Lipscomb Academy given two-year TSSAA football playoff ban
Lipscomb Academy's first year competing in the state's largest private school football classification will end without a chance to compete in the TSSAA playoffs.
Tennessee's state athletics association handed down a two-year postseason ban that will end the Mustangs' season after Friday's regular-season finale against McCallie.
A letter to the school's football families from Lipscomb Academy head of school Brad Schultz and athletic director Jake House on Friday said the TSSAA punished the program with "what the TSSAA deems a recruiting violation."
More: TSSAA football brackets for 2023 playoffs. See the first-round pairings here
The TSSAA has put the program on restrictive probation for the next two seasons, keeping it out of the playoffs. It was not immediately clear what the violation entailed. The TSSAA did not immediately provide comment to The Tennessean.
Lipscomb plans to appeal the decision to the TSSAA Board of Control on Monday.
"We are extremely disappointed to be in this situation," the Lipscomb letter stated. "There are many emotions tied to this consequence as the implications are multi-faceted. Bear with us as we work through the appeals process. The outcome will be shared with you on Monday."
A second letter to eighth through 12th-grade families detailed the TSSAA's findings after an investigation that began last month.
The first finding involved two football players that were ruled ineligible for the season. Those two players played in just one win — against Briarcrest. The school's "proposed consequence" is to forfeit that game. The second involved a recruiting violation "based on a brief text conversation between a football assistant coach and a former parent."
The ruling came eight months after the TSSAA placed all Lipscomb athletic programs on probation through the end of the 2023-24 school year and fined the Nashville private school $1,000. The violation has led the TSSAA to extend the probation through the 2024-25 school year. All other sports outside of football are still eligible for postseason games.
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TSSAA executive Mark Reeves warned Lipscomb Academy officials at the time that probation meant the school could receive harsher penalties if it violated rules during that probationary period.
Lipscomb Academy is wrapping up its first season under first-year coach Kevin Mawae, a former star with the Tennessee Titans and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The season has been tough after winning back-to-back state championships under former Super Bowl quarterback Trent Dilfer while competing in Division II-AA, a smaller private school division than this season.
Lipscomb Academy chose to move up to DII-AAA late in the 2022 season. Dilfer was hired as UAB's football coach less than two months after the move to play up in classification was finalized.
Lipscomb Academy entered Friday with a 4-5 record after battling adversity this season. They've started three different quarterbacks. Four-star QB Deuce Knight, a Notre Dame commit, moved in from Mississippi and started the first three weeks before transferring back home.
Tav Shaffer took over before giving way to Jackson Kilburg in Weeks 9 and 10. Still, Lipscomb Academy finished fourth in DII-AAA East Region.
How will this change TSSAA playoff brackets
With Lipscomb Academy appealing the TSSAA playoff ban on Monday, the TSSAA said it will impact three DII-AAA playoff games. Those teams involved in those games will be notified when a final decision is reached by the TSSAA's Board of Control. Reeves told The Tennessean that meeting will be open to only those impacted by the ruling. Games affected will be moved to Nov. 4. Teams that mutually agree to play earlier must reach out to assistant director Richard McWhirter by Wednesday.
The public and media members will not be permitted to attend the appeal. That goes against previous TSSAA appeals to the Board of Control. In recent years, the TSSAA has only closed its doors to the media and the public when dealing with student hardships or lawsuits.
Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TSSAA gives Lipscomb Academy football two-year playoff ban
