Normal view

Today — 4 June 2026Main stream

West Virginia high school transfer rule changes approved by state’s BOE

Martinsburg Bulldogs Football 2023/ Courtesy of Martinsburg Football/Instagram

For West Virginia high school student-athletes, transferring school-to-school will be limited in some ways and flexible in others heading into the 2026-2027 season.

[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]

The West Virginia Board of Education signed off on the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission’s (WVSSAC) proposed rule changes when it comes to student-athlete transferring, according to a WSAZ report on Wednesday.

“Our communities have been upset by displacement because of the volume of transfers, and this is a good compromise version, especially with a lot of concern with education choice,” WVSSAC executive director Wayne Ryan said to WSAZ.

“It just means we have a little better control of the transfer situation. I think it’s clear and I think people will understand the rule, but it still provides the flexibility, which I think was essential in this day and age. You still have some freedom of movement, but not unlimited movement.”

West Virginia governor Patrick Morrisey signed House Bill 4425 into law back in early April, giving control of student-athlete transferring back to the WVSSAC.

Under the new state bylaw, freshman and sophomore student-athletes keep their right to transfer. However, to be immediately eligible to compete at their new school, they must complete the transfer on or before September 1. Athletes who transfer during the season may participate in other sports, but not in any sport they have already competed in.

However, if a student-athlete in their junior or senior season wishes to transfer, they would require receiving a waiver exemption from the WVSSAC in order to do so.

Here’s a verbatim excerpt of the new WVSSAC student-athlete transfer policy:

A student in the 9th, 10th, or 11th grades, subject to below, will be entitled to one transfer back from a school located outside of their attendance zone where the student resides into a member school located within the attendance zone where the student’s parents reside. The school must be the ‘home’ school originally identified or selected as the ‘home’ school in the initial enrollment in the out-of-attendance-zone school. Eligibility will be granted immediately if the transfer is on or before September 1.”

How to Follow West Virginia High School Football

For West Virginia high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the Mountain State, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the state, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the West Virginia high school football excitement across the state.

Tennessee school district to keep hardship student-athlete transfer rules in place

generic sunset image EDGYTIM 1200x630

For one county school district in the state of Tennessee, it will not be changing their student-athlete hardship transfer procedures despite the new state transfer rules that set to go into effect this summer, according to a report by Main Street Preps on Wednesday.

[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]

Per the report, Sumner County Schools says they will maintain the current transferring policy, though state legislation passing House Bill 25/Senate Bill 16, which permits student-athletes eligibility after one middle school or high school transfer.

“Sumner County Schools is not making any changes to its’ procedures,” Sumner County District athletic director Ron Sarver said in the report.

Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Executive Director Mark Reeves told the outlet that Sumner County Schools isn’t violating state law by overruling the new bylaw that will go into effect on July 1.

The TSSAA legislative council gathered last month to go over the parameters with the state’s one-time, restriction-free transfer rule. The council voted unanimously, 12-0, that any student-athlete that had already previously transferred would have to go through being approved through the filing of a hardship. The hardship would then have to be heard by TSSAA officials before becoming approved or denied by the state.

The number of Tennessee high school student-athletes transferring figures to rise as data gathered by the TSSAA showed that the number of student-athletes who transferred before the 2025-26 season more than doubled from the figures at the start of the Fall 2024 semester.

More about the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association

“The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, along with the affiliated Tennessee Middle School Athletic Association, is an organization which administers junior and senior high school sporting events in the U.S. state of Tennessee.”

How to Follow Tennessee High School Football

For Tennessee high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the Volunteer State, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the state, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the Tennessee high school football excitement across the state.

❌
❌