Changes in Alabama High School Athletics
A few years back, the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) decided to take action against several private schools. The concern was that these schools were using “scholarships” and specialized funds to attract top student-athletes from surrounding public schools.
One reason this was tricky to address was that private schools don’t face the same zoning rules as public ones. There aren’t strict address verifications, and students can come from anywhere. As long as they pay tuition and meet some basic eligibility requirements, they can play sports.
This led to private schools stacking their teams with exceptional players, leading to victories while leaving public school teams far behind.
It felt unbalanced, and many recognized this. The AHSAA, which is overseen by a small group of bureaucrats alongside a board of directors from both private and public schools, has been considering ways to correct these disparities.
They’ve introduced some new rules, one of which states that transfer student-athletes must sit out for a year. This is somewhat similar to former university rules that required transferring student-athletes to also sit out for a year.
While players can join practices and team events and support their teammates, they are not permitted to participate in any games for an entire calendar year.
This new rule is being criticized by the “school choice” advocates. This group comprises individuals who seem focused on undermining public education and reallocating taxpayer funds meant for education. They are expressing frustration over the AHSAA’s reluctance to modify the transfer rules for student-athletes utilizing ACT funding. This funding essentially diverts $7,000 each year intended for underprivileged children and public schools, transferring it to wealthier families to aid in private education.
Now, they seem intent on dismantling public school sports programs as well.
With this rule in place, it risks turning into a kind of university transfer portal. Private schools, with better funding, are able to attract top athletes by offering that $7,000 in tuition. This may lead to a significant shift, where rural schools already struggling financially may lose talent to private schools. In smaller towns, where local athletes are celebrated, students might choose to attend prestigious institutions instead.
Anyone familiar with high school track and field in Alabama is likely aware of the issues at play. Despite AHSAA’s regulations, there is still a significant amount of illicit recruitment occurring.
A few years back, one notable public school faced scrutiny from the AHSAA when it came to light that a local fitness company was financially incentivizing families of athletes wanting to transfer. That year, the school accepted over 100 new athletes.
This is exactly what the AHSAA aims to prevent.
High school athletics, especially tennis and soccer, are big business in the state. Programs are lucrative, and top coaches can command high salaries. With universities seeking ready-to-go players, there’s an increasing incentive for programs to push boundaries in order to land Division I scholarships.
The AHSAA isn’t perfect, but in this case, it feels like the association’s intent is being misconstrued by those who fear losing their advantages.
Removing the one-year sit-out rule is a problematic idea. Lawmakers are vocally criticizing the AHSAA, which is a governing body established through federal statutes to oversee Alabama high school sports.
A more balanced approach could be to create an exemption system where coaches can register transfers for legitimate academic reasons. This would limit moves aimed purely at bolstering athletic teams while still considering the needs of students transferring for valid reasons.
Whatever direction is taken, scrapping the transfer rules altogether would likely be detrimental to high school sports in Alabama.
