FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
It’s Time for Accountability and Fair Play at the AHSAA
Birmingham, AL –
Op-Ed by Stephanie Smith,
President/CEO of the Alabama Policy Institute
For decades, the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) has operated in the shadows; claiming the autonomy of a private organization while wielding the power of a de facto public entity. However, recent events, including a seismic shift in the state’s competitive landscape, have made one thing clear: the AHSAA’s lack of public accountability has reached a breaking point, and the people of Alabama have noticed.
According to a recent Napolitan News Service survey of 800 registered voters, a staggering 80% of Alabamians say that reforming the AHSAA is important to them, and 80% want to see legislative oversight of the organization. The public clearly recognizes what the AHSAA has long ignored: any organization that uses taxpayer-funded facilities, employs staff through the state’s Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS), and oversees public school students should be both transparent and accountable to voters.
The AHSAA recently announced a historic public/private split for fall of 2026-27, creating separate postseason brackets for public and private schools. While framed as a solution to competitive imbalance, the move actually highlights a governing body that has long marginalized its independent members through intentionally punitive measures like the 1.5 student multiplier.
Through the years, the AHSAA has made a multitude of decisions that clearly disregarded student athlete participation and even their religious freedom. Perhaps the most egregious example of overlooking the good of student athletes was the AHSAA’s recent attempt to block students utilizing the CHOOSE Act’s Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). By unilaterally reclassifying parent-directed tax credits as school-controlled “financial aid,” the AHSAA prioritized its own bureaucracy and power over state law. This overreach required direct legal intervention from Governor Ivey and Speaker Ledbetter to protect the rights of Alabama families and schoolchildren.
The AHSAA has lost the moral authority to operate without oversight. The future of fair play in athletics in our state hinges upon the legislature’s ability to restore integrity, transparency, and accountability to the governance of high school sports. Alabama’s students—and 80% of its voters—deserve nothing less.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact:
Alabama Policy Institute
205-870-9900 or admin@alabamapolicy.org
