Ever since a recent MIAA executive director newsletter update clarifying what constitutes a candidate in the organization’s eyes hit the public, coaches and athletic directors have sounded the panic button.

At Wednesday’s MIAA Board of Directors meeting, committee members took a major step toward trying to calm the hysteria. By a vote of a 18-0-1, the committee recommended that the following terminology be established regarding the definition of a candidate: any varsity or sub-varsity athlete who participated in the school that they are enrolled in at some interscholastic level at some point in the previous year and has eligibility remaining.

The matter will be discussed further at the next Board of Directors meeting in December.

In other news, Board of Directors vice president Tom Arria said the quarterly financial report looks to be on target, but will get a better read once the tournaments are done in time for the December audits.

He went on to say the dues would be going up on the next few years on a sliding scale downward. He used his school as an example of someone at the high end since they participate in the maximum number of varsity sports offered (26). At Cambridge, it would go from $350 in 2026 to $310 in 2027 to $250 in 2028.

Executive director Bob Baldwin reinforced the fact that hockey officials would be getting an increase. He went on to say that the MIAA recognizes that there is a officiating shortage and they wanted to do whatever possible to support the officials.