Abilene Christian High School, at least for the time being, is quite happy with the Texas Assn. of Private Schools (TAPS).
A pair of state basketball titles less than two weeks ago didn't hurt any.
Dee Nutt, the former ACU and Mexican Olympic basketball teams' coach who now directs Abilene Christian School in the capacity of superintendent, has worked to achieve some sort of affiliation for ACHS athletic teams. TAPS seems to fill most of the bill.
The ideal affiliation in some instances would be the TCIL, once known as the Texas Catholic Interscholastic League, but now broadened to the Texas Christian Interscholastic League.
The TCIL offers all the way what Nutt would like, and that's not only a state organization but a regionalized district. Two drawbacks preclude that route right now, he said.
One is travel. The TCIL district in which ACHS would participate would require trips to Amarillo as well as Lubbock and Wichita Falls. The Amarillo jaunt is pretty remote right now.
Another drawback is the TCIL's transfer rules, which is the same as UIL. This prevents a boy or girl transfering into a school from participating in organized athletics for a year, unless he or she is a senior.
"Many of our families move regularly," Nutt said. "and it's really hard to make (the children) ineligible."
Though Nutt likes the way TAPS does things, he won't rule out the TCIL sometime down the road.
"I'm not saying we won't make that move. We may, even with the transfer rule. But for now, we'll wait."
Joining TCIL would mean a two-year probationary period when ACHS couldn't participate in state championship meets.
With the girls' and boys' basketball teams sweeping state championships, ACHS will try for track and field titles at Bryan Mat 4-5, and will have a tennis team.
Next fall, the football team will try to make the state tournament in a manner in which the basketball teams employed -- by record. Most district alignments are concentrated in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas.
Abilene Christian already is set as the site for the state basketball tournaments next February.
TAPS, which has a membership of approximately 36 schools, has volleyball, golf and cross country state championships as well.
Source: Abilene Reporter-News, Wednesday, March 1, 1978, Page 17
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