Alabama Lawmakers Threaten to Disband State Association Over Transfer Ineligibility

State lawmakers isay there will be consequences if the Alabama High School Athletic Association doesn't change a rule that says high school athletes who transfer schools using financial aid such as the CHOOSE Act are ineligible to play for one year.

As reported by CBS affiliate WHNT in Huntsville, a $7,000 tax credit in the CHOOSE Act allows students to change schools and cover their expenses.

Per the reporting of WHNT's Ryan Hall, Republican state senator Chris Elliot said those state dollars enable students to get a better education, and the CHOOSE Act, as written, has no bearing on a student-athlete’s eligibility.

“It is tough for me to see where the Alabama High School Athletic Association thinks their rules trump the law of the state of Alabama, which says nothing shall impact a player’s eligibility,” Elliot said. “It is just as clear as a bell.”

Democratic state representative Jeremy Gray disagrees with the CHOOSE Act overall, but feels immediate eligibility is a positive and that the AHSAA needs more oversight.

“It was meant for people to be able to choose … whether it was for education reasons, athletic reasons,” Gray said, according to WHNT. “Give them an opportunity. So for them to come down with this ruling, I feel like it’s kind of a slap in the face to the Legislature.”

Representative Kelvin Datcher, also a Democrat, said that while the Legislature should repeal or revise the CHOOSE Act in 2026, the AHSAA rule is targeting student-athletes, WHNT's Hall reported.

“I do know that their concern is fairness and fair play, and I get that because that should absolutely be priority,” Datcher said. “But it should not come at the expense of the experiences and opportunities that our young men and women have.”

Lance Bell, a Republican state senator from Pell City, said his colleagues are talking about dismantling the association altogether. “That’s just a kick in the teeth,” Bell said, as reported by WHNT. “That’s why we specifically put in the CHOOSE Act that these kids are entitled to do anything and everything [they did] at the school they left.”