Competitive balance in interscholastic basketball: An examination of policy and non-policy factors

ABSTRACT Disproportional state tournament success within interscholastic boys basketball has been the catalyst for competitive balance policies. State athletic associations adopt policies based on a variety of characteristics that often include public/private status. Using the theory of distributive justice as a framework, the purpose of this study was to determine the competitive balance landscape of boys basketball, as well as investigate which school characteristics most impact disproportionate success. Results indicated that private schools in the smallest enrollment classifications had the highest disproportionate success, urban private schools had the highest levels of sustained success, policies beyond enrollment classifications are largely ineffective, and predicting widespread success was not possible due to the nuances among states. The practical application indicates that national or regional competitive balance polices are not pragmatic, but urban private school success in smaller enrollment classifications should be one consideration for individual state policy development.