Transfer portal in Texas? College football coach sounds off about controversial transfer bill

As reported by the Dallas Morning News, SMU head football coach Rhett Lashlee made his feelings clear Monday on a potential bill in Texas introduced earlier this year that would allow high school athletes in the state to transfer to district for athletic purposes without penalty once during their career.

"I have an experience being in other states that allow free transfers, and it ruined high school athletics in those states," Lashlee said. "I know myself, and I believe all of the other college coaches would agree ... we stand strongly against that. We’ve got to do what’s best for the young men and women in our state, and what is best is not to allow people to transfer high schools freely without moving."

The bill, written by Texas State Representative Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, would prohibit the University Interscholastic League (UIL) from penalizing transfers who move to another district for athletic purposes.

The UIL currently mandates that students transferring for athletics must sit out from varsity competition for a full year, even if both parents moved to the new district.

The proposal would allow students to transfer once between eighth and 12th grade without penalty from the UIL. It's similar to the provision passed by the NCAA in 2021. Since that time, transfer portal entries in the FBS have nearly doubled according to Chris Hummer of 247Sports.