 | |
| Abbreviation | WVSSAC |
|---|---|
| Type | Volunteer; NPO |
| Legal status | Association |
| Purpose | Athletic/Educational |
| Headquarters | 2875 Staunton Turnpike Parkersburg, WV 26104 |
Region served | West Virginia |
Official language | English |
Executive Director | David Price |
| Affiliations | National Federation of State High School Associations |
| Staff | 4 |
| Website | wvssac.org |
| Remarks | (304) 485-5494 |
The West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC, but colloquially referred to as SSAC) is the main governing body of high school sports, cheerleading, and marching bands in West Virginia, United States. Beginning with the 2024-25 school year the Commission adopted a new system of four classes. Unlike the previous system, and the systems used in most other states, it is based on an algorithm where the population is 80%, the distance from a town of 10,000 people is 10%, and the median income of the parents is 10%. This system is used for football, cheerleading, basketball, and baseball/softball. Golf, cross country, track and field, are broken into 3 classes. Soccer and wrestling, are two classes. Swimming is one class only. [1]
The organization began with boys' basketball championships in 1914. During the decades of segregated schools in West Virginia, it excluded schools for African American students. They competed in the West Virginia Athletic Union. The organization excluded private schools until 1979, when it merged with the state Catholic League. Today it also includes private schools of various religious viewpoints, along with all public schools in the state.
Unlike similar governing bodies in the United States, the WVSSAC does not dictate individual high school schedules during the regular season; those decisions are made by the coaches involved. Note that the WVSSAC does set forth some basic guidelines (i.e., the number of schools within its own classification or higher that a school must compete against) for a school to be eligible for that sport's playoffs. The WVSSAC determines scheduling during the playoffs. For example, in football, whose playoffs are seeded on a statewide basis, each game is played at the higher-seeded school's campus if its stadium is approved by the SSAC to host playoff matches. Otherwise, it is played at the SSAC-approved venue nearest to the higher-seeded school. The lower-seeded school has the choice of one of three starting times — 7:30 pm on Friday or Saturday, or 1:30 pm on Saturday.[2]
- ^ Rather, Joey (2023-12-21). "WVSSAC approves four-class system for high school sports". www.wboy.com.
- ^ "2006 Football Playoff Manual" (PDF). West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission. Retrieved 2007-08-22.