RAPID CITY – South Dakota is no longer the last holdout.
The Mount Rushmore State had been the last state in the union to not have softball sanctioned by its high school governing body. That changed Wednesday when the SDHSAA Board of Directors voted 8-1 to sanction softball at its bimonthly meeting at the Monument.
Softball will officially start during 2022-23, but in which season is not yet known, even after extensive discussion. SDHSAA Executive Director Dan Swartos said that while Class A and Class B seasons almost certainly will be played in the spring, when Class AA would play is not yet clear.
Those who desire a fall season argue that the weather is better than in the spring and that 30 teams, one of whom is Pierre, play now in a club capacity in the fall.
Proponents of a spring season say chances for participation would be better, since there are currently six girls sports in the fall and just two in the spring.
In the proposed schedule, teams would be required to play 14 games, with a maximum of 26 to 30. Doubleheaders would be allowed when teams have to make cross-state trips.
The SDHSAA Board of Directors is expected to finalize these plans in its next meeting on January 12.
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