NC legislature to probe group overseeing high school sports

Some state legislators are concerned that the organization overseeing high school sports has too much money and too much power. On Tuesday, an oversight committee led by the two top leaders of the legislature voted to launch an investigation into the N.C. High School Athletic Association.

Sen. Vickie Sawyer, R-Iredell, said the group receives state funding but is considered a private entity, and it’s amassed more money than similar sports organizations in other states. She said the group deserves more scrutiny because it’s “governing our most precious asset, our students and public schools.”

She praised the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations for “taking on the task of asking some very important concerns that have been asked by students, parents and media.” Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore lead the commission.

Tuesday’s action will appoint a subcommittee of the commission to oversee the probe, which could include subpoenas to the athletic association leadership. Separately, Sawyer and several other Senate Republicans have filed a bill that would require the NCHSAA’s finances to be audited by the Office of State Auditor.

The association is set up as a nonprofit organization, and its governing board consists of high school principals, athletic directors and superintendents. It organizes the schedules and rules for high school sports. It’s been around in some form for more than a century. Over the past year, the NCHSAA has developed COVID-19 restrictions for sports events and practices.

NCHSAA commissioner Que Tucker said in a statement released Tuesday that the organization “has an outstanding track record of serving its member schools,” as demonstrated by annual third-party audits “without incident.”

“If legislators are truly willing to listen, we welcome the opportunity for our state’s legislators to learn the truth about how the Association and its member schools impact our students and communities of this state,” Tucker said.

The oversight commission, known around the legislature as “GovOps,” last held a large investigation several years ago, when lawmakers probed Gov. Roy Cooper’s handling of a “mitigation fund” agreement with the developers of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

The commission is expected to become more active this year as it replaces the legislature’s nonpartisan Program Evaluation Division, which was eliminated. Legislative leaders say they plan to replace the division’s nonpartisan investigators with new staff who report to legislators of both parties. So far though, no hires have been announced.

This story was originally published April 13, 2021 at 1:36 PM.