The PIAA looks like they’re moving toward making competitive balance changes across the state, as momentum to curb balance of power in athletics is gaining momentum for change.

As the Pennsylvania Athletic Oversight Committee met last Monday in Harrisburg, a few items came to the forefront as the PIAA’s competition committee proposed changes in areas of competitive balance, recruiting and transfers.

Some of the key highlights from the meeting revolved around several topics including:

*Applying a stricter standard on transfers and requesting more information on transfer addresses to reduce or eliminate temporary housing incidents, which occur to have student-athletes move into an area temporarily for athletic purposes. It also includes a 21-day sit-out period for in-season transfers, a portal on the PIAA website that will host all requests for athletic eligibility and a rule that all transfers after ninth grade will be ineligible for postseason play for one year.

*The board passed a first reading that any transfer that occurs between eighth and ninth grade will eliminate that student from postseason play for one year following the transfer. Only special or truly unique circumstances can be considered for a waiver, pending a district hearing.

*An eligibility portal on the PIAA website that will be used to track all transfers and develop more data to review by the competition committee.

*A new method of classifying school that will include several factors, including enrollment, “success factor,” and a formula calculating the number of transfers on a team.

*Lastly of note, the idea of a “Super Class” for football and basketball powers is being floated around.

It also doesn’t seem that splitting up postseason tournaments to between private and public schools will occur anytime soon.