Look at the Oahu Interscholastic Association’s track record when it comes to accepting change — or what the rest of us might call progress. Then it’s no surprise the public schools passed on the proposed football alliance with the private schools of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu.

An element of the OIA long-resisted state classification until it was finally worn down by the rest of the state and common sense around the turn of the millennium.

Back to the present and future, proponents hoped this longstanding idea of an alliance might come to be in time for the 2016 season that starts next month, that the OIA and ILH could merge and benefit all concerned.

How was this going to happen? Well, primarily by the leagues setting up a system that would make viable three instead of the current two classifications on Oahu for football. That would mean a super conference of the most powerful teams, along with second and third divisions. This format would mean something much closer to competitive balance, including fewer mismatches and forfeits. Also, regular-season games between the powerhouses would draw big crowds.

Many among the OIA liked the idea, even championed it (though not too loudly, for fear of repercussion). But, in the end, the stubborn old guard won out, at least for this year. The longstanding concept of “we don’t need you” apparently trumped what would actually be better for student-athletes.

A powerful element remains among OIA administrators that doesn’t want to bow in any way to the ILH, even if it’s a proposal that would help the public school kids and the overall status of high school sports in Hawaii.

The OIA is full of tireless, selfless coaches, officials and administrators who make things go … many, many great people. But as an entity, it continues to ignore what is best for what it is supposed to serve. That would be the welfare of its students, not politics and decades-old grudges stemming from the OIA-ILH split.

If the change to three Oahu leagues isn’t made soon for the sake of competitive balance, some schools will be forced to drop their football programs (well, yes, with the recently heightened safety concerns that might be considered a good thing by many, anyway, but that’s an issue for another day).

The Oahu football alliance idea does need fine-tuning, including a better plan of coordination with the state tournaments. For example, the top division’s state tourney should not in effect be just an all-Oahu affair as was proposed. If so, we just regress to the old Prep Bowl days.

That can easily be addressed, especially since the Hawaii High School Athletic Association’s football committee representing all the leagues is slated to discuss the topic. The proposal to expand the two state tournaments to eight teams each should be revisited; it can be melded with a three-tier Oahu alliance.

Again, cut away all the agendas and it’s easy to see what’s best for the public school student-athletes in this situation.