Rep. Robert Matzie, D-Ambridge, is pictured in the state House of Representatives.

A state lawmaker says it’s time to act on concerns from parents and schools over the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.

State Rep. Robert Matzie, D-Ambridge, is circulating a co-sponsorship memorandum seeking support for legislation that would commission a study of the PIAA. Matze is a member of the PA Athletic Oversight Committee, which has a limited review of the PIAA.

“In my capacity as one of the six legislative appointees to the PA Athletic Oversight Committee, I have heard deep concerns over the policies, procedures, and decision making of the PIAA,” Matzie wrote. “Concerns from parents, teachers, athletic directors, principals, superintendents, and House and Senate members alike. Statutorily, the authority of the PA Athletic Oversight Committee is limited. Attempts to have these concerns addressed by PIAA leadership too often go unresolved if they are considered at all.”

The way the PIAA decides athletic classifications was recently cited as one factor in the Warren County School District’s decision to return Sheffield’s girls basketball program to Sheffield High School instead of continuing a merger with Warren Area High School. Because the merger was in effect this year, Warren has moved up a classification and would have to remain in that higher classification for two more years.

Matzie wants the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study the PIAA’s financial performance, its broadcast agreements, Name, Image and Likeness policy, competition classification formula, transfer policy, location of state championships, composition of its board and whether legislative or other department appointees can be added to the PIAA board, and the potential to expand the PA Athletic Oversight Committee’s authority over the PIAA.

“To be clear, this is not an effort to legislatively wrest control from the PIAA,” Matzie wrote. ” But rather a measured attempt to closely examine the current atmosphere and actions of the PIAA and identify the areas most in need of revision and/or improvement. It’s been over two decades since a thorough study of the PIAA has been performed. I believe it is well past the time to take another look.”

Matzie has also introduced legislation (House Bill 1972) that he says will address concerns about PIAA’s procedure for classifying schools. His bill is driven by the state’s decision to move the Aliquippa High School’s football team, which is in Matze’s district, to a 5A classification. The school is appealing the decision.

Matzie’s actions come as the PIAA meets today to consider Aliquippa’s appeal of the association’s recent decision to move the Quips to the 5A classification for the next two seasons. In 2020, the PIAA moved the team from 3A to 4A. When the association attempted to move them to 5A in 2022, the school appealed based on player safety and won that appeal. For the 2024 and 2025 seasons, however, the board has removed player safety as a consideration.

“It’s a dangerous system that jeopardizes the health and safety of students in smaller schools that lack the numbers to field larger rosters or the finances to match athletic budgets,” Matzie said. “It also sends the wrong message to our kids by in effect punishing successful efforts to voluntarily seek better competition. My bill would fix the situation by removing a school’s voluntary decision to play up from the decision-making process.”