LHSAA’s Bonine: Select schools are not part of annual Dome Classic football finals under new rules

LHSAA executive director Eddie Bonine has clarified the direction the select or non-public schools must take as they decide how to configure their state championships.

In January at the annual LHSAA convention, new legislation was passed that allowed select schools to control several of their state championship venues.

Bonnie said in a phone call Friday that select schools will decide their championship sites in football, baseball and softball. However, because of the language in the rule passed for basketball, the LHSAA executive committee will decide where the select schools play their basketball championships.

Bonine responded in writing via email April 2 to several questions posed by John LeBlanc, principal of Loyola Prep.

Select schools Monday met in Lafayette to discuss the direction they would take in regards to their state championship venues in the sports that have been split into separate championships. Here’s a part of the play-by-play of the discussion:

LeBlanc: Per the agenda items that passed in January, could the higher seeded host team determine a site without LHSAA approval, considering it is the higher seed’s responsibility to provide such site for the game?

Bonine: Yes, schools are allowed to use their home field/courts except for basketball.

Select schools cannot participate in the football Superdome Classic, Bonine also explained, but that select schools can play in the Superdome outside of the weekend of the Classic.

“If Curtis and Catholic agree to play at the Superdome, they can,” said Bonine.

However, if the schools cannot reach agreement on where to play the game, the higher seed can play at home.

Bonine said schools that play at multiple sites (common for many schools in the New Orleans area) can designate a home field.

However, Bonine said the week of the championship game, the home team cannot practice on its home field.

In their correspondence, LeBlanc asked what if the select schools weren’t ready to “handle at this time” their championships?

LeBlanc added, “Is there a procedure in place to return to the Status Quo prior to the January vote?”
Bonine responded, “Executive committee could take action via LHSAA constitution 4.4.4 A or a special session of the entire membership could be requested sometime between now and June 30, 2019.”

Bonine said that no LHSAA representative was asked to attend Monday’s meetings of select schools in Lafayette.