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Oakland Unified School District

About Us

The California Interscholastic Federation, Oakland Section, is a nonprofit corporation organized to direct and control both boys and girls athletics in the secondary schools within the Section. The Oakland Section is administered on a day-to-day basis by the Commissioner, Regional Managers and an Administrative Assistant. One of the smaller of the 10 CIF sections, the Oakland Section has a rich and well-known history, producing nationally elite student-athletes and teams since its inception in 1940.

Interscholastic athletics for both boys and girls in the Oakland Section are considered to be an integral segment of the total educational program. It goes without saying that sports should be supplement, rather than serve as a substitute for the traditional physical education and intramural programs in our member schools.

The Oakland Athletic League is comprised of the six comprehensive senior high schools in the Oakland Unified School District; Castlemont, Fremont, McClymonds, Oakland, Oakland Technical, and Skyline.  Membership in the Oakland Athletic League may be accomplished by invitation of the Policy Committee or acceptance of an outside school’s application by the Policy Committee.  The purpose of the league is to provide a system for conducting fair and equal interscholastic sports competition among the high schools.

The league is governed by an established set of rules known as the OAL Rules and Regulations and the CIF Rules and Regulations.  The OAL Rules and Regulations are formed by the OAL Policy Committee.  The committee is comprised of the six senior high school principals, two athletic directors, the Superintendent of Schools or designee, a representative of the Board of Education, and the Director of the OAL, who is an ex‑officio member.  All decisions of the Policy Committee are subject to the Superintendent’s approval.

The role of the Director of the OAL is to execute league policies, oversee implementation of rules and regulations, and carry on day to day operations of the league (schedules, bus transportation, facilities, supervision, officials, awards, publicity, uniforms and supplies, budget, etc.).

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is a State organization and the parent organization of the OAL and The Oakland Section.  The CIF rules and regulations provide the system whereby interscholastic athletics are conducted on a fair and equitable basis throughout the State.  All high schools in the state must be CIF member schools in order to compete against one another.  The CIF is comprised of ten sections with Oakland being one of the sections.  Representatives from the Oakland Section meet with the representatives of the other sections to discuss, review, and revise CIF rules and policies.  Where permitted, OAL rules may be more restrictive than CIF Bylaws but not less restrictive than CIF Bylaws.

Coaches of the OAL are selected by the school site principal.  All OAL coaches must become certified by the CIF Coaching Education Program as a condition of employment in addition to meeting the requirements established by the District and CIF.  Coaches receive an extra duty stipend which is negotiated in the teachers’ contract.  Coaches are assisted at school sites by the principal and the site Men’s Division and Women’s Division Athletic Directors.  The Director of the OAL meets pre and post season with all coaches to provide orientation and direction, and meets monthly with the school site athletic directors.

The OAL program is funded by the Oakland Unified School District general purpose budget. Accounts are established for coaches’ salaries, supervision, awards, facilities rental, supplies and equipment, transportation, and officials.  Gate receipts from OAL events are used to pay for post season section and CIF tournaments/meets as well as to cover a variety of other expenses.  Gate receipts, after expenses, are returned to the schools as Special Needs Accounts.  The Director oversees the expenditure of funds which requires authorization by the principal and the school site athletic director.

Contact Us

Oakland Athletic League

1011 Union Street
Oakland, CA 94607

Phone: (510) 879-2846