Once a critic of PIAA competitive-balance rule, state rep from Beaver County supports overhaul

By: Chris Harlan
Wednesday, October 26, 2022 | 12:57 AM

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The PIAA’s plan to remove the transfer criteria from its competitive-balance formula received support Tuesday from a Beaver County legislator who was an outspoken critic of the current rule.

State Rep. Rob Matzie (D-Beaver County) wrote a critical letter to the PIAA last December when the Aliquippa football team was facing an involuntary promotion to Class 5A. Matzie is a member of the Pa. Athletic Oversight Committee, a group of state legislators who met Tuesday with PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi.

Lombardi updated the committee on a number of PIAA-related topics, including plans to overhaul the competitive-balance rule and a proposed policy guiding name, image and likeness deals for Pennsylvania high school athletes.

Matzie last winter questioned whether the current competitive-balance formula unfairly targets low-income communities with transient populations, because it measures postseason success and transfers. Football teams that add three or more transfers in a two-year period could be forced to play opponents with larger enrollments.

If the rule is revised as planned, teams will be promoted to a higher classification based on success in the PIAA playoffs alone, regardless of transfers.

“I think this is a positive step,” Matzie said Tuesday. “The transfer part of that competition formula has been a bone of contention for me, and I think this makes some sense, specifically as it relates to transient kids, which we see in a couple of my school districts in particular.”

The proposed change, which also will expand the rule to include all team sports, not just football and basketball, already was approved by the PIAA board twice. A third and final vote could occur Dec. 7.

However, it survived only a narrow 14-13 vote earlier this month.

“I know that it’s still no guarantee because there are some schools that are still concerned and have questions relative to whether or not this is the way to go,” Matzie said. “I think just having the conversation was a big deal … to really try to iron out and figure out what is best for the kids.”

Lombardi thanked Matzie for supporting the rule change but also noted that in December “the process worked,” because Aliquippa appealed to the PIAA, the board heard its testimony and allowed the Quips to remain in Class 4A.

Other schools also won appeals.

“The teams that went through the appeal. They had their chance to say to the board, ‘This is why it’s different,’ ” Lombardi said, but noted the current appeal process is largely going away.

The proposed rule change says a team can appeal only if the PIAA counted its success points incorrectly. A team is awarded four points for reaching the state finals, three for reaching the semifinals, two for reaching the quarterfinals or one for reaching the first round.

A team that accumulates six points in a two-year cycle is promoted.

“A little of that (appeal discretion) is going to go away now with just success and points,” Lombardi said. “I’m not saying that’s a great change. I don’t know how it’s going to pan out, but I will say this is more straightforward and takes the subjectivity out of it.”

Matzie in December argued the PIAA was “ignoring the socio-economic demographics” that caused an increase in transfers among low-income communities. In 2020, Aliquippa and Farrell were among the football teams forced into a higher classification by the rule.

Aliquippa, a school with a Class A enrollment, was facing a second promotion this year.

“The last thing we want to see is a school suffer or a kid suffer … because they’re now living with a grandmother or an aunt or a guardian,” Matzie said to Lombardi. “I appreciate your attention to that very serious situation.”

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.