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Major shake-up coming to HS sports
IHSAA & IGHSAU to separate golf, tennis seasons starting 2025-26
A major decision in the world of Iowa high school sports came down from the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union on Monday that will change the landscape of both fall and spring sports.
The two associations have decided to split up both tennis and golf seasons, sending both boys’ golf and girls’ tennis to the fall.
The decision comes on the back of years of discussion as to how to break up the busy spring sports season. Currently, there are eight sanctioned spring sports in Iowa, and only six sports slated for the fall, including Class 4A boys’ golf.
With the new decision, the entirety of boys’ golf will be in one season, but boys’ golfers who also played cross-country or football may have a decision on their hands, as could girls’ tennis players who either run cross-country, swim or play volleyball.
“Our member schools have been asking for ways to relieve the crowded spring sports seasons for years,” IGHSAU executive director Erin Gerlich said in a news release. “The new changes provide relief in an already busy spring, and an opportunity for the IGHSAU and IHSAA to enhance the state tournament experiences for tennis and golf. A lot of work has gone into this process and we appreciate all of the input we have received regarding these changes.”
But the decision isn’t being met with overwhelmingly positive reactions so far.
On X (formerly Twitter), reactions are already rolling in, with one user calling it “absolutely ridiculous,” stating his concerns about the fate of small school golf districts, who’s golfers often play other fall sports.
Another user, replying to the IHSAA’s board brief, wondered if the two associations checked with any of the golf courses before making the decision. The switch from spring to fall for boys’ golf will inherently effect the scheduling of local courses.
In the same news release, IHSAA executive director Tom Keating said having all of the boys’ golf teams playing at the same time will simplify things for the association.
“Reducing the congestion in the spring schedule has been a topic of conversation among ADs, our staffs, representative councils, boards, and the joint IHSAA & IGHSAU committee for several years,” Keating said. “ “Moving our Class 3A, 2A, and 1A golf competitions to the fall to align with Class 4A is a step toward easing that congestion.”
The move will align the six Southeast Conference schools in the sport of boys’ golf. Currently, Burlington plays in the fall, as a Class 4A school, while Mt. Pleasant, Washington, Fairfield, Fort Madison and Keokuk play 3A golf in the spring. Burlington has, in the past, played in the SEC tournament in the spring.
Barring any changes to the plan, boys’ golf and girls’ tennis will only be in the spring for one more season, as the switch will take place just over one year from now, in the fall of 2025.
