Bobby Cox’s tenure as Indiana High School Athletic Association commissioner officially ends on Aug. 1, but the 63-year-old is hardly coasting into retirement.
There are no sports right now, high schools included. The coronavirus pandemic has shut down IHSAA sports since the gymnastics state meet, which was hosted by Ball State on March 14 without spectators.
“I’ve had some people say, ‘This must be an early retirement for you with no spring sports going on,’” Cox said. “That’s not the case. We’re fighting to provide service to our members and trying not to miss a beat. Everybody on our staff is working hard right now and continuing to do business as best we can.”
There are still more questions than answers right now as Cox proceeds with his annual spring principals’ meetings this week, conducting them remotely online instead of traveling the state. Spring sports are shut down and not coming back. But what about fall sports? Is it too early to start worrying, as April gives way to May, what the sports world might look like without high school football?
“We’re there now,” Cox said. “There is significant concern from the membership. There is concern nationwide... If we don’t have a football season, things will change dramatically. I think we’ll have to lay people off. Our services will be cut dramatically.”
It might sound alarmist to even wonder about the feasibility of having fall sports. But we are probably well past the point of anything sounding alarmist. The real question is how schools can ease back into high school sports. Those decisions will not be made by the IHSAA, but the school districts individually once schools are allowed to reopen.
Currently, all IHSAA sports are considered out of season. Under normal circumstances, out-of-season athletes are allowed “limited contact”, which grants coaches the ability to work with athletes two days a week in two-hour increments, in addition to conditioning. But because schools are closed statewide through the remainder of the school year, there are no normal circumstances. Athletes are working out on their own in coordination with the coaches.
Indiana is currently under a stay-at-home order through Thursday, though some businesses will be allowed to reopen with restrictions next week.
“I check the numbers every day from the governor’s briefings and the department of health," Cox said. "There are no definite answers yet.”
What is definite, Cox said, is that athletic departments need football season from a financial standpoint. That revenue helps fund other sports in the athletic department for most schools. Cox estimates the cancelation of the boys basketball tournament cost the association “about a half-million dollars.” The cancelation of the football tournament, he estimates, would be closer to a million. The IHSAA, which makes revenue through state tournament ticket sales, the licensure of officials, media rights fees, investment income and corporate sponsorship, reported that it distributed $2,557,063 to member schools for the 2018-19 school year. The IHSAA received a net revenue of $2,401,604.
By a wide margin, the largest source of income came from boys sports (52%). Girls sports (22%), corporate sponsorships (9%), officials’ licensure (7%) and investment income (5%) made up the rest.
“We have been fortunate as an association over the years that we have been able to invest money for a rainy day fund,” Cox said. “That rainy day is here.”
Cox said the IHSAA was granted a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan of $392,000 to help with payroll and essential expenses. “That stimulus has been critical,” Cox said.
But without football “the expenses will eventually catch up with you,” he said.
“This spring has been kind of a dichotomy,” Cox said. “The vast majority of our members lose money conducting spring sports. But you have football and basketball to carry you through the spring. Now if we don’t have fall sports, it will be serious trouble. The landscape is going to change.”
No matter how it plays out, Cox’s nine-year tenure as IHSAA commissioner and 20 years with the association will end on Aug. 1. Paul Neidig, currently an assistant commissioner, is tabbed as his replacement.
"One of the encouraging things to see is how resilient people have been. One of the greatest tests for any person is how you react when things get tough," Cox said. "I feel encouraged by all of the messages and uplifting videos I have seen. I feel badly that all our spring athletes are unable to participate, especially the seniors. The vast majority of them are not going to compete in college. I feel really badly for those kids, especially. But there have been some great tributes and neat stuff that has been going on. I think people are dealing with it the best they can.”
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.
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Too early to ask? No. There's 'significant concern' Indiana high school football at risk. - IndyStar
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