How does USA TODAY create their high school football rankings?
USA TODAY’s national high school sports reporter Logan Newman walks us through the factors considered in the selection process.
- High school athletic transfer rules are becoming more common but vary significantly from state to state.
- Many states require student-athletes to sit out for a period of time unless the transfer involves a family move.
- Some states have adopted a one-time free transfer rule, allowing immediate eligibility under certain conditions.
- The complex and differing state-by-state policies have led to legal challenges and ineligibility rulings for some athletes.
It’s been two years since the NCAA revamped its transfer rules, allowing athletes to transfer multiple times with immediate eligibility. We’ve watched as this change has reshaped college athletics and expanded opportunities for athletes.
Now, similar transfer policies are making their way to high school athletics — but with far more variety and restrictions.
While many states still enforce strict eligibility requirements, others have adopted a one-time free transfer rule, which allows students to switch schools without sitting out. However, because each state sets its own policies, the rules vary drastically across the country.
The complex rules have even led to legal battles in some cases.
Most recently, five-star Texas commit John Meredith III and four-star Georgia commit Colton Nussmeier were both ruled ineligible for their senior seasons after attempting to transfer high schools in Texas and losing their respective appeals.
While transferring is nothing new, the rules are ever-changing and arguably more complicated than ever.
So, what are the rules surrounding high school transfers in every state?
Alabama
A student who attends a school outside of their home school district must attend that school for one full calendar year in order to establish athletic eligibility at the varsity level, unless a bona fide move is involved. A family must reside in an attendance zone for one year for that zone to be considered the “home school.”
Alaska
A student who transfers without a bona fide change of residence of parents or guardians is ineligible for team varsity sports for one full calendar year starting from the first day they attend the new school. However, a student is eligible for individual sports during the regular season, but cannot participate in state qualifying or state championship competition for one calendar year.
Arizona
In team sports, a student is ineligible for all power ranked contests at the varsity level for the first 50% of regular season contests if the student participated in that same sport in the past 12 months. If a student transfers during a sport’s season and had competed in the same sport at any time in the past 12 months, they are ineligible for one year.
Arkansas
Students who transfer schools after June 1 of their freshman year will be required to sit out of varsity athletics for 365 days, unless the move is a bona fide change of residence.
California
A student transferring for the first time may become eligible for varsity competition after completing a Sit Out Period (SOP) in sports they previously competed in, provided they meet the conditions listed for limited eligibility. The Sit Out Period will be 50% of the total number days in that particular season of sport.
Colorado
A student who transfers loses varsity eligibility for 365 days from their last day of participation, unless the decision is based on a bona fide family move, a hardship or a broken home. This restriction applies strictly to varsity-level sports that the student participated in during the 12 months prior to moving.
Connecticut
A student who transfers during 10th, 11th or 12th grade without changing their legal residence to another school district or school service area must complete at least one year of approved membership before being eligible for varsity competition.
Delaware
A student may transfer one time to a member school and be immediately eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics, provided the transfer happens before the start of the fall sports season of their third year of high school eligibility. The student may not participate in the same sport for different schools during the same school year.
Washington D.C.
A student who transfers is ineligible to play a varsity sport for one calendar year unless there is a bona fide change of address or the student did not participate in the sport at their previous school. However, students in 9th grade are allowed one transfer during the school year and will remain immediately eligible as long as they don’t play the same sport within the same year at two different schools.
Florida
Florida House Bill 7029 originally permitted student-athletes to transfer to a school of their choice statewide with immediate eligibility; however, that rule tightened this June. Now, students can transfer to a school and participate in sports only in the county in which they reside and they can no longer switch schools midseason. The penalty for attempting an unauthorized athletic transfer to a school outside of your home county is a full season of athletic ineligibility, accompanied by severe financial and competitive penalties for the school’s sports program.
Georgia
A student athlete who transfers to a new high school must complete a bona fide change of residence to maintain immediate varsity eligibility. Last year, however, the Georgia High School Athletic Association revised its bylaws, stating that students who transfer to a third school after their freshman year will face a one-year ineligibility period, even if there is a bona fide move involved.
Hawaii
If a student participates in any athletic events at one school and transfers to another school on the same island within 12 months, the student shall not be eligible to compete in the same sport for a period of 12 consecutive months from the date of such transfer.
Idaho
A student who changes schools without an accompanying move on the part of the student’s parents will be ineligible for interscholastic extracurricular activities for one year from the date of initial enrollment and attendance in the new school.
Illinois
If a student wishes to transfer schools, they must submit a form provided by the IHSA office that is signed by the official representative of the school from which they are transferring from and the school they wish to transfer to. The student will remain ineligible for one year unless both principals agree the move did not involve athletic motivation.
Indiana
Students whose first transfer is from one IHSAA school to another will maintain full eligibility if it occurs during their first six semesters of high school. Students whose second transfer involves a return to the school where they established their initial eligibility will retain full eligibility within 365 days of their enrollment date at the previous school.
Iowa
Unless an exception applies, the transfer rule prohibits a student-athlete from participating in varsity athletics for 140 calendar days of enrollment after transferring from one school to another. This is a change from the previous system, which stated that transfer students were ineligible for 90 school days, putting athletes who compete in summer sports at a disadvantage.
Kansas
If a student changes schools without a move on the part of their parents, high school students are ineligible for one calendar year from the first date of attendance at the new school.
Kentucky
The restrictions on students who have both been in 9th grade and played for a member school require said individual to be ineligible for a period of one year from that student’s latest varsity participation. The one-year period of ineligibility may be waived if documentation can be made that one of 10 published exceptions has been met as listed in the rule book.
Louisiana
Students who transfer to another school without a bona fide change in residence are automatically ineligible from varsity athletics for one calendar year. Students also must attend a school zoned for the physical address where they reside. In February, the LHSAA voted against the one-time free transfer rule.
Maine
A student who transfers enrollment to another school without a corresponding change of residence by their parent may become eligible to participate in interscholastic activities if a Transfer Waiver Approval Form is properly filed with the MPA office, with the administration from both schools agreeing that the transfer was not primarily for athletic purposes.
Maryland
A transfer student who changes schools and has previously participated in a varsity sport is ineligible for that sport for one calendar year from the date of enrollment. If the student enrolls in the middle of the school year, they are also ineligible for the remainder of that school year.
Massachusetts
A student who transfers from any school to an MIAA member high school is ineligible to participate in any interscholastic athletic contest at any level for a period of one year in all sports in which that student participated at the varsity level.
Michigan
A student will not be eligible for the next season in a sport they participated in at their former high school at any level during the most recent previous school year unless the student meets one of the 15 exceptions, most of which involve a residential change.
Minnesota
A transfer student is ineligible for varsity competition for a period of one calendar year beginning with the first day of attendance at the new school, unless a change of residence is involved.
Mississippi
A student who begins 9th grade at one school and transfers to another member school shall be ineligible for a period of one year from the date they enroll in the second school. If a student completes a bona fide move prior to the beginning of the school year, they are immediately eligible.
Missouri
If a student transfers schools, they will be ineligible for 365 days, unless their circumstances meet one of the ten exceptions listed in the MSHSAA Residence and Transfer Rules.
Montana
Any student who transfers from one member high school, home school or non-member school to a member high school is ineligible to participate in a varsity sports for 90 days or its equivalent in districts with extended schooldays or four day weeks from the date of enrollment in the school to which they transfer.
Nebraska
Students are permitted to transfer one time prior to May 1 without a 90-day varsity ineligibility period.
Nevada
A student who enrolls in a school for the first time or who transfers from one school to another school is ineligible to participate in any sanctioned sport for 180 school days.
New Hampshire
A student who transfers enrollment without a corresponding move into a new school district by their parents or guardians shall be required to be in attendance in the new school for one year from the date of enrollment in order to establish athletic eligibility, unless the move was a part of a corresponding move.
New Jersey
Students are entitled to one penalty-free transfer during the first six semesters after their initial high school enrollment, provided that the transfer occurs on or before the start of practice of the sports season in which the transfer occurs.
New Mexico
Students are permitted one free transfer after their open enrollment choice, provided that transfer occurs on or before the start of practice of the sports season in which the transfer occurs. Students who transfer a second or subsequent time are ineligible for varsity participation in all sports for 365 calendar days from the date of enrollment at the new school, unless a permitted change of residence occurs.
New York
A student who transfers without a corresponding change in residence of his/her parents is ineligible to participate at the varsity level in any interscholastic athletic contest in a particular sport for a period of one year if the student participated in that sport within their high school career.
North Carolina
A student who transfers from one participating school to another participating school shall not participate in interscholastic athletics for 365 calendar days following the student’s enrollment in the new school.
North Dakota
Students who transfer are ineligible for varsity competition for one full calendar year unless they meet specific waiver criteria.
Ohio
If a student transfers at any time after 9th grade, the student shall be ineligible for the first 50% of the season — including the postseason — in those sports in which the student participated during the 12 months immediately preceding this transfer.
Oklahoma
A student who transfers is ineligible for a period of one year from the date of first attendance at the new school, unless the student applies for and is granted an exception due to hardship or other qualifying circumstance.
Oregon
A student who attends, participates or was eligible to participate for a school, and then transfers to another school is ineligible for one calendar year from the last date of participating or receiving instruction.
Pennsylvania
If a student transfers after participating in a sport in 10th grade or later, that student is generally ineligible for the postseason in that same sport the following school year, even if the student can still play in the regular season. If the transfer happens in-season, there is also a 21-day ineligibility period.
Rhode Island
A student who transfers without a bona fide change of address is ineligible for the first 35 days in each sport they participated in during the past 12 months.
South Carolina
Students are allowed a one-time transfer to any member school.
South Dakota
A student may transfer their eligibility through SDHSAA athletic open enrollment one time to anothermember school. Students may become eligible immediately as long as they are enrolled on the first day of the school year and have not competed in any SDHSAA sanctioned athletic contest at the school they are coming from during that school year’s athletic season.
Tennessee
On July 1, 2026, the one-time free transfer rule officially went into effect in the state of Tennessee, meaning students can now transfer without a bona fide change of address. Students are allowed one free transfer from 6th to 8th grade and another between 9th and 12th grade, provided the move occurs during summer break. Any additional transfers or moves during the school year will result in a 12-month period of ineligibility, unless the athlete qualifies for a hardship waiver.
Texas
Any student who transfers to a new school primarily for athletic purposes and without a bona fide family move is strictly ineligible for varsity sports for one calendar year. The one-time transfer rule has been introduced through House Bill 619, however, the bill has not passed.
Utah
A student who transfers to a new school is ineligible to compete in any varsity sport they have played within the past 12 months for 30 days or 50% of the games, whichever is greater. If a student transfers a second time, they face a 12-month varsity ineligibility penalty from the date of enrollment.
Vermont
Students are immediately eligible to participate in a varsity sport as long as they transfer before the first play date of that sports season. If a student transfers after that date, they must wait 20 calendar days to be eligible and must participate in at least 60% of the regular season competitions to be eligible for postseason competition. If the transfer is the result of any coercion, recruiting or inducement to move to participate in interscholastic activities, students will be ineligible for 365 calendar days from the date of the infraction.
Virginia
A student who moves from one school to another motivated by athletic purposes and with no move on the part of their parents is ineligible for one full calendar year. This student can become eligible immediately when their parents established residency in the zone served by the student’s new school.
Washington
Students may make one transfer during their four-year high school career between school years, but they will be ineligible for varsity competition for 40% of the maximum number of allowable contests for the sports played the previous year.
West Virginia
Under a new rule that went into effect on June 11, 2026, a student shall be eligible for a one-time transfer during the 9th or 10th grade with immediate eligibility, provided the transfer is completed on or before September 1. A student in the 9th ,10th or 11th grades will also be allowed one “transfer back,” allowing a student to move back to their original home school if they previously transferred away and gain immediate eligibility. Juniors and seniors who transfer schools for the first time are automatically ineligible for varsity sports for 365 days, unless a bona fide move was involved.
Wisconsin
A student who transfers from any school into a member school will be subject to the transfer rules for one calendar year — from a student’s first day of attendance at the new school — unless the transfer is made necessary by a total and complete change in residence by a parent.
Wyoming
If a student transfers to another school, they shall be ineligible for varsity level athletic competition for oneyear from the date of enrollment. This rule applies to interscholastic sports in which the student has participated at any level or grade during the 12 calendar months preceding the date of such transfer.
