SCHSL bill passes big final hurdle. Here’s where things stand
A bill that would change how the S.C. High School League is structured and governed all but became official Wednesday.
The S.C. House of Representatives voted 112-0 to pass House Bill 4163. The vote comes a week after the state Senate approved the bill with a final reading. The legislation won’t go into effect until July 1, 2027. It still has to be officially signed into law by Gov. Henry McMaster.
In its original form, House Bill 4163 would have abolished the SCHSL and created a state-run S.C. High School Athletic Association. Instead, legislators compromised to keep the S.C. High School League but with different ways it must operate.
The S.C. Senate made some additional changes to the bill, but nothing that significantly altered it, Rep. Shannon Erickson, R-Beaufort, said Wednesday during the legislative session.
“I would tell you that is a long-time coming and so many of you were so helpful on this,” Erickson said. “So, Mr. Speaker, I move that we concur with the Senate amendments so that we could move forward with some good sports action for our students.”
Erickson, one of the main proponents of the bill, also credited Rep. Jackie Hayes, D-Dillon, with working a compromise of an earlier bill.
The SCHSL said last week it was opposed to the modified bill, despite the league making some changes similar to ones mentioned in the legislation.
Key points of the bill are:
Governing structure: There will be a 23-member executive committee. That’s the same amount the SCHSL approved in March but eight more than the amount that was passed by the S.C. House. The executive committee is the league’s governing body, although coaches and athletic leadership at SCHSL member schools are involved in amendments and bringing about change.
The new-look committee would have one principal, one superintendent and one athletic director from each of the state’s five athletic classifications. There would also be an appointee by the superintendent of education. And there would be a middle school representative that has to be a superintendent, principal or athletic director.
There would be a private school and charter school representative that needs to be a superintendent, principal or athletic director. Those representatives would serve three-year terms, and no executive committee member can serve more than two consecutive three-year terms. The executive committee chairman would be voted on by membership and serve a two-year term.
The league is subject to government oversight: The league can be audited by the S.C. Legislative Audit Council and be subject to oversight in the same manner as state agencies. The commissioner’s contract can’t exceed three years.
Multiplier and NIL in the bill: Some of the league’s current rules and structure that are part of the budget proviso will remain, including equal treatment for private and charter school and teams; no name, image and likeness for high school athletes; a multiplier system for competitive balance; one-time transfer for middle and high school students; and the league’s appellate panel stays in place.
