[BillyMac]

Several years ago, our state interscholastic sports governing body (CIAC) made all Connecticut basketball officials (Connecticut is a 100% IAABO state) join the CIAC, at an annual cost of $13 per official, a cost “folded” into our annual local/state/international IAABO dues.

What did we get in return? A seat at the CIAC table, which turned out to be a good thing as the officials arm of CIAC successfully lobbied the state legislature to exclude game officials from any state laws regarding concussions, including no mandatory concussion training for officials. We also got free admission to all regular season sports events, and to all state tournament basketball games.

At the time, there were a lot of complaints about increased dues from our members.

Now, beginning in 2023-24, the CIAC is making all basketball officials (basketball was the last holdout) join the NFHS at an annual cost of $17 per official, a cost also “folded” into our annual local/state/international IAABO dues.

Keep in mind that IAABO used to annually provide all members with NFHS rulebooks and NFHS casebooks, a practice that stopped this year when IAABO published their own "rules guide", while still strongly suggesting that members purchase their own NFHS rulebooks and NFHS casebooks directly from the NFHS.

What are we getting in return? To make this more palatable, next year the CIAC will increase the subvarsity (junior varsity, freshmen, middle school) game fee from 65% of a varsity fee (as it’s been for decades) to 70% of a varsity fee (on top of an annual cost of living increase equal to the average increase in teacher pay statewide that we’ve been getting for decades).

I’m sure that there were a lot of complaints from our members as they fully become aware of this change in the spring when we pay our increased annual dues.

Note: Last year our annual local/state/international IAABO dues (including CIAC membership) were $125 (tied for highest ever in forty-plus years) per member, plus a 7% assignment fee. Game fees for 2022-23 are: Varsity Fee: $103.41; Subvarsity (junior varsity, freshmen, middle school) Fee: $67.11.