MHSAA needs to do better when it comes to transfers.

Written Monday August 24th at 10:30 AM

I have never seen so many transfers going in and out of schools in recent memory, it's out of control not only in Oakland County but in the State as well.

People are now finding a way to get by the new transfer rule the MHSAA put it in 2014 by changing residents believing that the transfer wasn't athletically motivated but academically motivated. The rule states for athletic transfers that the player must sit out for 180 days however there is a catch, the transfer meets one of the requirements and one of them is changing residents.

Of course there are parents that move their kids into the state, that's understandable but they should wait the one semester the MHSAA has like everybody else.

I've been reading Mick McCabe of the Detroit Free Press column on athletic transfers. He talked about a story about Steven Charles Jr. a running back whom transferred from Warren Cousino to Chippewa Valley. His dad made a courtesy call to Patriots coach Brad Nettles and left a voice message about the transfer. Nettles however sent the voice message to the MHSAA believing it was for athletic reasons, his father thought his son would be eligible to play this fall for the Big Reds because they followed for the transfer rules that make the student wait one semester to play but he has to sit out another semester and won't be eligible until January.

The dad looked at Detroit Martin Luther King whom had 12 transfers which the players moved into Detroit and they are immediately eligible. Harrison lost two players to transfers as they are now at Southfield. Desmond Fitzpatrick, a Louisville commit transferred to three different schools, now at Waterford Mott because his dad got a new job.

The MHSAA seriously needs to crack down on this issue. I think the best idea would be upping the 180 days transfer rule to INCLUDE those changing residents. Now I know a lot of people would leave the state but to get competitive balance and limit the transfers this must be done. The MHSAA needs to get tougher on these transfer rules and it starts with Jake Roberts and crew.