>> HE'S GONNA FIRE THIS 23-YARD TD PASS TO LANCE GRUHEY. IT'S 7-6 AFTER ONE QUARTER. RIVALRY SHOOTOUT HERE.
NORTH GETS IT DONE. >> HIGHLIGHTS FROM AC AND OUR PARTNERS AT WISH-TV, A HUGE GAME LAST YEAR BETWEEN COLUMBUS NORTH
AND CROSSTOWN RIVAL, THE OLYMPIANS OF COLUMBUS EAST. FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL IN INDIANA HAS GROWN SO MUCH IN POPULARITY
OVER THE YEAR, BUT IT'S LIKELY GOING TO LOOK PERHAPS A LOT DIFFERENT THIS SEASON. COVID-19 FORCED SPRING SPORTS IN
THE STATE TO TAKE A TIME-OUT, PUSHING A GOOD NUMBER OF INDIANA'S MORE THAN 160,000 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-ATHLETES OUT OF
ACTION. THE STATE HAS ISSUED AN ELABORATE APPROACH ON HOW TO SAFELY GET ATHLETES BACK IN THE
GAME. AND AS HE PREPARES TO SUCCEED BOBBY COX AS COMMISSIONER OF THE INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC
ASSOCIATION, VETERAN ADMINISTRATOR PAUL NEIDIG WILL ALSO OVERSEE THE IFS, HOW'S AND WHEN'S OF RETURNING PREP SPORTS
TO PLAYING FIELDS, COURTS, AND COURSES THROUGHOUT THE STATE. AND JOINING US THIS WEEK ON THE PROGRAM, PAUL NEIDIG FROM THE
OFFICE. CONGRATULATIONS ON THE NEW ROLE. >> WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND IT'S CERTAINLY MY PLEASURE
TO JOIN YOU GUYS TODAY HERE WITH THE SHOW. >> WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT GETTING BACK ON THE FIELD IN A MOMENT,
BUT FIRST A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR BACKGROUND. YOU'VE BEEN AT THE IHSAA FOR, I THINK, TWO OR THREE YEARS, BUT
PRIOR TO THAT, A LONG AND VERY STORIED CAREER IN HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS IN THE EVANSVILLE VANDER BERG SCHOOL SYSTEM.
TALK, PAUL, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND. >> YEAH, I MEAN, I'VE HAD A GREAT CAREER, I'VE BEEN BLESSED
TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO A LOT OF THINGS IN EDUCATION. YOU KNOW, FIRST AND FOREMOST, AND STILL TODAY, I CONSIDER
MYSELF A TEACHER. I WAS ABLE TO START IN THE CLASSROOM, AND LOVE TEACHING, LOVE HELPING KIDS FIND THEIR WAY
AND WATCHING THEM LEARN AND GROW HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PASSION OF MINE, AND I WAS ABLE AT SOME POINT TO TURN THAT IN TO THE
ATHLETIC FIELD THROUGH COACHING AND THEN THROUGH ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION AND ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, I THINK BACK ON THAT
TIME WITH VERY FOND MEMORIES AND I KNOW I WILL FOR THE REST OF MY CAREER, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE REALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR
KIDS IN THAT ROLE. BUT THEN HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE IN THE CENTRAL OFFICE ADMINISTRATION, OVERSAW DISTRICT
ATHLETICS, SO WE HAD FIVE HIGH SCHOOLS AND MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND SOME ELEMENTARY PROGRAMS, AND ULTIMATELY I WAS
ABLE TO SERVE DR. DAVID SMITH AND THE SCHOOL BOARD IN EVANSVILLE AS CHIEF OF STAFF, SO I'VE SEEN THE ENTIRE GAMUT OF
EDUCATION IN A SCHOOL SYSTEM FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF AN INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL AND THEN FROM >> PAUL, IN A NUTSHELL, WE'RE
GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE COVID-19 DYNAMIC IN A MOMENT, BUT IN A NUTSHELL, WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE IHSAA AS YOU BEGIN THIS
NEW ROLE? >> WELL, I THINK MY VISION REALLY IS CONTAINED IN WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT MOVING FORWARD.
WE'RE AN EDUCATION-BASED INSTITUTE. IF EDUCATION DOESN'T HAPPEN, WE DON'T HAVE SPORTS.
AND WE NEED TO KEEP THAT FIRST AND FOREMOST. AND MY GUIDING PRINCIPLE, MY DECISION-MAKING, THE THING I
ALWAYS WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE TO IS THE LAST KID WHO MAKES THE TEAM. YOU KNOW, THE 1%, THE GREAT
ATHLETES, THEY HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES, BUT I REALLY WANT TO BE FOCUSED ON PROTECTING THE EXPERIENCE FOR ALL KIDS WHO MAKE
A TEAM, BECAUSE THIS IS AN EDUCATIONAL SETTING, AND IF WE'RE NOT TEACHING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT PROBABLY DOING THE
SERVICE TO KIDS. SO THAT'S MY PRIMARY FOCUS. >> OKAY, PAUL. THIS IS ON THE MINDS OF MANY
PEOPLE IN THE STATE, FANS, PARENTS, AND, OF COURSE, STUDENT ATHLETES, BUT GETTING BACK IN THE GAME, WILL YOU WILL, I KNOW
THE INDIANA STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAS ISSUED BASICALLY A THREE PHASED APPROACH WHEN IT COMES TO SPORTS.
CAN YOU GIVE US A NUTSHELL OF THAT PLAN AND WHERE THINGS ARE AT THIS POINT? >> SURE.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND OBVIOUSLY THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE
AND ENTITIES CHARGED WITH OPENING BACK UP OUR STATE, BUT THE PLAN IS, WE RETURN TO OUR SCHOOL BASED FACILITIES ON
JULY 6TH, OUR COACHES CAN GET ACCESS TO STUDENT ATHLETES, WE'LL CALL IT KNOCKING THE TUS T OFF HERE.
THERE'S A TWO WEEK ACCLAMATION PERIOD WE CALL PHASE ONE, COACHES CAN START WORKING WITH THEIR KIDS, WEIGHTLIFTING,
CONDITIONING, GETTING THE BALLS BACK OUT AND THE PADS, AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE MOVE INTO PHASE TWO.
PHASE TWO WILL BE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A RETURN TO NORMAL SUMMER, WHERE WE CAN START SOME INFORMAL COMPETITIONS, OBVIOUSLY
WITH ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL ONLY DURING PHASE TWO, AND THAT TAKES US TO PHASE THREE, AND PHASE THREE IS GOING TO BE THE RETURN
OF HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS AS WE KNOW IT THE ON THE SAME TIMELINE AS WE'VE ALWAYS HAD. AND OUR HOPE IS, IF WE CONTINUE
ON THIS PATH AND SOMETHING DOESN'T CHANGE, THAT WE'RE GOING TO RETURN TO THE FOOTBALL FIELD ON FRIDAY NIGHT THIS FALL, JUST
LIKE WE HAVE EVERY OTHER YEAR OR THE SOCCER OR TENNIS OR GOLF OR WHAT HAVE YOU, AND WE'RE GOING TO START COMPETING AGAIN AND
WE'RE GOING TO START GIVING OUR KIDS A PLATFORM TO LEARN AND SHOW WHAT THEY DO. >> VERY GOOD.
VERY QUICKLY, PAUL, WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT 20 SECONDS LEFT, I KNOW YOU CAN'T ANSWER THIS IN TOTALITY, BUT AT THIS POINT IN
THE GAME AND IN THAT PROGRESSION, HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU THAT YOU CAN STICK TO THAT TIELINE AND HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
CAN BEGIN ON SCHEDULE? >> I THINK I'M VERY CONFIDENT IN THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY WE NEED TO REMAIN NIMBLE.
THIS COVID IS A NEW PATH FOR US, WE DON'T KNOW ALL THE INS AND OUTS OF IT YET, BUT I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO
RETURN TO THE FIELD IN THE FALL. >> PAUL NEIDIG, INCOMING COMMISSIONER, PAUL THANKS FOR JOINING US, GOOD LUCK IN YOUR
NEW ROLE. I KNOW WE'LL TALK TO YOU MANY TIMES HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE AS WELL.
>> VERY GOOD. APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU GUYS DO, AND LET'S GET BACK ON THE