio. The OHSAA governs eligibility of student athletes, resolves disputes, organizes levels of competition by divisional separation of schools according to attendance population, and conducts state championship competitions in all the OHSAA-sanctioned sports.

Contents

Membership

There are approximately 820 member high schools and 850 more schools in the 7th-8th grade division of the OHSAA. Most public and private high schools in Ohio belong to the OHSAA. [1]

Structure

Districts

The Association is divided into six districts, each with its own District Athletic Board, including the Central District, East District, Northeast District, Northwest District, Southeast District, and Southwest District.

The District boards conduct Sectional and District tournaments. The main OHSAA board conducts Regional and State tournaments. [2]

Classifications and divisions

Member high schools are divided into three classifications (A, AA, AAA). Prior to 1989 many sports held tournaments based on these classifications. Since then, each sport individually divides into numbered divisions based on enrollment, taking into account the total number of schools offering that varsity sport and placing an equal number of schools in each division.

The classifications (A being the smallest schools, AAA the largest) are still used to fill spots on the six District Athletic Boards (two representatives from each class).

The number of divisions varies based on how many schools offer that sport. Football has the most, with seven divisions (Division I being the largest schools). Three sports have a single division: Boys' Ice Hockey, Girls' Field Hockey, and Gymnastics. [2] Beginning with the 2024-25 School year Baseball, boys and girls basketball, softball and girls volleyball will grow from four to seven postseason divisions and boys and girls soccer will go from three to five. [3]

History

OHSAA's 100th Anniversary logo. OHSAA 100 Anniversary logo.png
OHSAA's 100th Anniversary logo.

The OHSAA is an unincorporated, non-profit organization founded in 1907. Members of the Western Ohio Superintendents' Round Table had frequently discussed the need of a central organization for high school athletics. In 1906 they passed a resolution to appoint a committee, headed by George R. Eastman, the first President of the Board of Control.

The first OHSAA-sponsored state tournament, Track and Field, was held on May 23, 1908, at Denison University. Columbus North became the first state champions, finishing ahead of Dayton Steele. [1]

The OHSAA is currently headed by a commissioner. [4] Prior to 1925, the Board of Control officers handled duties now associated with the Commissioner.

In 1979, OHSAA adopted a bylaw prohibiting out-of-state students from competing in OHSAA-sponsored activities. This rule was affirmed by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in the 1985 case Alerding v. Ohio High School Athletic Association , regarding St. Xavier High School students from Northern Kentucky.

Commissioners since 1925

OHSAA–sponsored sports tournaments

[4]

Boys

SeasonSportTournament Structure# of Divisions1st Tournament2024-25 State Tournament Location
Fall Cross Country District, Regional, & State31928 Fortress Obetz, Obetz
Memorial Park, Obetz
Fall Football Regional & State71972 Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton
Fall Golf Sectional, District & State31927
(Spring sport 1927–1974)		 NCR Country Club, Dayton (Div I)
Firestone Country Club, Akron (Div II)
North Star Golf Resort, Sunbury (Div III)
Fall Soccer Sectional, District, Regional & State51976 Historic Crew Stadium, Columbus
Winter Basketball Sectional, District, Regional, & State71923 UD Arena, University of Dayton, Dayton
Winter Bowling Sectional, District, & State22007HP Lanes, Columbus
Winter Ice Hockey District & State11978 Nationwide Arena, Columbus
Winter Swimming and DivingSectional, District, & State21928C. T. Branin Natatorium, Canton
Winter Wrestling Sectional, District, & State31938 Value City Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center, Ohio State University, Columbus
Winter Wrestling-Dual MeetRegional & State32013–2020 (discontinued)
Winter Gymnastics Sectional, District, & State11926–1937; 1965–1993 (discontinued)
Spring Baseball Sectional, District, Regional, & State71928 Canal Park, Akron
Spring Track and Field District, Regional, & State31908 Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Ohio State University, Columbus
Spring Tennis Sectional, District, & State2**1922 College of Wooster, Wooster
Spring Lacrosse State22017 Historic Crew Stadium, Columbus
Spring Volleyball State22023 Wittenberg University, Springfield

Girls

SeasonSportTournament Structure# of Divisions1st Tournament2024-25 State Tournament Location
Fall Cross Country District, Regional, & State31978 Fortress Obetz, Obetz
Memorial Park, Obetz
Fall Field Hockey State Qualifying & State11979 Thomas Worthington High School, Worthington
Fall Golf Sectional, District & State21993 NCR Country Club, Dayton (Div I)
Firestone Country Club, Akron (Div II)
Fall Soccer Sectional, District, Regional & State51985 Historic Crew Stadium, Columbus
Fall Tennis Sectional, District, & State2**1976 College of Wooster, Wooster
Fall Volleyball Sectional, District, Regional, & State71975 Nutter Center, Wright State University, Dayton
Winter Basketball Sectional, District, Regional, & State71976 UD Arena, University of Dayton, Dayton
Winter Bowling Sectional, District, & State22007HP Lanes, Columbus
Winter Gymnastics Sectional, District, & State11977 Hilliard Bradley High School, Hilliard
Winter Swimming and DivingSectional, District, & State21977C.T. Branin Natatorium, Canton
Winter Wrestling Sectional, District, & State32023 Value City Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center, Ohio State University, Columbus
Spring Softball Sectional, District, Regional, & State71978 Firestone Stadium, Akron
Spring Track and Field District, Regional, & State31975 Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Ohio State University, Columbus
Spring Lacrosse State22017 Historic Crew Stadium, Columbus
**(Individual/Doubles only, no Team championships)

Past team state champions

Schools with most team titles

[4]

Rank# of
Titles		SchoolCity# of
Boys'
Titles		# of
Girls'
Titles		Year of
First
Title		Year of
Last
Title
167 St. Edward Lakewood67X*19782024
264 St. Xavier Cincinnati64X*19572024
353 Upper Arlington Upper Arlington272619372024
447 St. Ignatius Cleveland47X*19882024
542 Hawken Gates Mills73519772022
641 Minster Minster83319762023
740 Walsh Jesuit Cuyahoga Falls221819822023
835 Columbus Academy Gahanna201519772024
9t34 St. Vincent – St. Mary Akron231119272022
9t34 Graham St. Paris34019302024
1133 St. Francis DeSales Columbus25819712024
1232 Thomas Worthington Worthington122019382023
1331 Brecksville-Broadview Heights Broadview Heights52619812024
1430 Archbishop Alter Kettering191119782024
1528 Coldwater Coldwater181019832021
16t27 Canton McKinley Canton23419372010
16t27 Newark Catholic Newark171019782016
1826 Archbishop Moeller Cincinnati26X*19722023
1925 Marion Local Maria Stein19619752024
20t24 Archbishop Hoban Akron121219802024
20t24 East Tech Cleveland23119202002
20t24 Beaumont School Cleveland HeightsX*2419862012
2322 Elder Cincinnati22X*19432005
* X = single-gender school

Schools with most team titles in one sport

[4]

Rank# of
Titles		SchoolCitySportFirstLast
144 St. Xavier CincinnatiBoys' Swimming19702024
237 St. Edward LakewoodWrestling19782024
332 Hawken Gates MillsGirls' Swimming19842022
425 Graham St. ParisWrestling19822024
524 Brecksville-Broadview Heights Broadview Heights Girls' Gymnastics 19942024
618 Glenville ClevelandBoys' Track19592023
717 Upper Arlington Upper ArlingtonBoys' Golf19412006
8t16 Beaumont School Cleveland HeightsGirls' Track19862008
8t16 Minster MinsterGirls' Cross Country19822023
1014 Marion Local Maria SteinFootball20002023
11t13 St. Ignatius ClevelandSoccer20042023
11t13 Upper Arlington Upper ArlingtonGirls' Swimming20032024
11t13 Canton McKinley CantonBoys' Swimming19371961
11t13 East Technical ClevelandBoys' Track19201955
11t13 Minster MinsterGirls' Track19762018
16t12 Columbus Academy GahannaField Hockey19942019
16t12 Columbus Academy GahannaBoys' Golf19832021
16t12 Elder CincinnatiBaseball19432005
19t11 St. Edward LakewoodIce Hockey19852008
19t11 St. Ignatius ClevelandFootball19882011
19t11 Walsh Jesuit Cuyahoga FallsGirls' Soccer20002023
22t10 Strasburg-Franklin StrasburgGirls Softball19872024
22t10 Maple Heights Maple HeightsWrestling19561974
22t10 Magnificat Rocky RiverGirls' Gymnastics19902003
22t10 Dunbar DaytonBoys' Track19482017
22t10 Woodridge PeninsulaBoys' Cross Country20062020
22t10 Mount Notre Dame CincinnatiGirls' Volleyball19952020
22t10 St. Vincent–St. Mary AkronBoys' Basketball19842022

Schools with most consecutive team titles in each sport

[4]

SeasonSportSchool# of consecutive state titlesYears
Fall Boys' Cross Country Caldwell 81985–1992
Fall Girls' Cross Country Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary 52009–2013
Fall Field Hockey Gahanna Columbus Academy 31999–2001
Fall Field Hockey Thomas Worthington 32015–2017
Fall Football Cleveland St. Ignatius 51991–1995
Fall Boys' Golf Gahanna Columbus Academy 52017–2021
Fall Girls' Golf Dublin Jerome 52011–2015
Fall Boys' Soccer Cleveland St. Ignatius 5*2019–2023
Fall Girls' Soccer Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 52012–2016
Fall Volleyball Cincinnati St Ursula Academy 61993–1998
Winter Boys' Basketball Cincinnati North College Hill 32005–2007
Winter Boys' Basketball Columbus Wehrle31988–1990
Winter Boys' Basketball Richmond Heights3*2022-2024
Winter Boys' Basketball Dayton Stivers 31928–1930
Winter Girls' Basketball Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown 52009–2013
Winter Boys' Bowling Springfield Kenton Ridge 22009–2010
Winter Boys' Bowling Mechanicsburg 22021–2022
Winter Boys' Bowling Beavercreek 2*2023–2024
Winter Girls' Bowling Coldwater 22012–2013
Winter Girls' Bowling Gahanna Lincoln 22020–2021
Winter Boys' Gymnastics Cleveland East Tech 51933–1937
Winter Girls' Gymnastics Brecksville-Broadview Heights 21*2004–2024
Winter Ice Hockey Cleveland St. Ignatius 42016–2019
WinterBoys' Swimming and Diving Cincinnati St. Xavier 132009–2021
WinterGirls' Swimming and Diving Gates Mills Hawken 241999–2022
Winter Wrestling-Individual St. Paris Graham 23*2001–2019, 2021-2024
Winter Wrestling-Dual Team St. Paris Graham 72013–2019
Spring Baseball Newark Catholic 32002–2004
Spring Baseball Cincinnati Elder 31958–1960
Spring Girls' Lacrosse Upper Arlington 32017–2019
Spring Softball North Canton Hoover 42011–2014
Spring Softball Springfield 41992–1995
Spring Boys' Track and Field Cleveland East Tech 61939–1944
Spring Girls' Track and Field Cleveland Heights Beaumont 71986–1992

* active streak

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Fred Dafler. "The History of the OHSAA". Archived from the original on February 17, 2009. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  2. 1 2 OHSAA. "Ohio High School Athletic Association Web site" . Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  3. ↑ Purpura, Dace (February 15, 2024). "OHSAA votes to add postseason tournament divisions in seven sports, including basketball". Dispatch.com. Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 OHSAA. "Ohio High School Athletic Association Web site" . Retrieved December 31, 2006.
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