The NSAA Board of Directors met on August 17, 2022 at the NSAA Office in Lincoln with members present as follows:
Meeting was called to order at 8:30 AM
1. Moved to appoint Troy Unzicker as Board Chairperson and Ryan Ruhl as Vice Chairperson. Motion Carried: 7-0
2. The Consent Agenda was presented with the following items:
Motion Carried: 7-0
3. The Board was provided Conflict of Interest forms for their signature.
4. It was moved to allow Executive Director Jay Bellar and Associate Director Jennifer Schwartz to sign all documents and financial statements and reports relating to operations, investments, expenditures, and receipts of the NSAA. Motion Carried: 7-0
5. Moved to approve the 2022 Fall Activity Manuals and the 2022-23 Media Manual. Motion Carried: 7-0
6. Moved to approve the 2022-23 Board of Directors Policy Manual. Motion Carried: 7-0
7. Moved to allow Lincoln Pius X High School to opt up to Class A in all athletics except football for the 2022-23 season. Motion Carried: 7-0
8. Moved to allow Omaha Buena Vista High School to opt up to Class A in all athletics except football for the 2022-23 season. Motion Carried: 7-0
9. Moved to allow Omaha Westview High School to opt up to Class A in all athletics except football for the 2022-23 season. Motion Carried: 7-0.
10. Moved to approve the corrected total enrollment and girls enrollment figures for David City Aquinas High School. Motion Carried: 7-0
11. Moved to approve the 2022 District Music Financial Report. Motion Carried: 7-0
12. Chairperson Drews lead the Board in a discussion about the book "8 Ways to Support Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for All."
13. The Board went into closed session at 9:49 a.m. to hear appeals of hardship from Omaha Nation High School.
14. The Board exited closed session at 10:15 a.m.
15. The Board moved to increase the number of NFHS weight classes for Girls Wrestling from 12 to 14. Motion Carried: 8-0
16. Moved to increase the number of Girls Wrestling state qualifiers to 16 in each weight class. Motion Carried: 8-0
17. Moved to assign Girls Wrestling to four districts with the top 16 teams serpentined, the remaining western schools placed in the westernmost district, and then all remaining schools placed in the other three districts by serpentine. Motion Carried: 8-0
18. Moved to increase postseason pay for officials: Motion Carried: 8-0
19. The Board discussed the proposed 2022-23 NSAA Budget. The budget will be presented for adoption at the September Board meeting.
20. Moved to enter into executive session at 11:43 a.m. to discuss a pending lawsuit, staffing, and to protect the public interest, and to prevent the needless injury to the reputation of an individual(s). Motion Carried: 8-0
21. Moved to exit executive session at 12:42 p.m.
22. In the matter of the Omaha Nation hardship appeal, it was moved that based on the evidence presented and the foregoing standards, the requirement for a hardship waiver was not met. The students transferred from one school to another school in a manner that makes the students ineligible as determined by the Executive Director and set forth in the findings of fact. Motion Carried: 8-0
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 12:44 p.m.
The next meeting of the NSAA Board of Directors will be September 15, 2022 at the NSAA Office in Lincoln.
District I - Kara Graham, Lincoln Southeast
District I - Dana Wiseman, Sutton
District II - Dr. Bob Reznicek, Boys Town
District II - Thomas Lee, Omaha Westview (joined via teleconference at 9:45 a.m.)
District III - Dr. Jon Cerny, Bancroft-Rosalie
District IV - Ryan Ruhl, Centura
District V - Robert Drews, Arapahoe
District VI - Dr. Troy Unzicker, Alliance
Also in attendance: Bobby Truhe, NSAA Legal Counsel.Meeting was called to order at 8:30 AM
1. Moved to appoint Troy Unzicker as Board Chairperson and Ryan Ruhl as Vice Chairperson. Motion Carried: 7-0
2. The Consent Agenda was presented with the following items:
- Approval of the meeting Agenda as amended
- Approval of the Minutes of the May 23rd Music Advisory Committee
- Approval of the Financial Statements
- Approval of the following new cooperative sponsorships for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years
- Kearney Catholic and Amherst for Softball
- Osmond and Randolph for Boys Basketball and Girls Basketball
- Adams Central and Hastings for Girls Wrestling
- Elgin and Pope John for Boys Cross Country and Girls Cross Country
- Alliance and Hemingford for Softball
- Emerson-Hubbard and Allen for Boys Cross Country, Girls Cross Country, Girls Golf and Girls Wrestling
- Crofton and Bloomfield for Girls Wrestling
- Yutan and Mead for Boys Cross Country and Girls Cross Country
- Grand Island and Heartland Lutheran for Boys Bowling and Girls Bowling
- Nebraska City, Lourdes Central Catholic and Johnson-Brock for Boys Cross Country, Girls Cross Country, Girls Golf, Boys Tennis, Softball, Wrestling, Girls Wrestling, Baseball, Girls Tennis and Boys Golf
- Omaha Mercy, Omaha Brownell-Talbot, Omaha Concordia and Omaha Christian for Softball
- Seward, Centennial and Milford for Girls Wrestling
- Beatrice and Freeman for Girls Wrestling
- Medicine Valley and Hayes Center for Wrestling
- Alliance and Hyannis for Boys Cross Country
- Sargent and Loup County for Girls Wrestling
- Approval of the following cooperative sponsorship renewals for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years
- O'Neill and St. Mary's for Boys Cross Country, Girls Cross Country, Girls Golf, Softball, Boys Golf and Instrumental Music
- Yutan and Mead for Softball
- Norfolk, Norfolk Catholic and Lutheran High Northeast for Baseball
- Grand Island, Grand Island Central Catholic, Grand Island Northwest and Heartland Lutheran for Baseball
- Osceola and Cross County for Boys Golf
- Omaha Roncalli and Omaha Brownell-Talbot for Boys Cross Country and Girls Cross Country
- Fremont and Archbishop Bergan for Boys Bowling and Girls Bowling
- Norfolk Catholic and Lutheran High Northeast for Boys Soccer and Girls Soccer
- Kearney and Kearney Catholic for Boys Swimming and Girls Swimming
- Humphrey and Lindsay Holy Family for Boys Bowling and Girls Bowling
- Kearney and Kearney Catholic for Baseball
- Omaha Duchesne and Omaha Roncalli for Softball and Girls Track
- Crete and Milford for Baseball
- Maxwell and North Platte St. Patrick's for Baseball
- Approval of the following cooperative sponsorship renewal for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years
- Columbus and Columbus Scotus for Boys Tennis, Softball, Boys Swimming, Girls Swimming, and Girls Tennis
- Approval of the dissolution of the following cooperative sponsorships for the 2022-23 school year
- Douglas County West and Omaha Concordia for Wrestling
- Bancroft-Rosalie and Lyons-Decatur Northeast for Girls Wrestling
Motion Carried: 7-0
3. The Board was provided Conflict of Interest forms for their signature.
4. It was moved to allow Executive Director Jay Bellar and Associate Director Jennifer Schwartz to sign all documents and financial statements and reports relating to operations, investments, expenditures, and receipts of the NSAA. Motion Carried: 7-0
5. Moved to approve the 2022 Fall Activity Manuals and the 2022-23 Media Manual. Motion Carried: 7-0
6. Moved to approve the 2022-23 Board of Directors Policy Manual. Motion Carried: 7-0
7. Moved to allow Lincoln Pius X High School to opt up to Class A in all athletics except football for the 2022-23 season. Motion Carried: 7-0
8. Moved to allow Omaha Buena Vista High School to opt up to Class A in all athletics except football for the 2022-23 season. Motion Carried: 7-0
9. Moved to allow Omaha Westview High School to opt up to Class A in all athletics except football for the 2022-23 season. Motion Carried: 7-0.
10. Moved to approve the corrected total enrollment and girls enrollment figures for David City Aquinas High School. Motion Carried: 7-0
11. Moved to approve the 2022 District Music Financial Report. Motion Carried: 7-0
12. Chairperson Drews lead the Board in a discussion about the book "8 Ways to Support Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for All."
13. The Board went into closed session at 9:49 a.m. to hear appeals of hardship from Omaha Nation High School.
14. The Board exited closed session at 10:15 a.m.
15. The Board moved to increase the number of NFHS weight classes for Girls Wrestling from 12 to 14. Motion Carried: 8-0
16. Moved to increase the number of Girls Wrestling state qualifiers to 16 in each weight class. Motion Carried: 8-0
17. Moved to assign Girls Wrestling to four districts with the top 16 teams serpentined, the remaining western schools placed in the westernmost district, and then all remaining schools placed in the other three districts by serpentine. Motion Carried: 8-0
18. Moved to increase postseason pay for officials: Motion Carried: 8-0
19. The Board discussed the proposed 2022-23 NSAA Budget. The budget will be presented for adoption at the September Board meeting.
20. Moved to enter into executive session at 11:43 a.m. to discuss a pending lawsuit, staffing, and to protect the public interest, and to prevent the needless injury to the reputation of an individual(s). Motion Carried: 8-0
21. Moved to exit executive session at 12:42 p.m.
22. In the matter of the Omaha Nation hardship appeal, it was moved that based on the evidence presented and the foregoing standards, the requirement for a hardship waiver was not met. The students transferred from one school to another school in a manner that makes the students ineligible as determined by the Executive Director and set forth in the findings of fact. Motion Carried: 8-0
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 12:44 p.m.
The next meeting of the NSAA Board of Directors will be September 15, 2022 at the NSAA Office in Lincoln.
