The Legislative Council meets in January. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
AURORA — A proposal headed to the January 2016 Legislative Council would completely change the way transfers are handled in Colorado.
In short, if passed by the body, the proposal would treat every single transfer the same — family moves, athletic motivation, hardships, and so on. The lone exception proposed would be giving full eligibility to a student who “moves as the result of a documented military move.”
The Legislative Council meets on Jan. 28. Find a complete agenda, and list of proposals, on this page.
It is pretty clear that the most public interest leading up to that meeting will focus on the transfer rule proposal, ADM 2.
This new transfer rule would make all summer transfers across the board eligible for the final 50 percent of the regular season, as well as the entire postseason. Mid-year transfers would be restricted to sub-varsity play from the time they transferred to the end of the school year.
Again, students who transfer because of a military move would be excepted, and be given full eligibility.
The proposal, which would change the existing CHSAA bylaws, was put forth by the Denver Prep League. According to the rationale submitted along with the proposal, “This creates a clear, understandable, and enforceable transfer rule. All transfers play subvarsity for the first 50 percent of a season, with the exception of mid-year transfers who are subvarsity for the remainder of that school year.”
As part of the proposal, sections 1800.3 through 1800.7 of the CHSAA bylaws would be deleted. Those sections: Bona Fide Move, Summer Transfer, Mid Year Transfer & Athletic Transfer, and Hardship.
It is unclear as to the level of support the proposal has around the state. However, in the past, the Legislative Council has resisted most changes to the transfer rule.
Elsewhere, another proposal that should garner state-wide interest is one that would change the way the Class 2A state cross country meets are scored. Currently, a team can run six runners in the race, with three scoring. The proposal would change that to six running, four scoring.
Among the other proposals:
- An amendment to bylaws that would only allow changes to Rule 1500 (dealing with the Classification of Schools) no later than six months prior “to the classification going into effect.”
- One deals with membership to the Association. This proposal would stiffen the requirements of application, and lengthen it to a 24-month process, unless otherwise recommended by CLOC. According to the rationale for the proposal, “Many schools are seeking membership simply to populate their schools and hold students, but the commitment to education-based athletics in some cases is suspect. This creates more rigorous standards for membership.”
- Find the full list of proposals, and an agenda, here.