IHSAA edits transfer rules

Transferring just got simpler and a new sport is emerging.

The Board of Directors of the Indiana High School Athletic Association formally adopted rule changes surrounding first-time transfers, declared girls flag football as an emerging sport and allowed a proposal that would give schools the opportunity to enter into co-op arrangements to die on Monday.

There are three key pieces to the transfer rule changes.

First, students who are transferring from one IHSAA member school to another will maintain full eligibility if they do so within the first six semesters of high school.

Second, any subsequent transfers or transfers coming from non-IHSAA member schools will still be handled similarly to the previous years.

The third key point is that if a second-time transfer is returning to the IHSAA member school that they originally attended, they will retain full eligibility after 365 days of their enrollment at the previous school.

Also on Monday, the board added girls flag football as an emerging sport. It will begin the process in the 2025-26 school year, joining girls lacrosse, which was approved in late August.

Girls wrestling and boys volleyball previously went through the process of being an emerging sport before becoming an official IHSAA sport with a state tournament.

For a sport to become officially recognized, at least 50% of the membership must be participating in the sport. (There are currently 409 IHSAA member schools.)