Ohio High School Athletic Association

What Ohio High School Athletic Association does

The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) is a private, nonprofit state athletic association founded in 1907 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, that regulates and administers interscholastic athletic competition across Ohio. It is the sole governing body for high school sports in the state, operating through six district athletic boards (Southwest, Southeast, East, Central, Northeast, Northwest) and sanctioning 26+ sports including football, basketball, baseball, wrestling, track and field, and several emerging sports such as girls wrestling and boys volleyball (adopted 2022-23). The Association serves member high schools, approximately 17,000+ registered contest officials, interscholastic coaches, athletic administrators, student-athletes, and Ohio sports fans, with the Jesse Owens Track and Field State Championships among its flagship annual events.

OHSAA's core technology stack is built around the www.ohsaa.org web platform, the My OHSAA officials portal, and integrations with FinalForms (school administration), DragonFlyMax (sports management), RefReps (online officials curriculum), Ticketmaster and Hometown Ticketing (mobile ticketing), and Athletic.net (track and field results). The Association operates a centralized state tournament production capability with multi-camera NFHS Network streaming and an exclusive broadcast partnership with Spectrum News 1 for state football playoffs and boys'/girls' state basketball championships. OHSAA also operates a commercial sub-brand, Teall Properties Group, and an OHSAA Foundation that distributes scholar-athlete scholarships.

OHSAA's revenue model is diversified across membership dues from member schools, officials' permit/registration fees, corporate sponsorships (Spectrum News 1, American Dairy Association Mideast, MaxPreps, Wilson, Rawlings, Molten, Cleveland Browns, GameChanger, and many others), state tournament ticket sales via Ticketmaster, NFHS Network streaming licensing, and donations to the OHSAA Foundation. The Association is member-school governed, with no parent company, no funding rounds, and no equity shareholders; ownership is effectively collective across Ohio's member schools. Financial leadership is provided by Senior Director of Finance Laura Vermilya (CPA, joined 2021), and Doug Ute has served as the 11th Executive Director since September 8, 2020.

Name

Ohio High School Athletic Association

Legal name

Ohio High School Athletic Association

Website

https://ohsaa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Ohio High School Athletic Association is a nonprofit founded in 1907 that governs interscholastic athletics for Ohio high schools, sanctioning 26+ sports, managing 17,000+ registered officials, and serving member schools, student-athletes, coaches, and fans from its Columbus headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interscholastic Athletic Governance

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

University/School Sport Governing Bodies (Collegiate/Scholastic Associations) (MPAKAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)

Keywords

• Interscholastic athletic governance
• High school sports administration
• Athletic tournament management
• Student athlete eligibility
• Sports officiating services

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship relationships with Spectrum News 1, American Dairy Association Mideast, MaxPreps, Ohio Ophthalmological Society, GameChanger by DICK'S Sporting Goods, Rawlings, Wilson, Molten, Cleveland Browns, Casey's, Musco Lighting, and others. Sponsors receive logo placement on website and at events.
2. State Tournament Ticket Sales: Mobile ticket sales for state tournament events through Ticketmaster and on-site at Covelli Center. Tickets purchased at Ticketmaster prior to arrival are the same cost as tickets purchased on site.
3. Membership Dues from Member Schools: Annual dues paid by OHSAA member schools across the state of Ohio, the foundational revenue for the non-profit association.
4. Officials Registration and Permit Fees: Registration fees from 17,000+ registered OHSAA contest officials across multiple sports.
5. NFHS Network Broadcast Streaming: Revenue from live streaming coverage of state tournaments on NFHS Network platform, with multi-camera production at major venues.
6. OHSAA Foundation and Donations: OHSAA Foundation established in 1997 supports the Association's mission and provides funding for the scholar-athlete award program, distributing nearly $175,000 in scholarships to outstanding senior scholar-athletes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) is a state-level organization that governs interscholastic athletic competition for member high schools and middle schools in Ohio. It administers athletic tournaments, establishes eligibility rules for student-athletes, and regulates sports officiating across sanctioned events.

Product overview

The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) operates a single, unified nonprofit association "platform-plus-modules" offering centered on its State Tournament Program across 26+ sanctioned sports (including Baseball, Basketball-Boys/Girls, Bowling, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse-Boys/Girls, Soccer, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Tennis-Boys/Girls, Track & Field, Volleyball-Boys/Girls, Wrestling, plus partner offerings Spirit, Esports, and Flag Football). Layered onto that core are distinct modules: Eligibility and Compliance Services (transfer, age, enrollment, scholarship, conduct, residence, international, recruiting, amateur bylaws, and the NIL Resource Center) and an Appeals Panel; the Officiating Program with its own My OHSAA officials portal and RefReps online curriculum; Sports Medicine and Safety resources; a School Resources Portal (Handbook, State Rules Meetings, Competitive Balance, Open Dates, Referendum Voting, Scholarships, Divisional Breakdowns); the Coaches Corner (NFHS Coach Education and LiFEsports mental health training); the FinalForms-powered School Directory; the Tickets and Fan Guide; the NFHS Hall of Fame (Ohio inductees) page; and the commercial Teall Properties Group. Together these products are tied together by OHSAA's news/media operation, OPSMA partner press association, and integrations with FinalForms, DragonFly, Hometown Ticketing, Ticketmaster, NFHS Network, Athletic.net, GameChanger, and RefReps that extend the Association's reach to member schools, officials, athletes, and fans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Distribution of over $1 million to high schools through the Athletic Enrichment Fund
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

33 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNFHS is the parent national organization headquartered in Indianapolis. OHSAA operates as Ohio's member state association. NFHS administers the National High School Sports Hall of Fame, the NFHS Network (live streaming platform), NFHS Coach Education Program, and NFHS Coach Certification Program. NFHS Network covers OHSAA state tournaments with live streaming. 32 Ohio members have been inducted into the NFHS Hall of Fame (most of any state).
• Spectrum News 1flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSpectrum News 1 is the exclusive home of the OHSAA state football playoff and championship games and boys' and girls' state basketball championships. A 24/7 local news network covering Ohio with five distinct channels in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northwest Ohio. High School Blitz show anchors football coverage with live games at 7 PM and hour-long wrap-up at 10 PM in the fall.
• TicketmastercoreTechnology or IntegrationTicketmaster serves as OHSAA's mobile ticketing platform for state tournament events. Mobile tickets for the state tournament are available through Ticketmaster, linked at www.OHSAA.org/tickets. Tickets purchased via Ticketmaster prior to arrival are the same cost as tickets purchased on site.
• DragonFly (DragonFlyMax)coreTechnology or IntegrationDragonFlyMax platform integrated with OHSAA for sports management. Listed in top navigation of ohsaa.org website.
• FinalFormscoreTechnology or IntegrationFinalForms is the school administration platform used by OHSAA member schools, accessed via ohsaa.finalforms.com/state_schools. Used for student-athlete eligibility, forms, and compliance management.
• RefRepscoreTechnology or IntegrationOHSAA partnership with RefReps moves the classroom curriculum for new officials to a more convenient online platform. Developed to address the statewide shortage of sports officials.
• The Ohio State University's LiFEsports/Coach Beyond programcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with The Ohio State University's LiFEsports/Coach Beyond program emphasizes training Ohio's interscholastic coaches on the importance of being able to address their athletes' mental health concerns.
• Hometown TicketingcoreTechnology or IntegrationHometown Ticketing serves as an OHSAA sponsor and fan-facing ticketing partner for events.
• GameChanger by DICK'S Sporting GoodscoreTechnology or IntegrationNamed the official scorekeeping and pitch count app provider for the OHSAA. Recently named the exclusive baseball and softball app partner of the NFHS. The free app offers custom pitch count alerts and inning-by-inning pitch count recaps.
• American Dairy Association MideastcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor partner providing nutrition education and promotion tools for student-athletes. ADA Mideast is funded by approximately 2,000 dairy farmers in Ohio and West Virginia and serves as the local affiliate of the National Dairy Council.
• MaxPrepscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMaxPreps is the leading online high school sports destination offering coverage with news, analysis, rankings and streaming content. As OHSAA sponsor, partners with more than 100,000 coaches throughout the country. Founded in August 2002 and headquartered in El Dorado Hills, Calif.
• WilsonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilson is listed as an OHSAA sponsor on the official website.
• RawlingsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRawlings is listed as an OHSAA sponsor on the official website.
• Cleveland BrownsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCleveland Browns NFL team listed as an OHSAA sponsor.
• MoltenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMolten (sports equipment) listed as an OHSAA sponsor.
• RudisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRudis (wrestling apparel) listed as an OHSAA sponsor.
• Musco LightingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusco Lighting listed as an OHSAA sponsor.
• SHP AthleticminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHP Athletic (sports architecture) listed as an OHSAA sponsor.
• Army National Guard (Ohio)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerArmy National Guard listed as an OHSAA sponsor.
• Morgan & MorganminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMorgan & Morgan law firm (Columbus, Ohio office) listed as an OHSAA sponsor.
• University of Cincinnati Online (Sport Administration)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerUniversity of Cincinnati Online Sport Administration master's program listed as an OHSAA sponsor with organic/paid partnership tags.
• Ohio UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOhio University Master of Athletic Administration program listed as an OHSAA sponsor.
• Phones Down Ohio (ODOT/ODPS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPhones Down Ohio (Ohio Department of Transportation) listed as an OHSAA sponsor promoting safe driving/distracted driving prevention.
• Super SpecsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSuper Specs listed as an OHSAA sponsor.
• Change The Game OhiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerChange The Game Ohio listed as an OHSAA sponsor (changethegameohio.org).
• InsurifyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurify insurance marketplace listed as an OHSAA sponsor.
• Casey'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCasey's convenience store chain listed as an OHSAA sponsor.
• Columbus FuryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerColumbus Fury (professional volleyball team) listed as an OHSAA sponsor.
• Health Action Council Ohio (HACO)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealth Action Council Ohio listed as an OHSAA sponsor promoting healthy lifestyles.
• Ohio Beef CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOhio Beef Council listed as an OHSAA sponsor.
• EA GraphicsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEA Graphics listed as an OHSAA sponsor (eagraphics.com/ohsaa/shop/home for branded merchandise).
• Baron (Championship Rings)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBaron (championship rings) listed as an OHSAA sponsor (baronrings.com).
• Ohio Ophthalmological SocietyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOhio Ophthalmological Society listed as an OHSAA sponsor promoting eye safety in athletics.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Illinois High School Association (IHSA): Illinois's state interscholastic athletic governing body. Comparable to OHSAA in administering statewide tournaments, eligibility rules, and officiating programs; Illinois follows Ohio in NFHS Hall of Fame inductees with 30.
• University Interscholastic League (UIL) - Texas: Texas's state interscholastic athletic governing body. Directly comparable to OHSAA as a member-school-based nonprofit that organizes state tournaments, eligibility determinations, and district-aligned competition across 26+ sanctioned sports.
• New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA): New York's state interscholastic athletic governing body. Directly comparable to OHSAA as a sectioned (regional-district) state association that sanctions championships and administers eligibility bylaws across public and private member schools.
• Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA): Florida's state interscholastic athletic governing body. Comparable to OHSAA as a large-membership state association that sanctions state championships and administers eligibility bylaws, with similar broadcast and ticketing partnerships.
• Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA): Michigan's state interscholastic athletic governing body and one of OHSAA's closest peers by Midwestern geography, scale, sport offerings, and member-school dues model.
• Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA): Pennsylvania's state interscholastic athletic governing body. Comparable to OHSAA in operating statewide tournament structures, eligibility oversight, and officiating programs across a large member-school base.
• Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA): Indiana's state interscholastic athletic governing body. Closely comparable to OHSAA as a neighboring Midwestern state association with a similar sanctioned-sport portfolio, single-state governance scope, and tournament-driven model.
• California Interscholastic Federation (CIF): California's state interscholastic athletic governing body. Comparable to OHSAA as a state-level membership organization that sanctions championships, administers eligibility bylaws, and coordinates sectional/regional/state tournament structures.

Broad incumbents

• NCAA: The national governing body for college athletics. Comparable to OHSAA in governing amateur athletic competition, enforcing eligibility bylaws (including NIL), and operating championship events, but at the collegiate rather than high school level.
• National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS): The national umbrella organization of which OHSAA is Ohio's member state association. NFHS sets national rules, runs the NFHS Network streaming platform and NFHS Coach Education Program, and operates the National High School Sports Hall of Fame in which Ohio leads with 32 inductees.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/OHSAASports
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC79ociAl7VzrNFZxYxi4zCA
• Facebookfacebook.com/OHSAASports
• Instagraminstagram.com/ohsaasports
• TikToktiktok.com/@ohsaa_sports?lang=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ohio-high-school-athletic-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ohio High School Athletic Association