New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
Encyclopedia
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.
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.
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. For boys, the tournament is offered in basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, tennis, track-indoor, and track-outdoor. For girls, the sports are basketball, bowling, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, and volleyball.
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, golf, and volleyball. For girls, they are fencing, golf, and gymnastics.
Student athlete
s 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) and wrestling (boys only) — produce both male and female individual champions.
-only conference would also be created for teams from two of the new super conferences. Not affected by this move are schools located in Mercer
, Monmouth
, and Middlesex
counties as well as all of South Jersey.
, which has traditionally been beaten handily in athletic competition, endorses the move. Meanwhile, Summit High School has enjoyed great success in their conference and sees no need to part ways. Other schools generally share one of these two views.
The realignment, which was started for the 2009–10 school year, may only go into effect for 2–3 years, and if it does not work out well, a reversion to the old conferences is still a possibility.
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
high schools that regulates
Regulation of sport
The regulation of sport is usually done by a regulatory agency for each sport, resulting in a core of relatively invariant, agreed rules. People responsible for leisure activities often seek recognition and respectability as sports by joining sports federations such as the International Olympic...
high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports.
State championships
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). 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 sports 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.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.
For some sports, each group's state champion play each other in the Tournament of Champions
Tournament of Champions (NJSIAA)
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament of Champions is the sports tournament for New Jersey high schools that determines which high school will be crowned as the #1 overall team in the state for each sport...
for the overall state championship and #1 state ranking. For boys, the tournament is offered in basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, tennis, track-indoor, and track-outdoor. For girls, the sports are basketball, bowling, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, and volleyball.
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, golf, and volleyball. For girls, they are fencing, golf, and gymnastics.
Student athlete
Student athlete
A student athlete is a term used to describe a participant in an organized competitive sport sponsored by the educational institution in which he or she is enrolled, a term primarily used in the United States. It is used to describe the direct balance of a full-time student and a full-time athlete...
s 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) and wrestling (boys only) — produce both male and female individual champions.
Conferences realignment
On August 11, 2008, the NJSIAA released an official proposal for a realignment of athletic conferences located in Central and North Jersey. The proposal affects over 200 NJSIAA high schools in 31 conference divisions, making it the single largest realignment in state history. The result is six "super" conferences according to geography. A seventh, footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
-only conference would also be created for teams from two of the new super conferences. Not affected by this move are schools located in Mercer
Mercer County, New Jersey
As of the census of 2000, there were 350,761 people, 125,807 households, and 86,303 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,552 people per square mile . There were 133,280 housing units at an average density of 590 per square mile...
, Monmouth
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
, and Middlesex
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
counties as well as all of South Jersey.
Reasons
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. 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. A final catalyst is the economy; the move would create cheaper overall traveling expenses.Reaction
The realignment by the NJSIAA has garnered very mixed reactions among the high schools that it would affect. For instance, Eastside High SchoolEastside High School (Paterson, New Jersey)
Eastside High School is a four-year public high school in Paterson, New Jersey, United States, that serves the eastern section of Paterson. EHS, which serves grades 9 through 12, operates as part of the Paterson Public Schools....
, which has traditionally been beaten handily in athletic competition, endorses the move. Meanwhile, Summit High School has enjoyed great success in their conference and sees no need to part ways. Other schools generally share one of these two views.
The realignment, which was started for the 2009–10 school year, may only go into effect for 2–3 years, and if it does not work out well, a reversion to the old conferences is still a possibility.
Awards
- Annual Awards
- ShopRite Cup
- Scholar-Athlete Awards
- ETS Scholar-Athlete Awards
- National Association of Girls and Women in Sport
- Coaches Association Awards
- Official's Annual Awards
- Disqualification Free High Schools
External links
- NJSIAA official website
- List of high schools affected by new super conferences alignment