People Are Wondering If An Ohio School Even Exists, After A Football Blowout On ESPN

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On Sunday, Bishop Sycamore lost to the second-ranked team in the country, IMG Academy of Florida, 58-0.

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Michael Holahan/USA TODAY NETWORK via Reuters Co

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«I have asked the Ohio Department of Education to conduct an investigation into Bishop Sycamore to ensure compliance with Ohio law and to ensure the school is providing the educational opportunities Ohio students deserve,» DeWine said.

Bishop Sycamore High School, the supposed school in Columbus, Ohio, is not recognized by the Ohio High School Athletic Association and the Department of Education lists no charter school with its name, according to local TV station WCMH.

The school’s official website, as of Wednesday, has been taken down for «site maintenance.»

In an official filing to the Ohio Department of Education, Bishop Sycamore school officials say the school is «one of the best academic institutions in the country,» according to The Columbus Dispatch.

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However, concerns were raised after the school played against national football powerhouse IMG Academy in a prep football game this past Sunday on ESPN.

Both ESPN and Paragon, the marketing group that helps schedule and deliver high school matchups to the sports network, said they were unaware of the school playing on TV and «didn’t have the number of highly recruited prospects» it said to have prior to the game scheduled.

«We regret that this happened and have discussed it with Paragon, which secured the matchup and handles the majority of our high school event scheduling,» ESPN said in a news statement Tuesday. «They have ensured us that they will take steps to prevent this kind of situation from happening moving forward.»

As of Wednesday, MaxPreps, an online website covering high school sports, had Bishop Sycamore scheduled to play several high school prep powerhouses this year, including St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, St. Thomas More in Connecticut and St. Edward in Lakewood, Ohio.

According to ESPN, Bishop Sycamore played six games last season, with a season record of 0-6.

• high school football
• Football
• Ohio