HIGH-SCHOOL

Lipscomb Academy football playoff ban remains for 2024 after TSSAA Board of Control vote

Tom Kreager
Nashville Tennessean

Lipscomb Academy again has been denied a chance to participate in the Tennessee high school football playoffs in 2024.

A motion to lift a TSSAA football playoff ban failed 7-5 at Wednesday's TSSAA Board of Control meeting, keeping a two-year restrictive probation in place. That probation started in the 2023 playoffs after the TSSAA ruled that Lipscomb Academy violated its recruiting rule.

Lipscomb Academy broke the TSSAA's recruiting rule when a then-staff member offered to intercede with donors to allow the athlete to stay at Lipscomb, according to executive director Mark Reeves' written decision.

The Mustangs won the 2021 and 2022 DII-AA championships and were 4-6 in their first season in DII-AAA, handing state champion McCallie its only region loss.

Lipscomb Academy headmaster Brad Schultz and athletic director Jake House rolled out measures the school has implemented since violating the recruiting rule. That included mandatory training on Nov. 7, Jan. 5 and Feb. 20. A fourth meeting is scheduled for March 26.

More:Lipscomb Academy football season over; school will not file injunction

That training includes:

  • Going over the TSSAA violations and why the football program is on probation.
  • Training on TSSAA eligibility and financial aid rules.
  • Going through page-by-page of the TSSAA handbook.
  • Hot topics and used input from TSSAA.

Lipscomb Academy has also hired a high school compliance officer in Andrew Cameron. The school replaced head coach Kevin Mawae with Jamie Graham, a former assistant under previous coach Trent Dilfer. Schultz said all coaches involved in the recruiting rule violation are also no longer at the Nashville private school.

Board of Control members who voted in favor of lifting the ban include Board president Mike Reed of Morristown West, Michel Sanchez of Hunters Lane, Jay Watts of Girls Preparatory School, Dennis Goodwin of DCA and Braxton Brady of Evangelical Christian.

Those voting against lifting the playoff ban included Jody Wright of Fulton, Patrick Spangler of Bradley Central, Grant Swallows of Warren County, Greg Scott of Milan, Bryan True of Loretto, Dexter Williams of Trinity Christian and Greg McCullough of Memphis Central.

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on the X platform @Kreager.