CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – Since the high school football season kicked off in West Virginia, we have been telling you about lopsided scores and blowout games.
Since then WSAZ has been looking into whether the seemingly unlevel playing field is a result of the state’s one-time transfer rule that went into effect this school year.
The law allows students the ability to transfer once without losing athletic eligibility. They also no longer have to live in the district of the school they are transferring to, they just have to live with a parent.
Tuesday, WSAZ now has an idea of just how many students made the decision to transfer.
The West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission, or the WVSSAC, tells us that number is at more than 430 students, and that’s just fall sports alone.
For perspective, they say less than 140 transfer waivers were granted for all sports in all seasons from January 2021 through spring of 2023 before the rule went into effect.
That means in just one season, there were more than three times as many transfers as the previous year and a half of sports based on that data. Its a difference WVSSAC executive director David Price says he believes is having a major impact.
“It’s different now than what its ever been. There has always been blowouts if you will but not to the number and extent that we see now,” Price said. “It hurts smaller schools when student athletes transfer. I just got off the phone with one today. They have 14 students and one transfer. They have a couple of students hurt in football. They could be down to 11 Friday night. One more injury and the game’s over, so it’s concerning.”
Some of the schools that received the most transfers on the football field this season are:
– Nitro with 18 transfers.
– George Washington with 12 transfers.
– Hurricane with 11 transfers.
WSAZ’s Adriana Doria sat down with David Price to discuss the issue.
Doria: Is that concerning to you?
Price: Well, it is because I think it’s opened up something. And, again, it’s things we have talked about in the past — not only a competitive imbalance of creating all-star teams, if you will, but you know it hurts smaller schools when student athletes transfer.
In all, he says that the data they have received shows that nearly 160 games have been shortened or used the running clock procedure due to point differentials of 35 points or higher in the second half. He says that this data will continue to be updated as the season progresses.
Doria: Why do you this this is happening right now. Do you think it’s only because of the transfer rule?
Price: Well, there’s always a lot of factors that play into everything, but when you open this door and you see a lot of juniors and seniors transfer from four to five different schools to one school and it creates that quote competitive imbalance, if you will.
Now that they have the data, WSAZ asked Price if they plan to speak with lawmakers about making changes to the rule.
“We have had discussions with lawmakers since early on, and we have had the opportunity to meet with several members of the Senate, as well, and discuss our concerns. Hopefully, we will be able to continue some dialogue as we provide even more data to them to maybe get this thing adjusted where it becomes a more competitive balance and a rule that everyone can live with,” he said.
WSAZ also went to lawmakers to get their thoughts after seeing the numbers.
Doria: What is your reaction to this number?
“I’m not surprised. We we knew and we argued this back in march, on the last day of session, when this bill, the amendment to this bill came through. And we said then this is going to be a problem,” Del. Dana Ferrell, R-Kanawha, said. “This comes down more into a core issue of who we are and what we’re about as people and really comes down to the ethics and the viability of scholastic sports in the state of West Virginia. Because, you know, are we going to be about we, us, and team, or are we going to be about me and myself.”
And state Sen. Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, said he stands by the transfer bill.
“I think it’s a good thing overall, because it’s creating a competitive environment for attracting students into our public education system. And we all want a public school that is competitive,” Tarr said.
Doria followed up with, “What about the smaller schools that might be losing a lot of students because if something like this?”
“Same thing, if you if you bring a coach in that sets a culture that students want to come and play there and want stay there, that’ll happen,” Tarr said.
The WVSSAC plans to release data regarding the number of transfers out of schools. When WSAZ obtains that data, we will be sure to update our viewers.
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