INFORMATION ON THE FIRST 100 SCHOOLS AND THE 100 SCHOOL MILESTONE

FAQ on the 100 School Milestone

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What happens when at least 100 PIAA high schools sponsor girls wrestling?

Having 100 schools that sponsor girls wrestling indicates that girls wrestling is eligible to be voted upon for full sponsorship by the PIAA Board of Directors at their Board Meeting.  When at least 100 PIAA high schools are sponsoring girls wrestling, SanctionPA will communicate this to the PIAA, and at a subsequent PIAA Board of Directors meeting, a motion can be brought forth to sponsor the sport.

 

Does reaching 100 schools mean that girls wrestling is sanctioned in Pennsylvania?

Reaching 100 schools with girls wrestling teams does not automatically place girls wrestling under the jurisdiction of the PIAA – a vote by the PIAA Board of Directors is required. Reaching 100 schools is the necessary threshold so that sponsorship can be voted upon.

 

Does reaching 100 schools mean there will be a PIAA State Championship for Girls for the 2022-2023 post-season?

Reaching 100 schools with girls wrestling teams before the 2022-2023 post-season will not create a PIAA State Championship for girls for the 2022-2023 post-season. Having 100 schools that sponsor girls wrestling indicates that girls wrestling is eligible to be voted upon for full sponsorship by the PIAA Board of Directors at their Board Meeting, at which time they will determine which season sponsorship of the sport will begin.

 

When will the PIAA’s sponsorship of girls wrestling take effect?

At the PIAA Board Meeting in which sponsorship of girls wrestling is voted on, the PIAA will determine which season sponsorship of the sport will begin. It is projected that girls wrestling will be under PIAA jurisdiction starting with the 2023-2024 season.

 

Can our school still form a team after 100 schools sponsor the sport?

Absolutely! Schools can start girls wrestling teams at any time. To do so, your School Board can vote on it or a formation statement can be signed and sent to us at sanctionpa@gmail.com. More information about starting a team can also be found in our Informational Packet or at our website: www.sanctionpa.com. If you have any questions about starting a team, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

 

Should our school still form a team after 100 schools sponsor the sport?

Yes! Adding girls wrestling at your school still brings all the same benefits to your school community, including greater student engagement, scholarship opportunities and increased post-secondary matriculation, assistance with Title IX compliance, and many more that you can read about here. In addition, once girls wrestling is sanctioned, if a school does not sponsor a girls’ team, any girls on the boys’ team will not be able to compete in PIAA girls’ events without using boys’ competition points. Now is a great time to form so your program is ready once PIAA sponsorship is here!

 

Who do we notify if we form a team after the 100-school threshold is reached?

SanctionPA will continue to be the primary point of contact for girls wrestling after the 100 school milestone is reached and until the sport is sanctioned. To that end, if you form a team, schools should continue to notify SanctionPA upon forming at sanctionpa@gmail.com. For schools that form teams, you can also mark that you sponsor girls wrestling in your school profile on the PIAA website.

 

Who do we contact for questions related to girls wrestling after the 100-school threshold is reached?

SanctionPA will continue to be the primary point of contact for girls wrestling until the sport is sanctioned. To that end, if you have any questions related to girls wrestling, you can reach out to us at sanctionpa@gmail.com.

 

Do official girls wrestling teams need to do anything differently with our team now that there are 100 schools sponsoring girls wrestling?

Because reaching the milestone of 100 girls’ teams does not automatically sanction girls wrestling, you can continue operating your program under the guidelines we’ve provided for the remainder of the 2022-2023 season. Once girls wrestling is sanctioned, programs will need to follow all PIAA rules as of the first season of PIAA sponsorship (projected to be 2023-2024). At the time of sponsorship, both the PIAA and SanctionPA will communicate guidelines. In general, you can expect those guidelines to mimic those of boys wrestling and therefore be very similar to how you’re currently operating your girls’ program.

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