Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed a new rule for West Virginia high school students transitioning to sports on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Photo from Getty Images)
In West Virginia, the rules for certain high school students transferring for athletics are changing after the most recent legislative session.
The West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission has adopted a new rule that says student-athletes who transfer during their freshman or sophomore year will retain their eligibility, while transfer restrictions will still apply to high school students.
It is a change of controversial transfer rule for university sportswhich was introduced by the legislature in 2023 and allowed all high school students to change schools and play immediately at any point of the year. The The invoicewhich became law without Gov. Jim Justice’s signature, has been blamed for weakened sports teams one-sided football results.
Lawmakers reversed course this year and passed it House Bill 4425 to repeal the carryover rule and allow the WVSSAC to make its own rule on the matter. Debate about the measure went on for hours in the House of Representatives before they passed it with a Vote with 78 votes to 19. It passed the Senate by a narrower margin than usual – a Vote with 20 votes to 14 – in the almost entirely Republican chamber.
On Tuesday, Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced he had signed the bill and applauded it WVSSAC “for adopting a more flexible and balanced student-athlete transfer rule” following the passage of House Bill 4425.
“The SSAC is taking a more flexible and sensible approach,” Morrisey said in a news release. “This new rule represents improvements over the previous policy – giving families more flexibility while protecting competitive integrity and strengthening communities that rally around their homegrown athletes. That’s why I’m proud to sign House Bill 4425 into law today.”
Bill sponsor Del. Marty Gearheart, R-Mercer, told West Virginia Watch: “I’m glad he signed it. It was the right thing to do.”
According to the press release, the governor’s office has been working with WVSSAC leadership in recent weeks to promote a more nuanced and adaptable standard following legislative changes to the state’s transfer statute.
The new rule applies to all student-athletes, including those participating in homeschool and scholarship programs.
Del. Dana Ferrell, R-Kanawha, has called on the legislature called for the transfer rule to be repealed, saying it had negatively impacted secondary schools in his area.
“I am pleased and grateful to the governor for using good judgment to help us correct poor policies that have plagued prep sports over the last three years,” Ferrell posted on social media. “I think I speak for the overwhelming majority of sports fans who are tired of mass transfers and want to keep school sports as the last bastion of gaming for the love of the game.”
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