New Transfer Rule

Written Thursday May 23rd, at 12:35 AM

Finally somebody had to crack down on the transfer rule.

In August of 2014 the MHSAA approved a move to ban immediate eligibility for transfers for all athletic motivated purposes. Now the transfer instead of having to wait until the semester to play for their new team must wait the whole school year (180 days) to play for their new team.

This is a big move especially here in Oakland County where the likes of Sydni Davis going from West Bloomfield to Southfield Lathrup via the transfer rule, Sabrina Cotton from Troy to Southfield Lathrup, and James Young leaving Troy for Rochester among others.

Just last season there were over 400 students who transferred to other schools to play common sports like football and basketball.

Currently the transfer has to sit out one semester, now there are loopholes to get out of that. Kids moving into their new school districts have become a more disturbing trend in recent years.

This move will be big especially into combat the open enrollment issue and also battle the AAU issue which has been a big problem and influence that has became a factor in athletic transfers.

The most notable transfer issue was at Oak Park when the Knights had 21 of their 22 starters play for well respected coach and Athletic Director Greg Carter. Carter took over the Knights in 2010 coming over from Inkster. Most of the students from Detroit, Inkster, and Utica all transferred into Oak Park to play for Coach Carter in 2011. The Knights won the White in football and made the regional finals last season.

Under the new rule schools that lose the transfer do not have to report it for sanctions as long as the move is verified for athletic purposes. Scenarios that are provided by the MHSAA memo include providing all contact the player had in the prior year of the transfer with high school coaches and AAU coaches affiliated with High School programs. If a coach leaves one school for another those transfers who leave to play for him or her are deemed athletically motivated and have to sit out the whole school year.

The transfer will also not be allowed to attend open gym sessions at the future school regardless of having contact or not with the team’s coaching staff.

To me this is a big rule in High School sports, the big losers here are the open enrollment schools and AAU influences as well but this rule also must be enforced in not only the public schools but also in the private schools, the catholic schools, and also those who openly recruit. I think this new rule sends a big message to those who want to transfer for athletic reasons that maybe staying put maybe a better option than leaving. If it’s for academic purposes than its understandable if a kid leaves because of its poor school system but not for athletic purposes.