Sport Otago is looking to make changes to the awards as professional sport evolves and more sports centralise their operations.
Under the present rules, the Highlanders, after winning the Super rugby competition this season, probably the toughest rugby competition in the world to win, would not qualify for the team of the year award as it is not strictly an Otago team.
Neither would teams such as the Steel netball side, or the Southern United football side, as they too are seen as southern regional sides.
Sport Otago chief executive John Brimble said the organisation needed to look at what defined an ''Otago'' athlete and recognise the funding challenges all sports are under and how that related to the awards.
''Many of our top athletes will never represent Otago once they are international stars; competing at that elite level is a full-time job for them,'' he said.
''If you are in the Rowing New Zealand elite programme, you have to be in Karapiro: period. Our top cyclists will have to go to Cambridge. It's going to get worse with funding squeezed, so we need to think about how we define an 'Otago' athlete.
''That is one reason it's so important to keep developing our young talent, and recognising them at opportunities like this one [awards].''
The changes were already being considered before the Highlanders won the Super rugby title earlier this month.
There appear to be many contradictions in the awards under the present rules.
Rower Hamish Bond has dominated the awards in recent years yet is based at Lake Karapiro, owns a house in Waikato and has not called Dunedin home for years.
He qualified for the awards as he is still a member of the North End rowing club and rows for the southern region at the national championships.
Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum has won the major award over the past two years.
He lives in Christchurch and has played just a few games for the Otago Volts over the past two seasons.
The Highlanders do not qualify for the awards despite playing all but one of their home games in Dunedin this season and training for more than eight months in the city while most of the fans who attend their games come from Otago.
Skiers have gained awards over the years but mainly compete overseas and are only based in Otago because of the region's skifields.
Sport Otago operations manager Duane Donovan said it was hard to judge sports together and it was like comparing apples with pears.
''We need to have a look at it and be aware of the changing face of sport and professional sport,'' he said.
Donovan said the awards needed to remain credible to both the public and the athletes.
The next awards were not until May next year so Sport Otago had time on its side.
It would talk to sister organisation Sport Southland about possible changes.
Brimble said there would be increased public expectation about recognising the achievements of the Highlanders.
''As sports fans, we need to have a discussion about this so the awards stay relevant and meaningful to the athletes and the public.''
