IHSAA plans to study one-time 'free' transfer after freshman year for high school athletes

How would you feel about a one-time transfer that is essentially a free opportunity to change schools after an athlete’s freshman year of high school?

That is potentially something the Indiana High School Athletic Association will consider studying further. At the end of IHSAA commissioner Paul Neidig’s six meetings with athletic directors around the state discussing this year’s proposals last month , he floated a few ideas before administrators for future consideration.

One of them is not exactly a new idea ( it was proposed in 2016 and voted down unanimously by the IHSAA board of directors) but maybe times have changed enough for consideration in the next year or two. This potential proposal, which former IHSAA commissioner Bobby Cox said the board believed eight years ago could “open doors to create a ‘Wild West’ situation”, would allow an athlete to transfer after their freshman year with full eligibility without a change of address.

“You make an initial decision on what school you are going to, and it just isn’t working for you,” Neidig said at the meeting at Plainfield last month. “You may have a kid in private school and go back to public school or vice versa. There could be all kinds of different scenarios. Undue influence still matters. Past link still matters. All of those things we’ve come to know around the transfer rule would still be in place. What this would basically do is provide a single transfer prior to the fall sport season (after their freshman year).”

Personally, I think this idea has some merit. There are myriad reasons a student might want to transfer after their freshman year. Provided coaches are not actively recruiting an athlete at another school (I know, probably naïve), I don’t see many issues that aren’t already accounted for (like undue influence and past link). One athletic director brought up a good point, asking if the 365-day rule for past link and undue influence would apply if an athlete went to a different school as a freshman, then returned to the school where they previously attended. Neidig said there could be rule support created for that scenario.

The straw poll at Plainfield showed 27 of the administrators in favor of that idea and 39 opposed. But I do think it is something that could come up in the next year or two.

Another idea on transfers had much less support. Some states in recent years have passed a one-time transfer rule at any point in high school with a more restrictive rule on second-time transfers. Neidig said he has concerns that idea, sharing a story of an unnamed school where a group of parents came together and demanded the coach be fired; the school, Neidig said, stood by the coach.

“They wouldn’t fire the coach,” Neidig said. “I guarantee you every one of those players and parents would have went in and made that demand to take advantage of this caveat had that rule been in place.”

The straw poll at Plainfield showed just eight athletic directors in favor and 59 opposed.

One point brought up often by Neidig (and Cox before him) is the lost opportunity for athletes who have been at the school and are bumped out by transfers.

“If we’re going to make this athletic decision, let’s get everybody in the room,” Neidig said. “Let’s identify that child that may get left behind and let their parents in and provide some input into this process. You can’t do it absent of everybody at the table.”

Neidig’s point, whether you agree with it or not, is that the athlete’s family transferring into the school does not care at all about the potential kid who gets displaced through no fault of their own. Some might argue: Hey, get better. Life is tough. Get used to it. But the idea of a one-time “free” transfer at any point in high school does not seem to have much support currently.

There were three other ideas brought up by Neidig. One is co-op for sports. For example, two small schools in the same district might not have enough students for soccer. With a co-op, those schools could combine to form a soccer program. Another example would allow an athlete at a school that does not offer football to potentially play at a neighboring school.

The straw poll at Plainfield showed 32 in favor and 27 opposed to the idea.

The idea to classify individual sports was discussed. Next year will be a proposal year for individual sports, which is why Neidig said he would like the IHSAA and the Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association to work together up front with the coaches associations “to be at the table at the beginning.”

I’m interested dive into that possibility a little further. I’ve heard from coaches over the years who have been in favor of classifying individual sports and I’ve certainly heard the other side as well. I’m not sure it makes much sense in a sport like golf. But track and field? Maybe.

The majority of those in attendance were opposed, but it was almost a 50-50 split.

The final idea was on second semester seniors who might only need two courses to graduate but have to stay in school five periods a day. About 60% who voted in the straw poll at Plainfield were in favor of allowing relief on that rule.

Of those, I’m probably most interested in a potential proposal to allow a transfer following an athlete’s freshman year. What do you think? Let me know.

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649 .

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA plans to study one-time 'free' transfer after freshman year for high school athletes