UIL News

June 16-17 UIL Legislative Council Highlights
Friday Night Football Telecast Ban Lifted
UIL Executive Director Charles Breithaupt announced during the UIL Legislative Council’s virtual summer meeting that he is using his temporary expanded pandemic-response powers granted him in May by the council to lift the ban on telecasting Friday night football games.
Breithaupt said he is doing this to accommodate fans, especially senior citizens and others in high-risk groups, who might otherwise like to attend the games, but would be reluctant to do so due to coronavirus concerns.

The lifting of the ban on Friday night football telecasts will be effective for the upcoming season only.

Unless the league’s central office staff are called upon to provide assistance, it will be up to the competing schools to mutually agree if telecasting of the games will be allowed, and if so, what format they would take — whether digital (such as webcasts) or “linear” (traditional TV broadcasts), or in any other format, Breithaupt said.

Supportive
Superintendents on the council were supportive. Barbers Hill ISD Superintendent Greg Poole said he understands the reasoning behind it and the need for flexibility during these times — and was encouraged to hear that this is not a long-term plan.

The telecasting of state football championships would still be under the purview of the league itself.
In general, except for state championships, there are no prohibitions on competing schools arranging for the telecasting of other UIL activities, such as basketball games.

“Full Schedule … Full Stands”
Breithaupt also announced that the league’s staff is working under the assumption that football and all other league-sponsored activities will return next school year “with a full schedule and with full stands.”

“That is our hope and our desire,” he said, adding that the league is working closely with the governor’s office and the education commissioner in coordinating the UIL’s ever-changing responses to the pandemic.

The Legislative Council also:
  • Approved, for the upcoming 2020-21 school year (unless vetoed by the education commissioner), increases in fees paid by schools to officials to officiate: 1) subvarsity basketball games and 2) scrimmages for baseball, basketball, football, soccer, volleyball and softball.

    The revisions stemmed from recommendations made at the UIL Sports Officials Committee meeting in May (see TEN, May 18).

  • Discussed (in various committees) several potential rule changes for academic, music and athletics contests.

    They are included in the "summary of actions" document.

    Some of the suggestions for rule changes were advanced for consideration at the October council meeting for possible approval for implementation for School Year 2021-22. The others were either referred to UIL staff to be studied or monitored, or did not advance out of committee.

  • Approved a $12.8 million operating budget for the upcoming school year that was submitted by the council’s Finance Committee (see TEN, March 30 for more info).

    The budget includes $100-to-$300 increases in per-school UIL membership fees — and ticket price hikes for most state contests over which the UIL has ticketing authority (generally on the state level).

    Staff reported that UT Austin (the league’s administrative parent) determined that because the league is self-funded, it is exempt from the requirement by the governor and other top legislative leaders to reduce state agency budgets by 5 percent.

  • Heard UIL staff announce that the 2020-21 UIL events calendar, which normally would have been posted by now, will likely be finalized on July 1 and posted soon after. The calendar, when completed, is expected to be posted here.