The Oahu Interscholastic Association is deliberating on whether to participate in the new state high school football format, according to a Sept. 6 letter signed by league president Wade Araki to Hawaii High School Athletic Association executive director Chris Chun.

Araki, in a copy of the letter that the Honolulu Star-Advertiser obtained, states, “The OIA is reviewing the merits of the proposal and is considering whether or not to continue to participate in the tournament.”

If the OIA dropped out, it would send shock waves through the whole state tournament system, which is run by the HHSAA and is fueled by all five high school leagues in Hawaii.

The Star-Advertiser also has a copy of a Sept. 9 letter from Chun to Araki in response to the OIA’s concerns. The newspaper received both letters from a source within the OIA.

Araki, who did not return a phone message seeking comment, spelled out nine concerns in his letter:

A) The legitimacy of the procedures involved in the HHSAA’s executive board decision of Aug. 22 to implement a three-tiered state football format as a one-year pilot program.

B) The validity of the new Open division (the top tier of the new format) as a “true” state championship, since only two leagues (the OIA and the Interscholastic League of Honolulu) are involved and since all HHSAA tournaments have at least three leagues participating.

C) A departure from the HHSAA’s formula for state tournaments, which gives out berths to leagues in proportion to the amount of teams in a given league. In this case, the OIA is wondering why two Open division berths were given to the ILH and four to the OIA when the proportion of OIA football-playing teams to ILH teams (22-7) is much greater.

D) Whether the HHSAA addressed Title IX compliance when increasing the state football tournament from two divisions and 12 teams to three divisions and 20 teams. (By law, Title IX mandates that girls and boys have the same opportunities in sports, and football is played almost exclusively by boys.)

E) The uncertainty of how the evaluation of the pilot program will be conducted and the process of how it will be determined if the format continues or is made permanent.

According to OIA and HHSAA sources, there is a faction within the OIA that is in favor of the new three-tiered state football format, another bloc that is against it at all costs, and a group somewhere in the middle. Those sources, who did not want to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, say that those who are against it believe the ILH has an unfair advantage in all sports by offering financial packages at upscale private schools with enticing facilities to student-athletes. That concern, however, was not addressed in Araki’s letter.

In his response, the HHSAA’s Chun wrote, “It is extremely disappointing to hear that (the OIA) is considering not to participate in this year’s football state tournament. Choosing not to participate would negatively impact 10 OIA schools that qualify for the HHSAA tournament and also directly affect every league statewide, both in participation numbers and financial revenues.”

Chun’s answers to the OIA’s concerns follow:

A) “From Article V of the HHSAA constitution, (the HHSAA) has exclusive control over state championship contests and tournaments. Each regular member of the (HHSAA) executive board shall have the number of votes equal to the number of HHSAA member schools in the league he/she represents.” (Of the five Hawaii leagues, four voted in favor of the new football structure and the OIA abstained.)

B) “The Open division is a state championship. You referenced that the HHSAA needs three leagues to conduct a state championship. However, this refers to the creation of a new sport, not a new division within that sport. In this case, the Open division refers to the sport of football, in which all leagues currently participate.”

C) “The Division I and II tournaments follow the league representation formula, but there are exceptions when the formula is not followed. Leagues are granted minimum berths in some state tournaments, which include air riflery, bowling, golf, cheerleading and even football. In the Open division, if the formula (based on four OIA Open teams and three ILH Open teams) was followed, the OIA would only receive three berths instead of four and the ILH would receive three berths instead of two.”

D) “The HHSAA has always been cognizant and proactive when it comes to Title IX. Even after the expansion (of football), there will still be 28 more girls teams (166) participating than boys (138). The HHSAA has met, and will continue to meet, with community leaders and experts in this area to ensure that we remain compliant.”

E) “The (HHSAA) football committee will be convened following the fall season to evaluate the new format and advise the HHSAA executive board of its findings. This topic will be placed on the agenda at (the next four) board meetings for discussion.”

Chun was surprised to learn that the private letter he wrote in response to the OIA is being made public.

“That letter was written to the OIA in answer to their questions,” he said. “It was not meant as a forum to the public.”