PIAA drops appeals court battle with Aliquippa football

Chris HARLAN Trib Total Media

The PIAA has ended its appeals-court efforts to move Aliquippa football into a higher classification this fall.

The PIAA on Friday notified Commonwealth Court that it no longer wanted to appeal the injunction issued by a Beaver County judge that kept Aliquippa in 4A for the upcoming season. The decision to withdraw its appeal removes any uncertainty about the Quips’ 2024 schedule as WPIAL teams prepare to start preseason practice.

However, the move doesn’t resolve the active litigation between Aliquippa and the PIAA.

The preliminary injunction issued in May by Common Pleas Judge James Ross specified that his ruling applied only to the 2024 season. The ultimate outcome of the school district’s lawsuit — filed in March against the PIAA and its competitive- balance rule — remains unresolved.

The next hearing is Aug. 15 in Ross’ courtroom.

The PIAA decision to drop its appeal comes two weeks after Commonwealth Court Judge Patricia McCullough denied a request to put the lower court’s injunction on hold. The PIAA had filed an emergency request for stay, but McCullough denied that request July 18.

The injunction has prevented the PIAA from using its competitive-balance rule to move Aliquippa to Class 5A football. Instead, the Quips will stay in 4A, where they’re the reigning state champions.

The WPIAL already issued updated schedules in June with Aliquippa back in 4A. The Quips will compete in the Parkway Conference for the fifth year. The initial WPIAL schedules released in March had the team in 5A.

The school’s enrollment, which qualified for Class A football in recent years, now qualifies for 2A. The Quips were voluntarily playing up to 3A before the PIAA adopted its competitive-balance rule in 2018.

The rule impacts football teams that have success in the state playoffs — as measured by the PIAA Competition Formula — and add three or more transfers in a two-year cycle. The PIAA moves teams that meet both criteria into a higher classification to play against schools with larger enrollments.

The PIAA has said Aliquippa met both criteria.

However, the school district’s lawsuit argued that the rule risks the health and safety of Aliquippa athletes by forcing them to play against opponents with larger enrollments. The school in April had two orthopedic surgeons testify that its concerns were valid, opinions that proved influential in rulings by Ross and McCullough.

Both judges criticized the PIAA for excluding health and safety as grounds for appeal without being able to support its decision with data. The PIAA board has since taken a step toward removing the health and safety exclusion on appeals.

Football teams begin heat acclimation Monday and start practice a week later.

Week Zero openers are Aug. 23.