Chairman Phillip Gardner, Vice Chairman Priscilla Dillow, Mike Blackburn, Curtis Casbon, Dale Crafton, Dan Cunningham, Al Logsdon, Janis Qualizza, Michael Powell, Steve Riordan, Cassel White, Directors Linda Barnett, Dennis Eller, Michael Necessary, Cecil Raymond, Oren A. Sutherlin, Joseph Trimboli, Director-Elect Lee Lonzo, Commissioner Bob Gardner, Associate Commissioner Ray Craft, Assistant Commissioners Blake Ress, Sandy Searcy, Theresia Wynns, Sports Information Director Jim Russell and Attorney Robert Baker.

Minutes of the Dec. 13, 1999 and Dec. 17, 1999 meetings were recommended for approval. A motion for approval was made by Michael Powell; seconded by Mike Blackburn; motion passed 11-0.

Associate Commissioner Craft presented a list of basketball officials who have applied to work the 1999-2000 Boys Basketball Tournament Series. Permission was requested to select officials from this list. A motion for approval was made by Mike Blackburn; seconded by Al Logsdon; motion passed 11-0.

Assistant Commissioner Ress presented a list of wrestling officials who have applied to work the 1999-2000 Wrestling Tournament Series. Permission was requested to assign officials from this list. A motion for approval was made by Steve Riordan; seconded by Dan Cunningham; motion passed 11-0.

Assistant Commissioners Ress and Searcy provided a list of possible starters who have applied for the 1999-2000 Swimming & Diving Tournaments. Permission was requested to select officials from this list. A motion for approval was made by Al Logsdon; seconded by Janis Qualizza; motion passed 11-0.

Assistant Commissioner Searcy presented a list of licensed gymnastics judges and requested permission to select judges for the 1999-2000 Gymnastics Tournament from said list. A motion for approval was made by Priscilla Dillow; seconded by Cassel White; motion passed 11-0.

Associate Commissioner Craft reported on the general format, sites and other preliminary plans for the 1999-2000 Boys Golf Tournament Series. This year’s tournament series will very closely mirror the 1998-99 tournament. The only change in sites will be the return of the sectional to Otis Park in Bedford from Seymour. Otis Park has traditionally hosted this sectional, but was being renovated in 1999. A motion to approve the recommendations for the 1999-2000 Boys Golf Tournament Series was made by Michael Powell; seconded by Mike Blackburn; motion passed 11-0.

Assistant Commissioner Searcy reported on the general format, sites and other preliminary plans for the 1999-2000 Track & Field Tournament Series. Included in this report were the following recommendations for changes in host sites:

A motion to approve the recommendations for the 1999-2000 Track & Field Tournament Series was made by Steve Riordan; seconded by Dale Crafton; motion passed 11-0.

The Executive Committee took the following actions in response to proposals presented by the Indiana Baseball Coaches Association during the December meeting. These changes will be effective for the 1999-2000 Baseball Tournament Series.

• It was recommended that the baseball tournament series be changed to a three-week format with four team regionals and the final four teams in each class qualifying to come to Indianapolis to determine the state champions. The semifinals would be played on Friday, with the state championship games on Saturday. A motion to approve this proposal was made by Mike Blackburn; seconded by Michael Powell; motion passed 11-0. Host sites will be determined at a later date, but hosts for the semifinal games must have lights.
• At the sectional level, any teams drawing into the bye round would play the second game of the semifinals, and the winner would be the visiting team for the championship game. A motion to approve the proposal was made by Al Logsdon; seconded by Mike Blackburn; motion passed 11-0.

Associate Commissioner Craft and Assistant Commissioner Wynns discussed host sites for the 2000 regional tournaments in girls basketball and boys basketball with the Executive Committee. The focus of the discussion centered on: (a) regionals with the potential for having opponents that are located in excess of 110 miles apart; and (b) gymnasiums that do not appear to be able to adequately accommodate a regional tournament. More information will be coming forth from the Association. However, when either of these conditions exist, the IHSAA will identify a host site.

The legal services contract between the IHSAA and Johnson, Smith, Pence & Heath LLP has expired. Commissioner Gardner recommended renewing a contract with the same firm. He outlined the terms and conditions with the Executive Committee. A motion to approve the proposed legal services contract was made by Michael Powell; seconded by Janis Qualizza; motion passed 11-0.

Associate Commissioner Craft reported on transfers that have been ruled upon during the 1999-2000 school year. This report included the following actions as of Jan. 10, 2000:

Assistant Commissioner Wynns reported on the unsportsmanlike conduct reports that the Association had received as of Jan. 12, 2000. At this point in the school year, 118 schools have not had a single unsportsmanlike conduct report filed on an athlete or coach in their school.

Commissioner Gardner presented the monthly financial report of the Association.

The following reports were presented regarding the financial status of sports conducted during the fall sports season.

• Boys cross country and girls cross country are deficit sports with the only income coming from the state meet. The total deficit for 1999 was $50,116.90. This is a slight increase (less than 1%) from the 1998 report.
• Boys tennis is a deficit sport that generates no income. The cost of boys tennis in 1999 was $21,159.32. While the cost of conducting this tournament has been very consistent, this is the smallest deficit in the last five years.
• Girls golf is a sport that produces no income. The cost of conducting the girls golf tournament in 1999 was $42,865.77.
• The balance sheet for boys soccer and girls soccer showed a 5.9%, or $8,000, improvement from 1998. While boys soccer was down slightly in revenue, the growth of girls soccer overshadowed that decline.
• The volleyball tournament changed to a three-week format for 1999, which makes it difficult to compare it to past tournaments. However, the bottom line showed a dramatic increase from 1998 of more than $40,000 for the Association.
• The football tournament series had the good fortune of great weather during 1999, and the net revenue to the Association reflected that with an improvement of more than 17 percent from 1998. Likewise, the member schools share of the football income was significantly higher at more than $900,000.

Attorney Robert Baker updated the Executive Committee on the current status of pending litigation against the Association.

Sports Information Director Russell reported that Pete Swanson, sports editor of the Princeton Daily Clarion, has been selected as the IHSAA Distinguished Media Service Award Recipient for 1999-2000 in District V. Swanson has been in his current position since 1989. Previously, he wrote for the Evansville Sunday Courier and Press from 1965 to 1986. A native of Chicago and a graduate of the University of Illinois, Pete worked for newspapers in Illinois and Ohio before coming to Indiana. He was to be honored Jan. 14 at the Princeton-Gibson Southern boys basketball game.

Commissioner Gardner reported on the National Federation’s Winter Meeting. Among the topics discussed were:

• A national student leadership conference which will be conducted in Indianapolis in 2001.
• The national high school sports web page being developed under the address of www.ihigh.com,
• The increase in dues for membership in the National Federation Officials Association (NFOA) from $8 to $10 effective in 2001.
• The current conflict between the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET) which approves foreign exchange programs.

Mark Palmer of Johnson, Smith, Pence & Heath LLP and a lobbyist on behalf of the IHSAA at the Indiana General Assembly, appeared before the Executive Committee to discuss the various issues regarding the Association that are before the legislature. An extended discussion ensued regarding those matters.

1. Letter from Janis E. Fisher, Portland, Ind.
2. Letter from Hoosier Heritage Conference member schools.

A motion to adjourn the January meeting of the IHSAA Executive Committee was made by Michael Powell; seconded by Janis Qualizza; motion passed 11-0. The next meeting of the Executive Committee will be at IHSAA headquarters at 8 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 18, 2000.