Ohio’s high school athletics postseason system perpetuates a competitive disadvantage for public schools.
Since 2010, private schools have won 80 percent of Ohio Division I football titles. During that interval, Pickerington Central won two titles, and Olentangy Liberty captured the title this year.
With few recent exceptions, Ohio public school teams struggle to compete with private school programs because their ability to recruit maintains their superiority.
St. Ignatius has won six straight Division I men’s soccer championships since 2019. The Wildcats won 67 consecutive games from 2019-2022.
St. Edward won three consecutive Division I football championships from 2021-23. Their 2023 roster included three offensive linemen with an average height of 6’6” and an average weight of 302 pounds. Two of the linemen committed to Ohio State and one committed to Michigan.
The Eagles’ domination is even greater on the mat; the team has racked up 25 wrestling state championships since 1997.
The advantage is not only in the most popular high school sports. Hawken won the Division II women’s swimming championship from 1999-2022 consecutively.
St. Edward has won 67 state championships across all sports. St. Ignatius has accumulated 47, and their Cincinnati counterpart St. Xavier has 64.
While all students who attend public school must live within district boundaries, a private school draws talent from all over. Today, when the focus of high school sports has shifted from fun to playing at the next level and earning NIL riches, private schools will only grow more dominant because of their notable reputations for producing college athletes.
St. Edward and St. Ignatius are prominent programs with connections across the NCAA. Playing for a coach who consistently sends players to major college programs is an appealing option.
Although not yet possible in Ohio, 38 states allow high school athletes to profit from their name, image or likeness. In these states, top high school athletes are inking four- and five-figure deals before they reach college.
Ohio should follow the lead of states such as Texas, Florida, Virginia and Louisiana, which offer unique public and private school championships. Other states force private schools to compete in higher-enrollment divisions.
Coaches, athletes, students and staff deserve a realistic chance to celebrate a Shaker state title. Ohio should separate public and private school championships.
A version of this article appears in print on page 8 of Volume 95, Issue 3, published Jan. 24, 2025.
