GHSA organizes all sports and academic competitions as well as overseeing registration, training, and approves local area sports officials associations to administer regional athletics and activities per member schools.

[3] The Big 7 Conference included large high schools for African American students in Georgia.

The GIA was an expansion of this league that came include county high schools around the state.

has six classes, AAAAAA, AAAAA, AAAA, AAA, AA, and A, (called "6A", 5A", "4A", "3A", "2A", and "1A") based on the schools' student population.

[citation needed] Boys athletics governed by the GHSA are: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, riflery (co-ed), soccer, swimming, tennis, track, and wrestling.

Girls athletics programs overseen by the GHSA include basketball, competition cheerleading (co-ed & non co-ed), cross country, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, riflery, fast pitch softball, slow pitch softball, soccer, swimming, tennis, track, volleyball, and wrestling.