CIF wants review of schools competing in out-of-season competitions

Roger Blake, the executive director of the CIF, has asked the commissioners of the City Section, Southern Section and San Diego Section to review 87 schools over concerns they have teams competing in out-of-season competitions while representing their school.

The Southern Section office sent out a letter reminding schools that teams competing in out-of-season competition must not be linked to their school. A crackdown has begun at the request of Blake, who became concerned with the proliferation of teams representing schools in fall basketball competitions.

“There’s more and more schools that I think could be operating outside our rules and regulations, and it’s really become a problem in Southern California,” Blake said. “They can’t do it [compete in the off season] as a school team. The school has to able to demonstrate it was not a school activity.”

Blake said rules are in place because of liability concerns. He said athletes can still compete and coaches can still coach but they can’t represent their school and shouldn’t be wearing school uniforms.

The City Section has been enforcing a ban barring athletes from wearing school gear in out-of-sport competitions for several years while Southern Section schools have largely ignored the ban.

Eric.sondheimer@latimes.com