AUGUSTA, Ga. - The South Carolina High School League Executive Committee met to discuss how to address competitive balance in high school athletic programs across the state. 

No decision was made but they discussed several different options. 

One of which is similar to the proposal the GHSA just approved that would create a separate playoff bracket for private and charter schools in the region. 

Another option was for non-traditional schools to have the chance to decide between not playing in postseasons or playing 2 regions up. This would mean a team like Gray Collegiate would have to play in 4A instead of 2A. 

This comes on the heels of several 2A schools in Gray Collegiate Academy's region forfeiting their football games against the region this year citing a competitive unbalance. 

There was also plenty of discussion about an out-of-zone multiplier and competitive balance factor, which I know can be a little confusing, so I'm going to try and break down what those terms mean. 

An out-of-zone multiplier is where the SCHSL would use enrollment data of students from grades 9-11 to order schools from largest to smallest. It essentially means that for each student a school has who lives outside of their assigned zone, a designated multiplier will be added to their school. 

A competitive balance factor is a little simpler to understand. It would be based on the school's performance in each sport and would use the school's prior two years of success to determine which classification they belong in. 

There is also a proposal on the table that would be a combination of both an out-of-zone and competitive balance factor. 

The Committee is expected to meet again next week to discuss in more detail which option they will recommend, if any. 

The SCHSL has until December to release its 2024-2026 realignment plan and schools will have the option to submit any appeals. 

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