Board of Directors Meeting Synopsis: Oct. 2, 2025

Venue: Minnesota State High School League Office, Brooklyn Center, Minn.     

Student Advisory Leadership Team (SALT) Members Will Cannon of Farmington, Isabelle Dingmann of Annandale and Blooming Prairie’s Madelyn Harvey shared the reflection.     

Board President Brent Schimek called the meeting to order at 9:44 a.m.       

The Board of Directors approved the meeting agenda and consent agenda.

The Board of Directors Meeting Minutes from July 29, 2025, were approved.     

During Public Comments, Rockford’s Dawn Engebretson, representing the Girls Fastpitch Coaches Association, spoke in support of a Spring Activity Advisory proposal that would permit Member Schools the option of adding four games to their regular-season softball schedule. Totino-Grace activities director Mike Smith, vice president of the Minnesota Baseball Coaches Association, spoke in support of the same proposal for baseball. 

Board of Directors Members shared reflections that ranged from fundraising efforts for updated athletic facilities at Minnesota State University-Mankato to focusing on the “why” in servant leadership to the transformational work of student leadership. Appreciation for the League Staff was also shared for their presentations at the Area Meetings.   

Lobbyist’s Report       

League Lobbyist Roger Aronson shared updates from the State Legislature, including information on the Cardiac Emergency Response Team discussions and available grant dollars. Under the Senate bill, Member School districts and charter schools must begin developing emergency response plans for the 2026-2027 school year. 

Legal Counsel Report      

League Counsel Kevin Beck reported on two active cases.   

Executive Director’s Report      

Executive Director Erich Martens:   

• Thanked the Board Members and League Staff for their investment in time and planning for the 2025-2026 school year.
• Shared feedback from the recently concluded Area Meetings that took place over three weeks in September and were held at nine locations. They were well-attended meetings that featured significant instruction and discussion. Member Schools are making great strides in their adoption of 9^th Grade Governance and providing guidance to the seventh and eighth graders who participate at a 9^th Grade or higher level.  
• Shared that he attended the Section 4 and 5 meeting in Chicago from Sept. 2-5. The meeting includes state executive directors and NFHS executive staff. 
• Yielded the floor to League Staff to share information on the Midwest Officiating Summit that was hosted by the League from Sept. 14-16.
• Shared a safety and security update as it relates to the League Office.
• Shared a MSHSL Foundation Update: Form A and Form B Grant Applications are available on the MSHSL Foundation website, and member schools are encouraged to submit their application(s). On Sept. 25, 2025, the MSHSL Foundation Board approved the designation of $755,000 to be allocated through the Form A Grant process and $445,000 (inclusive of $25,000 toward Together in Partnership and the Student Leadership Conferences) to be allocated through the Form B grant process. In future years, this figure may grow based on the strong attendance and the greater amounts of state sales tax the League receives. Both will be processed simultaneously this fall. Both Grant Applications are due November 10, 2025.

Executive Committee Report       

Board of Directors President Brent Schimek provided the Executive Committee report. The Executive Committee:    

• Approved a Member School application for Woodbury Leadership Academy.
• Approved TCO Stadium in Eagan as the host site for the Girls and Boys Lacrosse State Tournament championships and third place games on Saturday, June 13, 2026.
• Bloomington Jefferson High School was approved as the host site for the Adapted Hockey Tournament in March 2026.
• Wayzata High School was approved as the host site for the Adapted Softball State Tournament in the spring of 2026.
• Approved Saturday, May 16, 2025, as the date for State Robotics Championship at Concordia University, and Monday, June 15, 2026, as the date for the Prep Baseball Championship Series at Target Field.
• Approved the contract renewal with Signature Concepts, the League’s state tournament merchandise and apparel provider.   
• Announced that League Staff is preparing a memorandum to Member Schools related to the NFHS rules for clearly contrasting uniforms. This memo will suspend the in-contest penalties assessed for non-compliant uniforms. The League will continue to work with Member Schools that do not have fully compliant uniforms. This directive is effective Monday, Oct. 6, 2025.
• The Board of Directors approved the Executive Committee report. 

Action Items      

9A: 2025-2026 Strategic Directions    

The Board of Directors approved the 2025-2026 Strategic Directions that will guide the work of League Staff. The approved directions are: 

• The League will advance its mission and core beliefs by promoting and supporting the purpose and value of education-based activities and athletics. 
• The League will provide leadership in promoting the health, safety, and overall wellness of all students, coaches, administrators, and officials. 
• The League will develop and implement effective communication systems that inform, engage, and connect our schools and communities. 
• The League will demonstrate a strong commitment to policy governance within its board of directors and other League committees by implementing clear, consistent, and necessary processes, bylaws and policies and clearly communicating outcomes. 

9B: Spring Advisory Proposals   

Baseball and Softball

The Board of Directors approved a proposal that creates an option for adding up to four regular-season games in baseball and softball. The approval provides scheduling flexibility, especially in case of inclement weather that often presents challenges in the early spring. The approved proposal will allow teams to count in-season tournaments, doubleheaders or triangulars as one event, instead of the two or three games that might be played on that day. Tournaments held on a paired Friday and Saturday will count as one event. Teams will be permitted a maximum of two in-season tournaments. 

Golf

The Board of Directors approved a proposal that permits coaches to make lineup changes between Days 1 and 2 of a two-day, 36-hole singular event without counting the event as two separate events.

The Board of Directors approved a proposal that permits each team to list two alternates on their section tournament roster. These alternates could be used when a section team advances to the state tournament, in addition to the six players from the section roster. Once the state tournament begins, alternates may only replace a rostered player if that player cannot participate because of a justifiable non-injury/illness and non-violation reason.

A motion was made to approve a proposal that sought to adjust the number of teams in each of the three classifications in golf, but there was no second to the motion was made. The proposal, therefore, did not move to a vote.  

Speech 

The Board of Directors approved a proposal that amended the statement related to physical contact between two participants in Duo Interpretation and adjusts the language to read: There shall be no intentional body contact between speakers, except during the introduction.

The Board of Directors approved a proposal that clarifies the material selection rule by specifying that selections used in Humorous Interpretation must be cuttings from a single work unless poetry is used. The second part of the approved proposal is that a student may not use a cutting from the same literary work in more than one school year. 

Track and Field

The Board of Directors approved an adjustment to the regulation discus weight for Category 1 male wheelchair students from 1.6KG (3.5 pounds) to 1KG (2.2 pounds) to align with national adaptive standards. 

9C: Basketball Replay Policy  

The Board of Directors approved a proposal on an adjustment to the protocol for the Basketball Replay Policy which only applies to semifinal and final state tournaments to include basket interference as a reviewable play. 

9D: Girls Wrestling Section Tournament Format 

The Board of Directors approved a proposal that will expand Girls Wrestling at the section level, growing from four to eight sections with two qualifiers from each weight class in the section. This increases the number of section state qualifiers in each weight class from eight participants to 16. 

Discussion Items      

10A: Eligibility and Enrollment Ad Hoc Committee

League Staff and committee members shared updates from the committee’s work on analyzing possible options for the eligibility of students who are open enrolled in an online public school district program. Board members spoke in support of students having some academic connection to their school of participation in nearly all scenarios to maintain one of the pillars in education-based athletics. 

10B: Classification and Competitive Section Placement Process

League Staff shared updates to potential model options to determine MSHSL Enrollments, and ultimately, the classification of teams. Work continues in identifying the best model for determining enrollments for member schools ahead of the initiation of this process that is scheduled for the 2026-2027 school year.

Committee Reports      

11A: Eligibility Committee     

The Board of Directors approved the Eligibility Report as presented.      

11B: Audit/Finance Committee      

The Board of Directors approved the Financial Statements from July 2025 and August 2025. 

The Committee reviewed the Audit Entrance Meeting Letter. 

The Board of Directors approved the Audit/Finance Committee report as presented. 

11C: Marketing and Communications Committee     

League Staff:  

Shared a sponsorship update that includes digital assets, public service announcements, signage and other state tournament enhancements. 

Reported that work guided by Strategic Directions includes the communications of two ongoing publications: The League Update, which is targeted to activities administrators, and the newly-created The League Journal, an informative and engaging publication aimed at the broader League audience. 

League-created website content now also includes: Features and Profiles, Ongoing Features, State Tournament Coverage and League News.

Following Arbiter’s purchase of rSchools, schools are transitioning to Arbiter platforms for athletic and activities calendars, with full implementation expected by the 2026–2027 school year.

A new print bracket feature now generates a ready-to-use PDF, significantly improving the bracket experience for website users.

Activities Directors can now use Coaches Education Reminders to quickly notify coaches about required certifications and modules, making it more efficient to ensure all requirements are met.

Each Member School’s website page will soon feature a Section Tournament information block to make event details more accessible to the public.

The League’s Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be announced on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. The induction ceremony is Sunday, April 19, 2026, in downtown St. Paul.   

11D: Education and Leadership Committee

League Staff shared: 

The selection of postseason officials is underway. About 10 percent of those assigned will be new officials to the state tournament.

Preparation for the officiating of winter activities is underway. It includes meetings with coordinators and the creation of sports rules modules. 

Concussion Management, InsideOut Coaching, Health and Wellness and a Culture of Belonging and Inclusion are among the topics being considered for CER development. 

Registration is underway for the Together in Partnership Leadership conference. A year ago, more than 100 schools and 1,100 students participated in the four sites and the League thanks AMSD, MSBA, MASA, MASSP, MNIAAA and MSHSCA for their partnership in this initiative.

During the Board of Directors workshop in November, the board will review and discuss an amendment to the Heat Policy. Within this amendment, discussion will include emergency action plans for heat-related illness, heat acclimatization policy, a better understanding of the WBGT chart and activity modification charts. 

Informational      

• Board of Directors Workshop, virtual: Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2 p.m. 
• Next in-person meeting: Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, at the League Office. 
• The Board of Directors Meeting adjourned at 12:03 p.m.