A  monumental bill that would replace the South Carolina High School League with a state-run agency has been put on pause for at least a year. 

Representatives in the S.C. House Education and Public Works committee agreed in a 14-3 vote to pause discussion of the bill until at least 2026. The legislation would create a new governing body for public school athletics called the South Carolina Athletic Association. 

House Bill 4163 would require all public schools to immediately leave the SCHSL and join the new state-run athletic association. The current SCHSL operates as an independent organization and is run by its members. 

No Lexington County representatives are signed on as sponsors for the bill. 

While discussion of the bill was paused by the committee, state representatives promised to revisit the bill next legislative session and see if there is enough support to move forward. Until then, representatives will begin working with current SCHSL leadership to determine if there is a way to move forward without dissolving the organization. 

During a meeting to discuss the bill, lawmakers expressed their disappointment in the current league leadership and organization structure. Lawmakers feel the league is outdated and can’t adequately handle many issues it faces today, including competitive balance and athlete eligibility. 

Rep. James Teeple, R-Charleston, said he feels the league started putting programs above players and cited inconsistent punishments for issues facing competitive balance and athletic eligibility as an example. 

Rep. Stephen Frank, R-Greenville, went a step further and asked current league commissioner Jerome Singleton to resign. 

“We have had conversations with our athletic directors and coaches, and maybe we don’t want the High School League to go away, but the common denominator I have heard over and over was ‘Jerome, Jerome, Jerome. Jerome,’” Frank said. “Would you, sir, at this point moving forward as we go in this off-session to work with your organization, consider stepping down?”

Singleton refused to resign and affirmed his support of the high school league. 

“I look forward to those conversations of where we can have discussions, and maybe they get a better understanding of what the league does and how things are handled,” Singleton said

Singleton said the fact that the current league is run by people who are inside their member schools makes it easier to address the most important challenges.

“It's their students,” Singleton said. “They know what they're doing with their students. So, when they create the rules, they're doing it from boots on the ground.”

The current high school league has been around since 1913. Dissolving it would be a massive change in the entire landscape of high school sports in the state. This is what many lawmakers are hoping to achieve with the bill. 

While there will be no further discussion of the bill until the next session, lawmakers stressed the importance of action now.

Others wish the bill had gone through this time, saying it is unclear if the league actually plans to act.

“It is a disingenuous attempt to get the heat off. I don’t trust them. I think we have a massive leadership problem in this organization,” Teeple said. 

Singleton said he appreciates the pause and would be more than willing to work with lawmakers to address their concerns.

“I appreciate the work of Representative Erickson for calling for a pause until we had a chance for meaningful dialogue and collaboration,” Singleton said. “Hopefully, we can address some of the challenges.”