The Minnesota State High School League violated its own bylaws when its board of directors voted to move the football and volleyball seasons out of the fall season, according to motion filed Tuesday in Hennepin County District Court.

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The motion seeking a temporary restraining order to revoke the changes the league made to its fall 2020 athletic seasons in a board meeting on Aug. 4.

The motion, filed by on behalf of three unnamed central Minnesota high school athletes, contends that league rules state that such changes are the domain of the league's representative assembly, a legislative body of up to 48 people who represent its 16 administrative regions, and asks that the board of directors' ruling be set aside.

'We contend that the league's board didn't have the authority to take the action it did,' said Sam Diehl, a partner with the Saul Ewing, Arnstein and Lehr law firm and the lead attorney on the suit. 'We're not trying to dictate the results. Our stated objective is simply that we believe the league has not followed its own rules.'

Diehl added that the motion is intended to aid all sports affected by the high school ruling. 'Our plaintiffs play volleyball, football, basketball, baseball and golf,' Diehl said. 'This decision is not being sought for any one sport.'

The motion is expected to go before a judge on Friday.

Asked to comment on the filing, league communications director Tim Leighton said, 'The league does not comment on filed, pending or threatened legal action.'

The filing comes amid recent public opposition to the league's decision to push football and volleyball to a new season in March because of COVID-19 concerns. Some states, including Louisiana and Michigan, have reversed their original stance on delaying the football season and have since moved forward with plans to resume play this fall.

Minnesota is the only state in the five-state area — North and South Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin — not currently playing football games and volleyball matches this fall. The league granted three-week practice periods for both sports that began on Monday.

On Saturday a newly formed Facebook group called Let Them Play MN had more than 100 people turn out for a peaceful protest outside the governor's residence in St. Paul.

Site organizer Dawn Gillman said since creating the site, support 'has been unbelievable. We started it on Sept. 9 and since then we've been flooded with thousands of stories from families about what football means to them. It's good to feel the kids excited again.'

Gillman said a petition on Change.org asking the league to rethink its decision has gained more than 17,000 signatures.

'It's exciting,' she said. 'I told my kids that this is modern-day social studies. People coming together in a gracious way, not politically motivated, with one common goal. We're showing we can do it and do it nicely.'

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Minnesota State High School League
OFFICIAL HANDBOOK

General Information

• Mission Statement, Beliefs, Founding Purposes
• Resolution for Retiring Board Members
• Representative Assembly Process
• Activity Advisory Process
• Board Members
• MSHSL Staff
• Administrative Region School Assignments

General Eligibility Bylaws

• Age
• Attendance
• Credit Requirements
• Enrollment
• Grade Level Eligibility
• Graduates of Secondary Schools
• Physical Examination
• Scholastic Eligibility
• Seasons of Participation
• Semesters Enrolled
• Transfer and Residence

Student Eligibility Bylaws

• Amateur Sttus
• Assault
• Athletic Camps and Clinic
• Awards
• Chemical Eligibility
• Good Standing: General Eligibility Requirements
• National Teams and Olympic Development Programs
• Non-School Competition and Training
• Sexual/Racial/Religious Harassment/Violence and Hazing in League-sponsored Athletic and Fine ARts Activities

Administration of Student Eligibility Bylaws

• Fair Hearing Procedure and Acknowledgement of Rights
• Certifiying Student Elibility
• Cities of the First Class Eligibility Rules
• Eligibility Information Brochure for Athletics and Fine Arts
• Ineligible Student
• Master Eligibility List
• Responsibility for Student Eligibility
• Undue Influence on Students
• Undue Solicition of a Student

Administration of Athletic Program Bylaws

• Cheerleading
• Contest Rules
• Cooperative Sponsorship of an Activity by Two or More Member Schools
• Local Control
• Minimum Requirements for Participation in League-Sponsored Tournaments
• Physical Development Programs
• Protests Against Decisions of Contest Officials
• Reporting Violations of League Bylaws
• Responsibility for Teams, Students, and Spectators
• Sanctions
• Scheduling of Contests
• Sponsored Activities
• Game Officials

Interscholastic Athletic Activities

• Maximum Number of Contests
• Daily/Season Participation Limitations
• Badminton, Girls
• Baseball
• Basketball, Boys and Girls
• Bowling, Adapted, Co-educational
• Cross Country Running, Boys and Girls
• Football
• Golf, Boys and Girls
• Gymnastics, Girls
• Hockey, Boys and Girls/Hockey, Adapted, Co-educational
• Lacrosse, Boys and Girls
• Skiing, Alpine/Nordic Ski Racing, Boys and Girls
• Soccer, Boys and Girls/Soccer, Adapted, Co-educational
• Softball, Boys and Girls/Softball, Adapted, Co-educational
• Swimming and Diving, Boys and Girls
• Synchronized Swimming, Girls
• Tennis, Boys and girls
• Volleyball, Girls
• Wrestling
• Dance Team

Minnesota High School Baseball Rules

Appendix

Minnesota State High School League Football

• Former Executive Directors and Board Members
• Board Policy Statements
• History of the Minesota State High School League
• Articles of Incorporation
• Constitution
• State Legislation
• Key Word Reference
• Index