Butler football returning to WPIAL
BUTLER TWP — Butler football’s court battle with the PIAA is over.
The Golden Tornado have agreed to rejoin the WPIAL in football in 2024, as part of a settlement of pending litigation with the PIAA. Terms of that settlement also include Butler remaining in District 10 for the 2023 season and staying eligible for postseason play, along with participation in the PIAA’s next Strategic Planning Committee meeting. That meeting is yet to be scheduled.
The PIAA’s next classification cycle begins next year. Butler had been informed that District 7 (WPIAL) and District 10 will no longer approve the Golden Tornado to participate in PIAA District 10 football at that time. That is their prerogative under the PIAA bylaws.
Faced with the options of going through the court system to get that move overturned, play an independent football schedule or rejoin the WPIAL in 2024, Butler decided on the latter.
Butler’s last WPIAL football season was in 2019. The Tornado were winless in 2018 and 2019, concluding the latter season with 28 healthy players. Through the past three seasons in District 10, Butler won 11 games and qualified for the District 10 playoffs the past two years.
Butler had 60 players on its football roster — grades 10 to 12 — in 2022.
“While I’m confident we could win another court battle on this, nothing is guaranteed, and we don’t want to put our kids through that process again,” said Brian White, superintendent of the Butler Area School District. “Through this settlement, we are able to join that (Strategic Planning Committee) meeting and make a proposal about reclassification.”
