Louisiana lawmakers are taking a close look at the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA). That includes the creation of a new House Legislative Study Committee (HCR 24), which states its objective as “to conduct a comprehensive study” of the LHSAA after some controversial decisions and legal challenges in recent years. It is a private organization that governs athletic programs in more than 410 public, private, and parochial schools statewide.
Louisiana Speaker Pro Tempore, or acting speaker, Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Pineville, established the committee to monitor and communicate with the LHSAA. As the Louisiana Radio Network (LRN) reports, Rep. Johnson said of the sports organization, “We supply them with coaches, kids, millions of dollars in facilities and yet we have very little oversight and very little involvement.” Johnson says he was surprised by how emotional and frustrated numerous legislators were with the current relationship with the organization. “Well, the complaints were wide-reaching. And I think the biggest overriding complaint was a lack of communication and the lack of oversight, and that’s been the, I think that’s the biggest thing.” While Johnson is looking for a better public-private relationship with the organization and more oversight, he’s also trying to protect the LHSAA from potentially over-reaching legislation.
The study, as spelled out in HCR 24, specifically calls for analysis of the agency’s policies, governance structure, and impact on public, private, and parochial schools.” The committee of 10 members is directed to submit their report “to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education not later than February 14, 2026.”
This all stems from what the House concurrent resolution describes as issues raised regarding the transparency, fairness, and ethical considerations of LHSAA’s policies, including but not limited to “school classifications, transfer rules, academic priorities, and the organization’s overall governance.”
One area of particular concern is the potential appearance of conflicts of interest between LHSAA and school officials, including teachers, principals, and other employees who may have decision-making authority over school athletics. While both chambers approved HCR 24 on May 28, and was submitted to the Secretary of State on May 30, the resolution did not become active until July 1, 2025. The committee met on Tuesday of this week, You can watch the full meeting here:
https://house.louisiana.gov/H_Video/VideoArchivePlayer?v=house/2025/Jul/0729_25_LHSAA.
Legislative Oversight of LHSAA Now Underway After Controversies, Lawsuits
