The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that the current schedule of Michigan sports discriminates against female athletes.

The ruling made by a three-judge panel said that the Michigan High School Athletic Association, based in East Lansing, violated the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution by playing some sports in nontraditional seasons.

MHSAA spokesman John Johnson said that the association is weighing its options of what legal step to take next. The MHSAA has the option of going before the entire U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals or can take the issue before the U.S. Supreme Court.

"We have a two-week window to file an appeal," Johnson said. "The reaction on the part of the school community is that they still feel that the schools do it right in terms of our sports schedules."

The lawsuit was filed because Michigan is one of only a few states with high school seasons where girls basketball is played in the fall and girls volleyball is in the winter, differing from the traditional college schedules.

The recent decision will likely not have an impact on the upcoming school-year as sports such as boys golf, which might be changing seasons, begins practice next week.

If an appeal is not filed or denied, the season changes will be made beginning in September of 2005.

Diane Madsen, president of Communities for Equity, the Grand Rapids-based group that filed the lawsuit, said she was happy with the ruling and confident that the law was on the group's side.

"Michigan is the only state that schedules this way," Madsen said. "The problem is these seasons were set up around the boys and discriminates against the girls.

"It teaches these girls that they are second-class citizens and you wouldn't and couldn't do that in the classroom."

MSU volleyball head coach Chuck Erbe has been involved in the lawsuit and testified on behalf of the plaintiffs. Erbe said the recent ruling will put Michigan high school volleyball players on a equal level with girls competing across the rest of the country.

"This ruling will make it possible for Michigan girls to have the same competitive experience in volleyball as girls in other states," Erbe said.

"Volleyball coaches from all across the country go to national qualifiers to recruit players and by having Michigan's volleyball season in the winter, it prohibits Michigan girls from competing at these qualifiers and being seen by coaches."

Johnson said that the statistics show Michigan girls are not missing out on scholarships despite having a different schedule.

"Michigan girls rank sixth in the country for volleyball and basketball scholarships, yet the Michigan population for girls 14-to-17 years old is eighth," Johnson said. "Our concern is that kids will miss out on the best quality officiating available and some will lose out on the best coaching."

While Johnson argues that changing the seasons will force some schools to eliminate sports due to a lack of facilities, Madsen said that the issue of facilities should not even be brought into the picture.

"I can't find any credence for the facilities problem - three more girls basketball teams in a gym is the same as three girls volleyball teams," Madsen said.

"It's not that hard, because 49 other states have figured it out - why can't Michigan?"

Staff writer Jonathan Malavolti contributed to this report.