When the NJSIAA’s realignment committee releases its plan to reshape high school sports leagues in New Jersey, it could bring sense and order to the state’s athletic structure.

Or it could just be the latest episode in a continuing fight.

The committee is expected to unveil its recommendations in September after working over the summer.  The effort grew out of two proposals rejected last fall by the NJSIAA membership.  One promoted by the Sussex County Interscholastic League (SCIL) would have reorganized the entire state into new leagues for football only.  The other, created by the public schools of the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL), would have allowed any public school in the state to opt out of playing private schools.

If it goes into effect, likely in the fall of 2009, the realignment plan would likely bring big changes for schools covered by Jersey Sports Now.  But if the plan falls short of what many hope to see, the issue could land in the lap of the state government or in court.

To be successful, the committee’s plan will need to address three issues:

Leagues with different size schools – A few recent shuffles helped reduce this problem in the Jersey Sports Now region, for example Passaic Tech moving out of the small-school BPSL.  But some issues remain, such as Butler being the only Group I school in the Northern Hills Conference.  In nearby Sussex County, Vernon is a Group IV school in the predominantly Group II SCIL.

Leagues that don’t make geographic sense – In our area, this is a major issue.  For example, the Northern Hills Conference stretches from West Milford to Newark to Morris Township, spanning three counties.  Pompton Lakes plays in a sports league with teams from Bergen County and the Paterson area.

A number of logical rivalries could be created if new leagues are formed.  Kinnelon, Butler and Pompton Lakes are similar-sized schools located within a few minutes of each other.  Currently, each plays in a different league and rarely do they meet on the sports field.  That could change in the future.

The dominance of some parochial schools – An issue for decades, this has exploded into a major controversy in recent years.  Ground Zero for the issue is the NNJIL, where schools like Don Bosco Prep, Bergen Catholic and Immaculate Heart beat up on their public school foes with mind-numbing regularity.

While the Jersey Sports Now area doesn’t have to deal with such powerhouses, some local schools do share leagues with parochials nearly unbeatable in certain sports, such as Delbarton and Paterson Catholic.

The NNJIL proposal would have effectively blown up sports leagues around the state by giving public schools the power to take private institutions off their schedules.  Yet it failed by only eight votes.  Some think it might have passed had the NJSIAA not announced the formation of its realignment committee just days before the vote.

That such a radical proposal came so close to passage demonstrates the growing anger among public schools at what they perceive as the private schools’ unfair advantages.  And it demonstrates what a challenge this committee faces as it tries to come up with a plan that makes everyone happy—or at least not mad enough to sue. -- Paul Mencher for Jersey Sports Now