Florida House advancing bill that would change athletic association

The Florida House of Representatives is moving a bill that would change the way the Florida High School Athletic Association does business.

We posted news of the bill last week, but since then the House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved it (12-0). The overwhelming, albeit early, support for the bill is not encouraging for the FHSAA.

The bill would require that the state athletic association be revenue-neutral, preventing it from collecting fees or event revenue that do not exceed the costs of running the organization. It would also allow schools to join the FHSAA on a full-time or per-sport basis.

From FloridaPolitics.com:

FHSAA’s CEO, Roger Dearing, said Tuesday’s hearing at least helped narrow the issues.

“I truly believe there is some misinformation out there,” he told Florida Politics after the vote. “Once I have a chance to educate members, I think there will be fewer issues.”

For instance, Dearing told lawmakers his group saves its 805 member-schools money by seeking sponsorships from Spalding, Gatorade, Champion and other athletic concerns, with that money – about $2.6 million – subsidizing the costs of athletic competition.

“It feels like we are being criticized for having a good business model,” Dearing said.

This is the fifth consecutive year state lawmakers have taken aim at the state athletic association, with all other attempts to restructure the organization falling flat.

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