Jerome Singleton’s time as SCHSL commissioner will end soon. Here’s what we know
Jerome Singleton’s tenure as South Carolina High School League commissioner is coming to end sooner than expected.
The SCHSL executive committee voted 14-0 on Wednesday to direct the league’s personnel and finance committee to seek an interim commissioner. The personnel and finance committee will interview candidates and then bring a recommendation for a hire back to the full committee.
The interim hire would likely start July 1, a move that would bring an end to Singleton’s tenure as SCHSL commissioner, an athletics source close to the league told The State.
The league’s executive committee announced in March that Singleton would retire no later than July 1, 2027, “pending the finding of an acceptable replacement.” Singleton, 66, still had five years left on his contract at the time of that announcement.
A search firm will assist with finding the league’s next full-time commissioner. The interim would serve as commissioner over the next year as a national search takes place for Singleton’s replacement, according to the athletics source. The interim commissioner could be considered as a candidate for the full-time role.
Singleton has served as SCHSL commissioner for more than 20 years, first assuming the role in July 2005.
Some S.C. lawmakers pushed for Singleton’s departure as House Bill 4163 moved through the state Legislature. The bill was approved by the S.C. House and Senate, and it was signed into law by Gov. Henry McMaster earlier this month. The bill won’t go into effect until July 1, 2027.
In March, Singleton said multiple times in an interview with The State that he wasn’t forced out.
“The thought of retirement isn’t new to me. It just came time. But it gives the impression that it was an ultimatum (by executive committee or lawmakers). The league never said they gave us an ultimatum,” Singleton told The State. “... At some point all good things and all bad things come to an end. It is a good time to do it. I feel like we have done a lot of things that have changed the way we look at things in South Carolina.”
In its original form, House Bill 4163 would have abolished the SCHSL and created a state-run S.C. High School Athletic Association. Instead, legislators compromised to keep the S.C. High School League together but with different ways it must operate.
The S.C. Senate made some additional changes to the bill, including the creation of a 23-member executive board. The biggest change: The league is now subject to government oversight.
The league can be audited by the S.C. Legislative Audit Council and be watched over subject to oversight in the same manner as state agencies. Also new: The commissioner’s contract can’t exceed three years.
This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 12:14 PM with the headline "Jerome Singleton’s time as SCHSL commissioner will end soon. Here’s what we know."
