NJSIAA
set to 'tweak' new rules as needed
Leaders: Athletics governing body
more "transparent"
Monday, August 29, 2005 • By TERRENCE DOPP •
The Express-Times
TRENTON -- With children preparing to
return to school next week, the NJSIAA is weeks away from
its first school year since instituting a number of
reforms.
The New Jersey State Interscholastic
Athletic Association, which oversees 31 sports at 433
public, private and parochial schools statewide, announced
earlier this month it would lower many ticket prices and
institute stricter travel policies.
Alan Carr, president of the NJSIAA, said
after a year of taking hits over alleged price gouging he is
optimistic about the agency's image and monetary health in
the coming year. He added the sports regulatory group could
put further constraints on itself at any time.
"As an athletic director, we're always
optimistic," said Carr, who is also director of the athletic
programs at Haddon Heights High School. "We'll have to wait
and see. Since all of these (reforms) are new they're going
to have to run the course. Obviously, the NJSIAA will tweak
and adjust things as it becomes necessary."
The controversy began following last
year's football playoffs when Assemblyman John Burzichelli
lambasted the NJSIAA for what he said were high ticket
prices at post-season games. Those prices ranged from $7 for
an adult ticket for a play-off game at a school to as much
as $12 for tickets to games at venues such as Giants Stadium
in East Rutherford and Rutgers University.
The NJSIAA this month agreed to lower
tickets for school events to $5 for adults and $2 for
students.
Agency officials also agreed
to:
- have its executive committee craft
acceptable ranges for NJSIAA officials' meal
reimbursements;
- require prior approval for all
extraordinary expenses;
- improve board oversight of financial
and travel requests;
- track all expenditures.
Carr called the changes a substantive
reform effort.
"How much more transparent can you get?
They've really opened the books," he said of the NJSIAA's
50-member executive board. "People felt that adjustments
needed to be made and they were."
Burzichelli disagreed.
"Still to this day I don't think they
recognize anything was wrong," said Burzichelli,
D-Gloucester. "The only thing that can reel that
organization in is to cut off their cash flow."
According to NJSIAA budget documents, the
group ran a $2 million surplus in recent years while at the
same time hiking ticket prices.
Burzichelli is sponsoring a bill in
Trenton that would allow schools to withhold dues from
athletic organizations they believe charge exorbitant ticket
prices.
Executive Director Boyd Sands is
scheduled to step down in January. Sand's $142,000 salary is
a primary subject of critics' attacks; he also receives a
$92,000 pension as former superintendent of the Delsea
Regional School District.
He said internal oversight of the NJSIAA
is strong enough to make an outside monitor
unnecessary.
"Our finance committee audits us every
year and distributes it to all of our members," Sands said.
"We're the only organization in the state lowering our
prices."
Terrence Dopp is Trenton correspondent for The
Express-Times. He can be reached at 609-292-5154 or by
e-mail at tdopp@sjnewsco.com.
© 2005 The Express-Times. Used with
permission.
|