Attorneys for Brentwood Academy and the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association debated before the nation’s high court yesterday. The case over alleged recruiting violations has athletic associations around the country watching closely.
The 10-year-old saga started with a batch letters sent by BA to incoming freshman, inviting them to spring football workouts. The TSSAA says the move amounted to ‘undue influence’ and thus a recruiting violation. The school says the students were already committed to attending the football powerhouse and the action should be protected under the First Amendment.
Debra Wilson is the staff attorney for the National Association of Independent Schools and wrote a court brief on behalf of BA. She says there are fears that a loss for the athletic association might mean similar governing bodies of both public and private school sports would ban independent schools from participating.
“I think all of the state athletic associations will give their rules another look, but I don’t think that it will cause them all to just automatically close the doors on private schools.”
Wilson says the litigation has already led to some much-needed revisions to recruiting rules and may actually improve collaboration between public and private schools.
Still, she admits the Supreme Court hearing is the latest in a series of turf wars between public schools – who have a limited geographic footprint to draw athletes from – and private schools who can look far and wide but can’t do much recruiting under new, stricter guidelines.
A ruling is expected by the end of June.
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