Girls Basketball: Regis Jesuit denied chance to play in NYC tournament

AURORA | The once-in-a-lifetime chance for the Regis Jesuit girls basketball team to play for a national championship is gone.

Citing language from the bylaws approved by its member schools, the Colorado High School Activities Association had to deny the Raiders permission to play in the sixth annual DICK’S Sporting Goods High School National Tournament April 3-5 in New York City.

On Tuesday morning, Regis Jesuit coach Carl Mattei said he heard from CHSAA officials that any extra games such as the national tournament — which includes the top four girls teams in the USA Today’s Super 25 rankings, including No. 4 Regis Jesuit — would have to be approved by a measure presented at the CHSAA Board of Control meeting on April 28, nearly a month after the tournament. Other states have quickly granted waivers giving special permission to teams invited to tournaments such as this, but that is not an option in this case. Changing the bylaw would require a proposal and approval by members.

“I feel so bad for my kids; I don’t understand how this is hurting anything,” said Mattei, who looked for any recourse he could find before his deadline to commit, but to no avail.

CHSAA Assistant Commissioner Bert Borgmann said he and Angelico had a conference call with Regis Jesuit Girls Division athletic director John Koslosky to explain the bylaws — in this case Rule 2300.1 in the CHSAA handbook — which states that any team in any sport is not allowed to play after the “end of the competitive season, which is the that time designated during which contests may be held.” In the case of basketball, the end of the “competitive season” is set at March 17, the date of the state championship games. The national tournament is three weeks outside of that window.

An official statement from CHSAA on the situation: ““Under the Colorado High School Activities Association bylaws, playing in a tournament outside the sport’s season is not allowed. Regis Jesuit was provided with the option of competing as a club team at the event. But, under CHSAA bylaws, they would be prohibited from competition as a high school team after this Saturday’s state championship game. The bylaws do not provide an option for a waiver of that rule.”

Regis Jesuit (24-2) received the invitation to the national tournament on Monday. The trip would be all expenses-paid for the team and its coaches, with the chance to play in games televised nationally on ESPN. The championship games for the girls tournament as well as the boys, which includes the top eight boys teams in USA Today’s rankings, are scheduled to be played on April 5 at venerable Madison Square Garden.

Koslosky was flattered that his team was invited and would have loved for them to play in the tournament, but understands that exceptions of any case such as this requires more than just a simple OK.

“Although I’m disappointed, it was explained to me that nowhere in the bylaws do they have the ability to allow more games than were agreed to and to play out of season,” Koslosky said. “Those two things would have to be brought up in front of a board of control and changed at the member level.”

Now, the defending 5A state champions have a maximum of two games left in their season, a semifinal contest at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Coors Events Center against Poudre and the state championship game at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. Facebook: Aurora Prep Sentinel