By Dan Hardenbrook
The debate over how public and private schools measure up in athletics is a hot topic that rarely reaches public platforms. But the much-whispered conversation took center stage at this past weekend’s MHSSA Championship weekend for girls basketball.
The Niles Brandywine girls varsity basketball team had just completed a years-long quest that started with a small group of players who came together in kindergarten and grew into a state title contender. Their journey led them back to the Breslin Center, and this was finally going to be their year.
But they were soon heartbroken. An undefeated season washed away in the Division 3 state final, claimed by a school that isn’t held to the limitations and standards of public school districts in Michigan. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep stood tall, escaping with a 31-29 win over Niles Brandywine and are once again headed to the title game.
The Lady Bobcats of Niles Brandywine were left wondering “What if?”
They went 53-3 in the past two seasons, with two of the three losses coming to that same Ypsilanti Arbor Prep team. Following a crushing debate, their coach took a stand and addressed what he called the “elephant in the room”.
Private and charter teams do not have restrictions in place like public schools do. Public schools can only select athletes from the students that live in their districts; private schools don’t have that limitation. Many private programs also have separate funding or programs in place to enhance their team’s exposure.
While Newberry and other small rural districts can’t even get a bus to take to games, private school programs travel by charter all over the state, playing selected opponents where their athletes will get the most attention. The combination of championship pedigrees, and the pipeline of athletes getting the attention of colleges and scouts, attracts top athletes away from public schools — effectively stacking the deck.
“We’ve got 13 girls in that locker room that are really hurting right now,” said Coach Josh Hood in a press conference after the event. “We have been with them since kindergarten developing them, working with them. We don’t wait until they are freshmen to either go get them or have them just show up and play at a certain level.”
Hood, who declared his team the two-time defending public school state champions, also said “Nobody wants to talk about it but I’m just going to tell you guys, I’m a math guy. I’m pretty good with numbers. In the fall sports 13 out of 16 small schools that were state champions were parochial or private schools. The runner ups were 12 out of 16. Twenty-five out of 32 state champions and runners up in Divisions 3 and 4. Talk about it, because nobody does!”
Hood said he’s “sick of it”.
“What we have is one team who have busted their tails for 12 and 13 years to get here, to get to the pinnacle, and now all of the sudden we lose again to a prep team,” Hood said. “They’ve done everything they can to bring a state title home to their community only for it to be taken away.”
The comments sparked a heated and emotional debate online. Supporters in the public-school communities quickly point out the dominance of private schools in postseason play, especially in Michigan’s top high school sports like football, basketball, volleyball, and ice hockey. Private schools and charter academies are consistent contenders, and often have dynasties that control their sports for decades.
Those schools, many from larger metropolitan areas such as Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Lansing, can accept and even recruit top athletes from an already deep well of talent.
In an era when athletes can get paid as amateurs and recruiting is as cutthroat as ever, the balance of power has tilted to youth programs that are more run like college athletics than school-sanctioned sports.
The numbers back that up. In girls basketball, Niles Brandywine was the only public school team in the entire state to defeat a private school in a round later than the regional final. Following the 2024 fall football season, over half of the teams playing in the finals of the state’s four smallest divisions were private, and multiple semifinals and finals were all private school showdowns.
It was even worse in volleyball, with five of the eight teams competing in the finals from private schools, including all four teams in Divisions 3 and 4. This year’s basketball semifinals featured over 50% private schools. Rudyard recently had a senior group that reached a final four in football, basketball, and baseball, teams that grew and developed over years in a small community. When they reached the top level and neared the championship, two of the three programs ran into private school powerhouses who took their top players from other areas or districts.
Those who defend private schools say the recruitment of students is not directly tied to athletics. Sure, it is an advantage, but many families who pick private schools were searching for the best academic option available. Others say work or family issues are eased by attending private schools. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep is, in fact, not a private school, but rather a public charter academy that is open to anyone.
Several charter schools around the state operate full-time athletic departments. Many large city private schools are close enough to multiple school districts and can draw students, fairly, under school of choice distance rules. And in a state where athletic classifications are determined by enrollment numbers, despite where players originally come from, they argue that it’s still a fair match-up. They will also tell you that talent shines and the cream rises to the top, and that the same colleges and scouts are looking just as closely at public schools as they are at private schools.
The MHSAA continues to be silent on the issue. It is believed that the organization reprimanded Niles Brandywine for the comments their coach made late last week. They have not commented publicly on Hood’s postgame press conference, but in the past the MHSAA has stood firm that there is no real concern or issues with public vs. private schools, or a desire for separate tournaments and divisions. But following another disappointing end to one of the school year’s biggest events, the noise may now be too loud to ignore.
