(Boone, IA) — This week the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa High School Sports Network released a joint statement saying the agreement between the two to televise state tournaments will expire at the end of the current 2024-25 school year.
This ends litigation between the IHSAA and the IHSSN that had been ongoing since June 2023. The IHSSN had decided to charge a fee for the live stream of certain events. It began with the state baseball tournament in 2023. The IHSSN had previously provided free access to championship events via TV and other online formats. The IHSAA then filed a petition in Polk County District Court objecting to the charges.
IHSSN will continue to provide for select IHSAA state tournament events for viewing via cable network, broadcast network, www.ihssn.com and the Watch IHSSN app through the 2025 IHSAA State Baseball Tournament.
IHSSN made state tournament finals available for free streaming starting with last month’s football championships. Earlier state tournament rounds (quarterfinals, semifinals, etc.) will require a fee if viewing via livestream.
Media rights for IHSAA events will return to the IHSAA effective Aug. 1, 2025.
The question is now where does the IHSAA go for the next broadcast deal. The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union has a deal with Iowa PBS to broadcast the volleyball, basketball, soccer and softball state tournaments. It is unclear whether they have room in their programming to add the boys. Mediacom does have statewide coverage so that could be a logical alternative. In the past, the IHSAA had deals with network stations in various markets across the state but that deal fell apart when the TV stations could not pre-empt network programming.
Also in doubt now is the future of the IHSSN which was created with the main purpose of broadcasting boys high school events. Alan DeBolt, formerly of KMA Radio in Shenandoah, is the current Executive Director of the IHSSN.
