NJSIAA moves team state wrestling finals, talks 'red-shirting' proposal

ROBBINSVILLE – The road to wrestling glory in New Jersey this winter will divert to Phillipsburg.

NJSIAA Executive Director Colleen Maguire announced at the Oct. 14 Executive Committee meeting that the 2027 wrestling team state championships would be hosted by Phillipsburg High School on Feb. 7.

Rutgers, the usual host, had a conflict with a dual meet against Iowa that day. Maguire said Rutgers worked to try to find alternative options, but none could be found.

"Every year we are there [at Rutgers] we are very grateful," said Maguire. "But Phillipsburg is always eager and willing to host."

Phillipsburg, which has a storied wrestling program, hosted the individual state finals in 2021 when most sites were locked up because of COVID concerns. It has also been the host of the girls individual championships before that was moved to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

The presentation of state legislative liaison Paul Anzano to the committee included notes on two different bills being discussed before the Assembly. The first is a bill that would allow public schools to hire service veterans, discharged honorably, as coaches without having to get a teaching certificate. The NJSIAA is trying to add law enforcement officers to that exception as well.

Anzano discussed a new proposal that would limit an athlete's clock if he/she 'redshirted' before high school, by holding back a year, presumably for athletic advantage. Anzano noted the bill didn't have much support.

But the concept of redshirting, or 'staying back' continues to be a factor in New Jersey high school sports.

Maguire said Pennsylvania put in a rule saying that your four-year athletic clock started when you completed eighth grade, and that – to her knowledge – there hadn't been a lot of push back on the rule.

"I think there is a national backlog in the high school recruiting process," Maguire said. "Now that the NCAA has set the five-for-five rule, I think that will help. It's not just football, you saw it in baseball and basketball. I think in two years high school recruiting will open up again and be better, maybe we will see less of the reclassing to buy time."

The Executive Committee heard the findings of the Mercadien CPA firm that handled the NJSIAA's financial audit. Assets were described as over $6 million, an 11 percent increase, with revenue increasing 5 percent year-over-year.

Maguire, who started her NJSIAA career as the Financial Director, said the organization had 10 months of operating reserve on hand now, which was "pretty healthy."

Maguire said the organization has used the surplus funds to fully underwrite the Scholar-Athlete luncheon (making it free for all invited) and sent money out to conferences to run local sportsmanship seminars.

She also noted that wrestling and football state championship events pay a large chunk of the sports budget and that revenue can be fickle depending on weather and matchups.

Schools in Non-Public B for football have to notify the NJSIAA of their intent to enter the football playoffs by Oct. 15. Maguire has spoken to most schools, but also said she does give leeway if a school makes a compelling argument to drop out at the last minute. The Non-Public A and B football playoffs will be seeded by a committee on Nov. 1

Chief Operating Officer Tony Maselli said that cleared guidelines on the NJSIAA's official heat policy would be delivered to schools in the spring. He also said the NJSIAA was now mandating that ice hockey coaches wear helmets while on the ice for practice.

Chief Compliance Officer Paul Popadiuk said that four football teams and three boys soccer teams were ineligible for the State Tournament because of disqualifications. He also said for the first time to his knowledge there had been a fight among a pair of runners after a cross-country meet requiring disciplinary action.

The NJSIAA is looking for hosts for the District girls wrestling tournaments on Sunday, Feb. 14 that have room to use three mats.