What we’re hearing about Jerome Singleton’s future with SC High School League
Jerome Singleton’s future as South Carolina High School League commissioner is expected to be a topic of conversation Thursday at the league’s executive committee meeting.
Whether any part of that conversation happens in public view remains to be seen.
The High School League’s executive committee will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday with an agenda to discuss, among other things, a “personnel” item. That personnel matter — which will be discussed in closed session — will be related to the future of Singleton’s tenure as commissioner, multiple athletic and legislative sources told The State.
A top option for an eventual outcome, those sources said, would include an amicable agreement for Singleton to step down as commissioner. It’s not expected that Singleton will simply resign.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether any vote will happen Thursday or whether a final decision is imminent — or if anything will be discussed on the matter during the open portions of the meeting.
Singleton has served as the SCHSL commissioner for more than 20 years, first taking on the role in July 2005.
His departure, if it happens, could be a turning point in a back-and-forth debate with state lawmakers over the league’s effectiveness that started late in the summer of 2023. The SCHSL — a public entity but not a state agency — has managed athletics in South Carolina for more than 100 years.
“I think we need to move forward in our thinking,” State Rep. Shannon Erickson, R-Beaufort, said in late 2023. “We have done things the same way for 100 years. I think we can do better.”
A lot of the criticism toward the High School League has centered around what lawmakers say is an outdated structure and oftentimes slow process for dealing with modern-day issues facing athletics such as charter schools and increased school choice, competitive balance, athlete eligibility and player transfers. How the league has enforced sanctions against member schools for rules violations has also been called inconsistent and sometimes unfair.
Erickson has been a lead proponent of a bill that would dissolve the league and create a new governing body, but that legislation wasn’t voted on as scheduled Tuesday. The S.C. House of Representatives instead postponed voting on House Bill 4163 to March 2.
“We have due diligence to do, and I have been asked to wait on some information, so I am waiting on the information,” Erickson told The State this week.
Erickson didn’t elaborate on what information she was waiting for. There was speculation the postponement of the House vote was related to the possibility of settlement or agreement regarding Singleton’s future as commissioner.
Just a week ago, SCHSL lobbyist William Bowers informed members of the league’s executive committee that he was told House Bill 4163 could be withdrawn if “tenured leadership” — aka Singleton — is no longer in power.
Even if Singleton is out as commissioner, House Bill 4163 could still move forward but be reworded to keep the SCHSL in place but with additional structural changes.
Singleton has served as the SCHSL commissioner since July 2005, replacing Ronnie Matthews. He was chosen over former Greenwood High football coach Shell Dula. Before that, he served as the associate commissioner with the SCHSL for 10 years.
The league has met with lawmakers over the last few years and made changes meant to appease their concerns, including the adoption of a one-time transfer rule for high school students. Two new amendments are being considered that would add two members of the S.C. House of Representatives and two from the S.C. Senate to the SCHSL executive committee. That committee is currently made up of athletic leaders and school administrators, and has representation for referees and from all five athletic classifications.
The executive committee is the league’s governing body, although coaches and athletic leadership at SCHSL member schools are involved in amendments and bringing about change.
But House Bill 4163, as it’s currently written, would do away with the SCHSL and replace it with the S.C. High School Athletic Association and make that new entity part of the Department of Education. The SCHSAA, the bill says, would “promote, facilitate, assist, and govern interscholastic athletic programs and events and provides for the purpose, functions, organization, and governance of the association.”
This story was originally published February 25, 2026 at 7:07 PM with the headline "What we’re hearing about Jerome Singleton’s future with SC High School League."
