MIAA

CLARIFICATION ON NEW MIAA TRANSFER RULE

6/22/2006

First, a transfer student is defined as one who changes enrollment from one school to another after high school matriculation. The new policy covers all students changing schools, whether from one member school to another or from a non-member school to a member school.

The first element of the rule concerns students who transfer at some point during a school year. Under the new rule, any transfer student in this situation, who has participated in interscholastic athletics, on any level, at the previous school, is ineligible to participate in interscholastic athletics at the new school for the remainder of the school year. In addition, if the transfer student participated in interscholastic athletics on the varsity level at the previous school, that student athlete is ineligible to participate in the same sports at the new school during the following academic year.

The second element of the rule is for students who transfer after the end of an academic year and before August 1 of the following academic year. These transfer students, who played varsity sports at their previous school, will be ineligible to participate in those sports at their new school for one year, beginning with the student's first day of attendance. Undersquad athletes, however, can transfer under this circumstance, without consequence and are eligible for immediate participation in interscholastic athletics.

There are no waivers or appeals to these policies, however, there are two exceptions.

Students who change their primary residence and move at least 30 miles from their previous residence, can transfer and participate in interscholastic athletics at their new school without penalty.

Likewise, if a student's previous school were to eliminate an athletic program in which a student participated, that student will be allowed participate in that sport at the new school without penalty.

Since the rule does not take effect until September 1, at this time students who wish to transfer must do so under existing rules. Those rules allow for the transfer from non-member schools to member schools, without penalty. Undersquad athletes may also transfer from one member school to another member school, before the start date of fall practices. Varsity athletes wishing to transfer from one member school to another must sit out a full year, from their first date of attendance at the new school. Athletes wishing to transfer under these circumstances, however, do have the opportunity to apply for a waiver, which, if approved, will allow them to transfer and participate in varsity athletics immediately.