Minnesota Agencies

Supervises and regulates interscholastic athletics, and musical, dramatic, and other contests between pupils of Minnesota high schools.

The Minnesota State High School League was first organized in 1916 as the State High School Athletic Association. Its primary purposes were (1) to promote amateur sports and (2) to establish uniform eligibility rules for interscholastic contests.

In 1929 MSHSL broadened its scope by including all interscholastic athletic activities and added speech and debate. At that time the name was changed to the Minnesota State High School League. Music was added in 1965 and Girls Athletics in 1969.

The League has existed as a nonprofit, voluntary association of the public high schools since its inception. In 1960 it was officially incorporated as a nonprofit corporation, filing with MN Secretary of State on May 27, 1960.

A high school that is a school under section 120A.22, subdivision 4, may be a member of the league. The league is made up of high schools whose governing boards have delegated their control of extracurricular activities, as described in section 123B.49, subdivision 4, to the league. The delegation is made when the governing board files a certificate of delegation with the commissioner of education.

In 2023, the Legislature increased membership of the governing board from 20 to 22.

As of 2023, the board is composed of 22 members. Sixteen members are selected according to the league's constitution, four members are appointed by the governor, and two members are appointed from among the membership of the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals.

Chairman of the committee that formed the State High School League: Harry C. Bell, 1916-1927

Executive Directors: Otto Smith, 1928-1942; Harold Peterson, 1942-1958; Beverly Hill, 1959-1970; Murrae Freng, 1970-1985; Orv Bies, 1985-1988; David Stead, 1988-?; Erich Martens, ?-present