AN UPDATE ON THE ONGOING CONVERSATION SURROUNDING THE wIAA'S TRANSFER & eLIGIBILITY RULES
RENTON, WASH. – Over recent days, conversation surrounding the WIAA’s transfer and eligibility rules has expanded. The WIAA is evaluating its current transfer and eligibility rules with the goal of sustaining fair and equitable competition. The Association wants to ensure these rules align with Washington State law and best fit our student-athletes and their families. The WIAA has no interest in creating a “transfer portal” resembling the NCAA’s current model.
Ultimately, the WIAA’s goal is to determine what changes, if any, need to be made.
“Our Board and membership have always been very thoughtful regarding any rule change,” WIAA Executive Director Mick Hoffman said. “This process is another example of that intentional and thorough work.”
Continue reading for more information and links to valuable resources.
As a result of action taken by the WIAA Representative Assembly and the WIAA Executive Board in January, a 22-person committee was assembled to evaluate the Association’s current rules regarding transfers and eligibility. Members of the committee include athletic directors from every WIAA activity district and every WIAA classification, along with individuals representing school directors, superintendents, and more.
The committee is co-chaired by WIAA Executive Board members Jeff Lowell (Bellevue School District), and Harlan Kredit (Lynden Christian HS). Specifically, the committee is focusing on two topics…
- Verifying WIAA eligibility rules specific to transfers align with current Washington State education goals and objectives such as mastery-based learning
- Determine if (and if so, how) WIAA eligibility rules may disproportionately impact students
What are the next steps?
The committee has until October 11, 2024 to propose an amendment to current transfer and eligibility rules. Any amendment would be presented to the WIAA’s Representative Assembly at the Winter Coalition in January 2025 for discussion, but the core of the amendment cannot be altered at that point. From there, the amendment would move to a Representative Assembly vote in the Spring of 2025.
The Representative Assembly (WIAA Handbook 6.0.0) is composed of 53 members, including 35 elected high school members and 18 elected middle school members. Any proposed amendment would be for high schools only, and only the 35 elected high school members would vote on the measure. For a vote to pass, 21 members (60%) would have to vote in favor of the amendment.
This year, the WIAA has had 384 student-athletes listed as ineligible per the WIAA’s current transfer rules, all of which are sent to the Association’s district eligibility committees. To be clear, building Athletic Directors from each member school are responsible for identifying and reporting an ineligible student-athlete to the WIAA.
In New Jersey, the state association amended its rules to allow a one-time, penalty-free transfer. In this case, the association saw a 16% increase in reported transfers, significantly less than many expected. It is expected that a large percentage of that 16% are transfers that were previously unreported, but are now being properly reported. If the WIAA instituted a compromise similar to New Jersey, a 16% increase would result in approximately 63 more transfers.
The transfer committee will continue to meet and evaluate the WIAA rules in order to identify the best course of action going forward.
Coaches, parents, and members of a school community are encouraged to contact their Athletic Director to provide feedback on transfer and eligibility rules.
