According to a report released by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week, the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) is revising its bylaws concerning transfers.
If approved next month by the GHSA Board of Trustees, “High school athletes who change schools twice after the ninth grade will be ineligible for a year,” unless they win a hardship appeal.
This is for athletes who wish to transfer to another GHSA-member school, excluding GIAA. The proposal passed with an 11-1 vote.
If approved next month, it would take effect Aug. 1 for the 2025-26 academic school year.
The GHSA has been attempting to crack down on transfers between member schools for some time.
“We’re an education-based organization, and we want to make sure that when student-athletes move, they’re not moving for athletic purposes,” GHSA Executive Director Tim Scott told the AJC. “Situations change, and families move due to job changes or whatever, so we’ve added a few things to make sure it’s not just for athletics.”
The GHSA is enforcing stricter rules by requiring schools to submit verification of a move for immediate eligibility. They must provide copies of driver’s licenses, lease agreements for families, and even utility bills as evidence that a family has indeed relocated to a new school district.
Some high-profile cases within the state include former four-star basketball prospect Jacob Wilkins, the son of University of Georgia and Atlanta Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins. Jacob Wilkins attended three different high schools in four years. He began at Heritage-Conyers as a freshman, then played at Parkview as a sophomore, before finishing his career at Grayson, where he helped the Rams win the 2023-24 Class 7A title.
Jacob Wilkins is now enrolled at the University of Georgia.
Another prominent case was that of Brayden Jacobs, the son of former NFL star Brandon Jacobs. Brayden Jacobs, now a freshman offensive lineman at Clemson, played at St. Frances, Buford, and Milton during his high school career.
According to the AJC, athletes who transfer more than once would be ineligible at their school unless they win a hardship waiver. Student athletes who transfer just once aren’t under scrutiny of the new bylaw change.
Another bylaw change by the GHSA “would make transfers ineligible if a student moves from one parent’s residence to the other in a different school district, unless both parents are listed on the student’s birth certificate.”
This provision is aimed at preventing families from circumventing eligibility rules through custody agreements.
Scott said he wants to protect the integrity of high school athletics in the state of Georgia. He told the AJC that “about 5,916 of the GHSA’s 462,492 athletes were transfers” during the 2024-25 academic school year.
“Academically, it’s not good to have a lot of moves,” Scott said. “We understand some students have to move for many reasons, but we want to continue to stress we’re education-based, and the most important thing is to prepare students for post-secondary education.”