Student-athletes transferring from one Minnesota high school to the next remains one of the most debated sports topics in the state. Where some see opportunities for fresh starts and student-athlete rights, others see abuse of policy, fickle behavior or injustice.

This month, Strib Varsity will publish a series of stories on student-athlete transferring with multiple goals in mind. We want to explain the current student-athlete transfer system, rules and process. We will share the criticisms and rebuttals. We want to bust some myths. We want you to hear from leaders of sports in Minnesota, and from the athletes themselves. And we want to humanize the issue and take you inside the decisions made by multiple Minnesota teens and families. We hope you see this set of stories as a comprehensive tour of this controversial topic.

To get you ready for the series, we’re offering a pop quiz on the topic. You may hear much discussion about transferring, but do you know the actual Minnesota State High School League rules for the process? Let’s find out:

Question 1: About how many transfers take place each school year in Minnesota?

a.) 14,000

b.) A dozen

c.) 2,000

d.) 500

Question 2: True or false: Any student can transfer from a private school to a public school without jeopardizing their varsity eligibility.

Question 3: If a student transfers schools and does not have a reason to justify retaining eligibility, how many months must the student sit out of varsity competition?

a.) 12.

b.) 6.

c.) 4, or one sports season’s worth of competition (fall, winter, spring).

d.) 1.

Question 4: Which leadership position most often carries the most responsibility in a case of an athlete transferring?

a.) The head coaches involved.

b.) The MSHSL’s eligibility monitor.

c.) Athletic directors involved.

d.) Parents.

Question 5: A move is a primary reason why a student-athlete can be eligible immediately at a new school. What does a family need to do to prove a move?

a.) Type the new address into the MSHSL transfer form.

b.) Be home when the MSHSL inspector arrives in a four-hour window on a declared date.

c.) Host a party.

d.) Provide a verifying document, such as a voter registration card, driver’s license registration or purchase or rental agreements.

Question 6: True or false: By reporting instances of bullying or harassment at their former high school, a transfer student can remain eligible in sports.

Question 7: Is there an actual transfer portal?

a.) No. That’s for college sports.

b.) Yes. And every Minnesota high school athletic director has access.

Question 8: Can a student follow a coach to a new high school?

a.) Yes. If a coach is hired by a different high school, athletes on their team can also transfer to that high school without penalty.

b.) No. There is no “follow a coach” exception.

Question 9: True or false: In some states, high school students get one free transfer without risking eligibility.

Question 10: How many times can an athlete appeal an eligibility ruling in Minnesota?

a.) There is an unlimited number of appeals in MSHSL’s policy.

b.) There are no appeals. The initial verdict stands.

c.) There is one appeal.

d.) An athlete can appeal a decision in three different stages of the MSHSL eligibility review process.

. . .

Answers

1.) C. About 2,000 transfers take place each school year in Minnesota. The number of students requesting a transfer each year has remained fairly steady for the past decade.

2.) False. Students cannot transfer freely from a private school to a public school and automatically retain varsity eligibility.

3.) A. A student must sit out of varsity competition for 12 months if they transfer schools and do not have a reason to justify retaining eligibility.

4.) C. The athletic directors involved carry the most responsibility in a case of an athlete transferring. Much of the responsibility falls on the athletic director whose school is receiving the transfer student.

5.) D. A document that verifies a parent or the family has moved is required to prove a move when a student-athlete transfers schools.

6.) True. A student’s well-being is prioritized in transfer situations, so they can remain eligible in sports if they reported instances of bullying or harassment at their former high school.

7.) B. Yes, there is a Minnesota high school transfer portal. And you’ll read about it soon in Strib Varsity’s coverage.

8.) B. No, coaching moves do not open the door to free-pass transfers.

9.) True. Florida and Tennessee are among the states that have enacted a policy allowing high school students one free transfer without risking eligibility.

10.) D. An athlete can appeal an eligibility ruling up to three times in Minnesota. If a student-athlete is denied immediate eligibility, they can appeal first to the MSHSL’s Eligibility Committee. Some athletes denied at that stage appeal to the committee and are granted a follow-up hearing. An athlete who gets a final denial by the Eligibility Committee can submit a written request to the Executive Committee for a final Hail Mary. That step is rare. Over the past four years, 17 transfer students have gone before the MSHSL Executive Committee, with five granted immediate eligibility and 12 denied.

(Reporting from Strib Varsity reporters Joe Christensen and Marcus Fuller was used in this quiz.)

. . .

Coming this week: We’ll begin publishing our “Transferring in Minnesota” series, our exclusive look at student-athlete transfers in our state. Once the series is published, readers will be invited to join a Strib Varsity Live Q&A with our reporters on stribvarsity.com. Look for that later in April. Thank you for reading Strib Varsity.