21-04-2025
It's not just new transfer rule. More IHSAA changes up for vote, including co-op teams
The first-time transfer proposal is not the only bylaw change the Indiana High School Athletic Association board of directors will consider at its annual meeting May 5. A look at some of the more interesting proposals up for vote:
Provisional membership
There is a proposal to raise the standard of what it means to be a provisional IHSAA member to 'a minimum of five students participating in an individual sport for each gender during the sport season.' Previously, a provisional member (a school in transition to become a full member) might have had only one male and one female athlete in a sport like cross-country or swimming and still reach the standard. GEO Next Generation, Mooresville Christian and Seven Oaks Classical were provisional members for the 2024-25 school year.
Emerging sports process
There is a proposal to raise the member schools currently sponsoring a program in an emerging sport from 20 member schools to 50 and the number of letters of commitment submitted from member schools that either sponsor or intend to sponsor a program from 10 to 25 to designate a sport as an emerging sport. Most recently, girls wrestling and boys volleyball went through the emerging sport process become fully recognized sports in 2024.
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Also, if after five years from the date of designation as an emerging sport, the sport has not met the criteria to move forward as a recognized sport, the sport will be subject to annual review by the board of directors to determine whether it should continue to hold emerging sport status. If it loses emerging sport status, a new request must be submitted, and all the procedures and requirements must be met as it were an initial application.
Girls lacrosse and girls flag football are currently recognized as emerging sports.
Classification of tennis
The Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association submitted a proposal to run its tournament as an individual tournament but class the team aspect of the tournament.
'I think it leads to a bigger question we're going to have to answer,' IHSAA commissioner Paul Neidig said. 'That is really for all of our individual sports, if we class those or not. I think (tennis) would like to have both — still have the benefits of the individual sport but have a team concept.'
Cooperative agreements
This is one of the more intriguing proposals, submitted by Union principal Ryan Chiddister. This proposal would allow two member schools to cooperatively sponsor a sport. The IHSAA board of directors could approve the establishment of a cooperative agreement if both member schools can demonstrate a need, including:
Insufficient enrollment numbers;
Insufficient staff;
Lack of a program at one or both schools;
Lack of facilities.
The stipulation is only a school with an enrollment of fewer than 300 can form a cooperative agreement, provided the combined enrollment of the participating member schools does not exceed 750. If the combined enrollment exceeds the limit, the application will be denied.
The co-op would only apply to team sports and would run concurrently with the two-year reclassification cycle for team sports. If this proposal passes, the soonest a co-op team could participate is the fall of 2026. The schools in the co-op must be proximate or adjacent to form an agreement.
An example of this could be two smaller schools in the same district that do not offer soccer but wanted to form a team. Several states in the Midwest do offer co-op opportunities.
Participation in single gender sports teams
This was adopted as a temporary regulation in November, prior to the first girls wrestling tournament. 'When a sport is opened to two gender groups, prior participants can elect to participate in either gendered tournament.' A 'prior participation' means the individual competed at the tournament level before it was opened to two-gender groups.
Oxygen and intravenous fluid use in contests prohibited
Neidig submitted this proposal on behalf of the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee. This proposal would allow IV fluids to be administered only in emergency situations to prevent or treat cardiovascular collapse, severe heat-induced illness, severe hypertension and shock, or other life-threatening conditions that would benefit from intravascular fluid treatment.
Leasing of facilities for practice or contests
This proposal would allow member schools to lease facilities for practices or contests provided the IHSAA has a copy of the lease agreement, the agreement states the facility is being used by the school's teams and a few other stipulations, including:
School and non-school teams may not be combined for any activities at the leased facility;
The school's coaching staff must provide all instruction and coaching;
There are a few other stipulations here, including the IHSAA reserving the right to reject any facility lease agreement it believes does not comply with the spirit of the rule.
Participation
If a student uses a member school's gym, playing field or other school facility without a coach present, it shall not constitute a violation by the member school of limited contact program. This proposal would apply to team and individual sports.
Eligibility and transfer
This is the first-time transfer proposal that was adopted as a temporary regulation in February.
Here is how the proposal is written:
'a. Students who transfer between member schools for the first time during the first six semesters after their initial high school enrollment will have full eligibility, provided:
The transfer occurs on or before the start of practice date of the sports season in which the transfer occurs and …
The transfer is not the result of undue influence.
b. Students who transfer during the first six semesters, having had the opportunity to participate in three seasons of eligibility of a sport, will be subject to a 30-day non-competition period or half the maximum number of contests, whichever is less, in each sport in which they participated during or after their third year of eligibility, during the 365 days preceding the transfer.'
After a second transfer, the student would be subject to the IHSAA transfer rules as currently applied — limited, full or ineligible. Students whose second transfer involves a return to the member school where they established initial eligibility will retain full eligibility.
Students who transfer after the start of practice will have to sit out 30 days or half of the maximum number of contacts, whichever is less.
Senior transfers will be handled as transfers are currently determined, though an exception has been added to the original proposal. When a student's parents make a bona fide change of residence to a new district, the student may transfer and attempt to obtain full eligibility at any public, private or charter school which does not serve the student's area of residence but is located within a 20-mile radius of the new residence of the parent/guardian when the bona fide change of residence involved a move of more than 75 miles, and is the student's first time enrolling in the school.
There is a proposal for eligibility when a student transfers from a non-member school to a member school without a change of residence.
Past link
This proposal would establish past link to mean a transfer student would have had to work directly with a coach, manager, trainer, volunteer or employee who was a coach, manager, trainer, volunteer or employee at the receiving school during a 12-month period prior to the student's enrollment or 90 days after.
