OPINION —
I am writing to address several serious inaccuracies in Stephanie Smith’s Feb. 5, 2026 article about the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA). The claims that the AHSAA “operates in the shadows,” lacks accountability or uses its rules to punish students are not only misleading-they distort the truth about an organization built, governed and held accountable by Alabama’s own schools.
The AHSAA is not a secretive body. It serves 422 senior high schools through a structure created and directed by those very schools. Every bylaw is debated, voted on and enacted through a transparent legislative process led by principals, superintendents and coaches, with representation from the State Department of Education. Board minutes are publicly available online. Meetings are posted, open to the public and accessible to anyone who wishes to observe. Transparency is not an afterthought-it is the operating standard.
The article’s reference to a “1.5” multiplier is factually incorrect. The multiplier is 1.35 and has been in place since 2000, enacted by the member schools. Its purpose is not punitive. It exists to balance the competitive landscape between public schools, which must accept every zoned student, and private schools, which can manage enrollment. To portray this long-standing, member-approved measure as a new act of hostility is irresponsible.
Equally misleading is the suggestion that the AHSAA is “blocking” students from accessing Choose Act funds.The AHSAA has no authority to stop any student from accepting state assistance. What it does have is a longstanding eligibility rule — again created and approved by the member schools — that applies when a student enrolls in a private school and receives financial aid. That student becomes ineligible for varsity athletics for one year. This rule predates the Choose Act by decades.
The recent collision between state law and athletic eligibility was not caused by AHSAA malice. It was fueled by political interference — lawmakers attempting to legislate athletic eligibility for 422 member schools — rather than allowing those schools to govern themselves through the established democratic process. When politics overrides member authority, confusion and division follow. It was a recipe for disaster, and the current fallout reflects that overreach.
The public deserves clarity. The AHSAA enforces rules written, debated and approved by its own member schools to protect fairness and competitive integrity statewide. Suggesting otherwise misleads communities and undermines the very schools the Association exists to serve.
Dan Washburn
AHSAA Executive Director, retired
