High school athletics provide students with opportunities to develop teamwork, discipline, perseverance, and character. However, the current New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) playoff structure does not fully account for the differences between public and non-public schools.

Public schools generally enroll students within defined geographic boundaries, while many non-public schools can enroll students from a broader geographic area. These different enrollment structures can create different opportunities for schools to build athletic programs and develop competitive teams.

We are calling on NYSPHSAA to establish separate playoff brackets or divisions for public and non-public schools across its athletic programs. Public and non-public schools could continue competing against one another during the regular season, while postseason championships would be determined within separate divisions.

This proposal is not intended to diminish the accomplishments of non-public-school athletes. Every student-athlete who competes and succeeds deserves recognition. The issue is not the athletes themselves, but the structure in which schools compete. When schools operate under different enrollment circumstances, the postseason should take those differences into consideration.

Our research examined NYSPHSAA championship results across multiple sports and years. While championship results alone cannot determine whether the current system is equitable, they raise an important question about whether schools operating under different enrollment structures should compete for the same postseason championships.

A separate playoff structure would not eliminate competition between public and non-public schools. Schools could continue to compete against one another during the regular season while having separate postseason championships. This would create a more comparable path to a championship for schools operating under similar enrollment circumstances.

We ask NYSPHSAA to review its current playoff structure and consider establishing separate postseason competition for public and non-public schools.

If you believe New York student-athletes deserve a postseason system that better accounts for the circumstances under which their schools compete, please sign this petition and support a review of NYSPHSAA’s playoff structure.