June 16, 2025 • 11 mins
Doug Ute, Executive Director of the Ohio High School Athletics Association talks about the logistical challenges of hosting a tournament with seven divisions instead of four and the change for the football playoff field.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Visiting with the OHSAA executive director Doug you'd here at
the state baseball tournament. And let's talk logistics first of all, Doug,
because now with seven divisions, we saw in basketball these
semis and the finals were separated. We'll get to that later,
but for baseball, you're able to play them all in
the same city softball as well, actually Akron and Canton
(00:21):
for baseball, and it does make it logistic challenge, especially
if we get rain, which we had this weekend. But
what are your early thoughts on the seven divisions and
the challenges therein.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Yeah, you know, we said this from day one with this,
We're going to do what's right and what's fair for
student athletes in Ohio. And I've said this to our
staff and our board. It's our job to figure the
logistics out of how we do that. And so this
past two weeks, you know, we have challenge and Akron
I still can't believe we got games in Wednesday through
Sunday and the sun didn't shine one bit and using
(00:54):
one field.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
But you know, when you look.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
At and we're looking at adding that second field over
beside the field, the second field at Firestone over there
next year they're going to turn the scoreboard around.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
And look at some seating.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
But but you know, when you're here at we couldn't
be happier here at Canal here in Akron, and you
know what's Sturman Munson twenty five minutes away something like that.
And we've getten early reports there that that staff just
did a really good job over there of running that.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
It's a great facility.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
So you know, we play all our finals in here,
so everybody gets that same experience, big league experience. And
so with the baseball softball, you know, we're really thrilled
that the way the last two weeks of going with that.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Let's switch it over to basketball because this past year,
the first go around with seven division state semifinals were
played the week before the finals at UD.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
There was talk then that you were.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Going to try and bring it all into the same weekend,
but a second facility would be needed.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
That is now settled, right, Oh.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Absolutely, Yeah, this past year we didn't have the should
have gone to Right State. They had some concerts and
some things. We did get a state semi final game
in there, but their staff stayed up all night and
after a rodeo, I think it was and then got
it so we could play some basketball in there in
(02:17):
southwest Ohio. And so they moved some things around for
us in the future. But I think the main thing
really what the basketball was, let's try the football model
the soccer model, just see how that works out around
the state and great environments, but didn't give that final
four feel that we think basketball is a final four feel.
And we heard that loud and clear from the schools
(02:38):
that participated in the tournament. It was a good experience.
But and so all of our final games will be
at UD Arena, but we'll work a schedule out. We're
doing that right now with Right State and UD and
possibly Wittenberg to filter over. So that we're trying to
get these two field models. Two divisions have to do
(03:01):
three days. There's a day off in between, and you know,
we'd kind of like to get people in and out
in two days so to cut down on the cost
for him and the costs of the communities go to
travel back and forth, those type of things.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
And so we're working that schedule out.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
We think we could we might even be able to
stagger the game times and knows that you know, one
ticket for two games and one facility, and you could
still take that ticket and get in the other facility
for that same session if there's another division you want
to see. So a little bit different than the past,
but still a Final Four experience.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Well, and that's a good thing because again you're trying
to adjust on the fly.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
But talk to me about football. Then.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Speaking of adjusting, you're going to twelve teams per region,
and that was of course the source of much consternation
when it went from eight to sixteen. But the people
that wanted twelve now are going to get their way,
so to speak. To talk about how that came about.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah, so you know, before I got here, we had vote,
our board voted to go from eight to twelve.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
COVID hit more people got in.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
We heard from our schools it's great that they wanted
that experience, and so we went to sixteen.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
And you know, if you look.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Over four years, over nine hundred games in there, and
you could opt out, and we only had three schools
opt out, and to be fair, one did it in
Southwest Ohio three four years ago. Two did it this
year because they didn't want to play Mary and Local
and heck, I don't know that anybody wanted to play Mary.
I think that Hillsdale might have opted out in the
championship game. But so, you know, but we've had those
(04:37):
conversations with folks about going back to twelve and sixteen
weeks too long, and ninety some percent of our champions
are one through four seeds, and so well.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
That bye week helped them out.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
I don't know, I mean, we're going kind of in
the reverse of the NCAA because I'm betting the four
seeds that got a buy that lost round one didn't
like that week sitting out. So but you know, we
had a lot of conversation with coaches association, conversations with
smaller coaches groups individual coaches, plus a survey, and they
(05:09):
all just kind of you know, I always say surveys
aren't votes, but we you know, it shared that the
twelve was favored, you know, the survey that we sent out,
and and you know, we were really interested in hearing
from folks that were one through fours and thirteen through
sixteen's in there. The bad part really is that just
(05:31):
you know, eats at me as I feel like we're
taking opportunity away from kids. And then up in your
neck of the woods. Think about this Delphis Saint John's
who plays in a MAC It was a fifteen seed
and they won three games last year because of their
tough schedule. Next year at their fifteen seed, they won't
get that opportunity. And that's that's the bad part. So
(05:54):
there's two sides of the coin. And we'll go We'll
go to the twelve, give the bye week and and
you know, continue to talk and see see where it
leads us.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Talking with Doug Youd, executive director of the HSAA here
at the state baseball tournament, speaking of feedback and adjusting.
You know, the screek squeaky wheel gets the grease, so
to speak. If you work in the media, you hear
from all the grousers about going to seven divisions as
far as specifically basketball and baseball.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
They don't like it. It's akin to the end of
the world.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Is are you hearing as much complaining as you did
about the sixteen teams or as I guess what I'm
asking is, will it be reconsidered to go to maybe
six with basketball?
Speaker 2 (06:36):
No, I don't think so, because you know, we looked
at six. We looked at five different combinations of five,
looked at six different combinations of that, and we look
at seven and one of the things we wanted to
do was we wanted to put schools in a tournament
that they would compete in that league. And to me,
some of the coaches at the smaller schools that complain.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
If I say to you know, you day coach at a.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Division six school or a five school, how about we
do this. How about we put you in a league
with Limis Senior that has double the kids you have
or triple the kids you have, and see how well
you like it. That's what our small D one schools
were faced with. And I can tell you this, some
of the squeaky Wheel people or some of the people
who don't like it, they would really not like it
(07:23):
if we went to that model for them. And so
really a year into it, there's absolutely no question in
my mind that we did the right thing because we're
seeing a Lewisville when or Western Brown was one of
the schools that approached us. They I got a picture
from them. They played in the district final girls basketball,
(07:44):
first trophy they've gotten thirty three years.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
They turn around and lost.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
In the state semi finals to Dover, a small D
one school past that and their coach told them after
the game, thanks for going to seven. Last year, the
same girls lost in the district final softball tournament to Centerville.
We have three hundred and fifty two kids in our
high school and they have nine hundred and seventy five now,
(08:09):
So you know, I find that. And two, I watch
those trophy presentations. I see some of those people that
are complaining, they get that medal around their neck, their
hands are in the air, and they're happy as can be.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
And so you know, I.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Guess we did what we thought we should have put
a school in a league or in a tournament that
they would play in that league, and it's just been
great to see some of these districts who are playing
similar size schools in a tournament get a chance to
be And again, it's not about being a state champ
for him. We just want to have a chance to
win a couple of games, and so we've seen that
(08:46):
this year.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
I guess to wrap up moving forward to the last
ten years. In the last five years, there's been a
lot of upgrade slash changes from the way tournaments are
run or the way they're constructed, the numbers of divisions,
as some of the arenas and facilities we had to move.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
To, et cetera, et cetera. Are we just ready to
kind of ride this out as is for a while.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Sometimes I tell people slap me if I think about
getting to change in something, because change is difficult. But
you know, when we look at our venues and where
we're putting our teams, that we have to be fistially responsible.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
We're biased. We think we have the.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Best tournaments in the in the country, and so we've
been able to renegotiate some contracts with football basketball places
where we're at a lot cheaper than we were before.
And and uh and and that's a big savings because
you know, I shouldn't have to remind people that our
members schools know this, are our our board members know this,
(09:42):
that that we were four straight years of death suspending
and headed towards a bankruptcy wall, and so we had
to turn that. And so we've turned that to, uh,
you know, a nine months cash on hand policy and
then every dime after that goes right back to our schools.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Remember of school year ago.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
But you want a tournament game or not got a
two thousand dollars check in August. So that was one
point six million dollars back to our schools just to
get us back to nine months cash on hand. And
so but I was staying at State track last week.
I won't mention the school or the state, but they
came to watch our track meet. You know, we're in
Jesse Owen's Stadium and that's a great venue for track,
(10:21):
you know that. And I asked them where do you
guys run your track at and they say, we have
three divisions and we run them in three high schools
what we did in COVID and so we don't nothing
against our high schools, but we want that experience to be,
you know, top level. And so we're we're I was lucky.
We're going to take tennis back down to Mason next year.
(10:43):
And you know, I always said you got to go
to New York City find a better facility. And I
don't know that New York City's better now. They just
put two hundred million dollars into that facility and it
is awesome.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
And so you know, we're.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Looking to put our student athletes in those type of facilities.
And we're fortunate here in Ohio to have a lot
a lot of good facilities for.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
That, Doug, appreciate your time. Another fun state baseball tournament.
We look forward to next season.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Well, thank you, and again we're blessed in Ohio to
with so many good folks that cover high school sports
and promote that, and you're one of them, but in
northwest Ohio, so thank you for what you do.
Visiting with the OHSAA executive director Doug you'd here at
the state baseball tournament. And let's talk logistics first of all, Doug,
because now with seven divisions, we saw in basketball these
semis and the finals were separated. We'll get to that later,
but for baseball, you're able to play them all in
the same city softball as well, actually Akron and Canton
(00:21):
for baseball, and it does make it logistic challenge, especially
if we get rain, which we had this weekend. But
what are your early thoughts on the seven divisions and
the challenges therein.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Yeah, you know, we said this from day one with this,
We're going to do what's right and what's fair for
student athletes in Ohio. And I've said this to our
staff and our board. It's our job to figure the
logistics out of how we do that. And so this
past two weeks, you know, we have challenge and Akron
I still can't believe we got games in Wednesday through
Sunday and the sun didn't shine one bit and using
(00:54):
one field.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
But you know, when you look.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
At and we're looking at adding that second field over
beside the field, the second field at Firestone over there
next year they're going to turn the scoreboard around.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
And look at some seating.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
But but you know, when you're here at we couldn't
be happier here at Canal here in Akron, and you
know what's Sturman Munson twenty five minutes away something like that.
And we've getten early reports there that that staff just
did a really good job over there of running that.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
It's a great facility.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
So you know, we play all our finals in here,
so everybody gets that same experience, big league experience. And
so with the baseball softball, you know, we're really thrilled
that the way the last two weeks of going with that.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Let's switch it over to basketball because this past year,
the first go around with seven division state semifinals were
played the week before the finals at UD.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
There was talk then that you were.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Going to try and bring it all into the same weekend,
but a second facility would be needed.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
That is now settled, right, Oh.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Absolutely, Yeah, this past year we didn't have the should
have gone to Right State. They had some concerts and
some things. We did get a state semi final game
in there, but their staff stayed up all night and
after a rodeo, I think it was and then got
it so we could play some basketball in there in
(02:17):
southwest Ohio. And so they moved some things around for
us in the future. But I think the main thing
really what the basketball was, let's try the football model
the soccer model, just see how that works out around
the state and great environments, but didn't give that final
four feel that we think basketball is a final four feel.
And we heard that loud and clear from the schools
(02:38):
that participated in the tournament. It was a good experience.
But and so all of our final games will be
at UD Arena, but we'll work a schedule out. We're
doing that right now with Right State and UD and
possibly Wittenberg to filter over. So that we're trying to
get these two field models. Two divisions have to do
(03:01):
three days. There's a day off in between, and you know,
we'd kind of like to get people in and out
in two days so to cut down on the cost
for him and the costs of the communities go to
travel back and forth, those type of things.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
And so we're working that schedule out.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
We think we could we might even be able to
stagger the game times and knows that you know, one
ticket for two games and one facility, and you could
still take that ticket and get in the other facility
for that same session if there's another division you want
to see. So a little bit different than the past,
but still a Final Four experience.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Well, and that's a good thing because again you're trying
to adjust on the fly.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
But talk to me about football. Then.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Speaking of adjusting, you're going to twelve teams per region,
and that was of course the source of much consternation
when it went from eight to sixteen. But the people
that wanted twelve now are going to get their way,
so to speak. To talk about how that came about.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah, so you know, before I got here, we had vote,
our board voted to go from eight to twelve.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
COVID hit more people got in.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
We heard from our schools it's great that they wanted
that experience, and so we went to sixteen.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
And you know, if you look.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Over four years, over nine hundred games in there, and
you could opt out, and we only had three schools
opt out, and to be fair, one did it in
Southwest Ohio three four years ago. Two did it this
year because they didn't want to play Mary and Local
and heck, I don't know that anybody wanted to play Mary.
I think that Hillsdale might have opted out in the
championship game. But so, you know, but we've had those
(04:37):
conversations with folks about going back to twelve and sixteen
weeks too long, and ninety some percent of our champions
are one through four seeds, and so well.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
That bye week helped them out.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
I don't know, I mean, we're going kind of in
the reverse of the NCAA because I'm betting the four
seeds that got a buy that lost round one didn't
like that week sitting out. So but you know, we
had a lot of conversation with coaches association, conversations with
smaller coaches groups individual coaches, plus a survey, and they
(05:09):
all just kind of you know, I always say surveys
aren't votes, but we you know, it shared that the
twelve was favored, you know, the survey that we sent out,
and and you know, we were really interested in hearing
from folks that were one through fours and thirteen through
sixteen's in there. The bad part really is that just
(05:31):
you know, eats at me as I feel like we're
taking opportunity away from kids. And then up in your
neck of the woods. Think about this Delphis Saint John's
who plays in a MAC It was a fifteen seed
and they won three games last year because of their
tough schedule. Next year at their fifteen seed, they won't
get that opportunity. And that's that's the bad part. So
(05:54):
there's two sides of the coin. And we'll go We'll
go to the twelve, give the bye week and and
you know, continue to talk and see see where it
leads us.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Talking with Doug Youd, executive director of the HSAA here
at the state baseball tournament, speaking of feedback and adjusting.
You know, the screek squeaky wheel gets the grease, so
to speak. If you work in the media, you hear
from all the grousers about going to seven divisions as
far as specifically basketball and baseball.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
They don't like it. It's akin to the end of
the world.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Is are you hearing as much complaining as you did
about the sixteen teams or as I guess what I'm
asking is, will it be reconsidered to go to maybe
six with basketball?
Speaker 2 (06:36):
No, I don't think so, because you know, we looked
at six. We looked at five different combinations of five,
looked at six different combinations of that, and we look
at seven and one of the things we wanted to
do was we wanted to put schools in a tournament
that they would compete in that league. And to me,
some of the coaches at the smaller schools that complain.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
If I say to you know, you day coach at a.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Division six school or a five school, how about we
do this. How about we put you in a league
with Limis Senior that has double the kids you have
or triple the kids you have, and see how well
you like it. That's what our small D one schools
were faced with. And I can tell you this, some
of the squeaky Wheel people or some of the people
who don't like it, they would really not like it
(07:23):
if we went to that model for them. And so
really a year into it, there's absolutely no question in
my mind that we did the right thing because we're
seeing a Lewisville when or Western Brown was one of
the schools that approached us. They I got a picture
from them. They played in the district final girls basketball,
(07:44):
first trophy they've gotten thirty three years.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
They turn around and lost.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
In the state semi finals to Dover, a small D
one school past that and their coach told them after
the game, thanks for going to seven. Last year, the
same girls lost in the district final softball tournament to Centerville.
We have three hundred and fifty two kids in our
high school and they have nine hundred and seventy five now,
(08:09):
So you know, I find that. And two, I watch
those trophy presentations. I see some of those people that
are complaining, they get that medal around their neck, their
hands are in the air, and they're happy as can be.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
And so you know, I.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Guess we did what we thought we should have put
a school in a league or in a tournament that
they would play in that league, and it's just been
great to see some of these districts who are playing
similar size schools in a tournament get a chance to
be And again, it's not about being a state champ
for him. We just want to have a chance to
win a couple of games, and so we've seen that
(08:46):
this year.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
I guess to wrap up moving forward to the last
ten years. In the last five years, there's been a
lot of upgrade slash changes from the way tournaments are
run or the way they're constructed, the numbers of divisions,
as some of the arenas and facilities we had to move.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
To, et cetera, et cetera. Are we just ready to
kind of ride this out as is for a while.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Sometimes I tell people slap me if I think about
getting to change in something, because change is difficult. But
you know, when we look at our venues and where
we're putting our teams, that we have to be fistially responsible.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
We're biased. We think we have the.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Best tournaments in the in the country, and so we've
been able to renegotiate some contracts with football basketball places
where we're at a lot cheaper than we were before.
And and uh and and that's a big savings because
you know, I shouldn't have to remind people that our
members schools know this, are our our board members know this,
(09:42):
that that we were four straight years of death suspending
and headed towards a bankruptcy wall, and so we had
to turn that. And so we've turned that to, uh,
you know, a nine months cash on hand policy and
then every dime after that goes right back to our schools.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Remember of school year ago.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
But you want a tournament game or not got a
two thousand dollars check in August. So that was one
point six million dollars back to our schools just to
get us back to nine months cash on hand. And
so but I was staying at State track last week.
I won't mention the school or the state, but they
came to watch our track meet. You know, we're in
Jesse Owen's Stadium and that's a great venue for track,
(10:21):
you know that. And I asked them where do you
guys run your track at and they say, we have
three divisions and we run them in three high schools
what we did in COVID and so we don't nothing
against our high schools, but we want that experience to be,
you know, top level. And so we're we're I was lucky.
We're going to take tennis back down to Mason next year.
(10:43):
And you know, I always said you got to go
to New York City find a better facility. And I
don't know that New York City's better now. They just
put two hundred million dollars into that facility and it
is awesome.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
And so you know, we're.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Looking to put our student athletes in those type of facilities.
And we're fortunate here in Ohio to have a lot
a lot of good facilities for.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
That, Doug, appreciate your time. Another fun state baseball tournament.
We look forward to next season.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Well, thank you, and again we're blessed in Ohio to
with so many good folks that cover high school sports
and promote that, and you're one of them, but in
northwest Ohio, so thank you for what you do.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!