Pell City High School's football team has been placed on probation by the Alabama High School Athletic Association over recruiting violations.
According to WTVM, the AHSAA stated that any student who violated the rules will be permanently ineligible to participate in athletics at Pell City.
Head football coach Jake Ganus, who was hired in December, has been suspended for the 2026-2027 season.
The football team will be allowed to play the regular season but will not be allowed to participate in the postseason.
WTVM reported that before going to Pell City, Ganus was the head coach of Moody High School's football team who won the program's first state championship in December. Ganus resigned days later. Several Moody High School football players and staff members received disciplinary action due to an incident that occurred following their Class 5A state championship win.
Photos emerged after the championship game showing several of Moody High School's football players smoking cigars in the locker room after the game.
There have not been any details released as to what happened regarding Ganus and Pell City.
The rule the AHSAA is citing reads:
No person connected in any way with a school may contact a student or prospective student, or his/her parents or guardian, who resides outside of the school district to inquire or encourage them to transfer or enroll in their school for the chief purpose of participating in interscholastic athletics. It is permissible for a coach or anyone else connected with a school, to talk or speak with a student(s) or parent(s) who, on their own, visit their school for any specific purpose. Anyone connected in any official capacity with any high school who offers material or financial inducement or enticement to any student to come to that school for the purpose of engaging in athletics shall subject that school to suspension from the AHSAA. A violation of this rule renders the contacted student permanently ineligible at the school where the violation occurs. A coach in violation of this rule shall be barred from coaching at any AHSAA member school for one year. A school in violation of this rule will be placed on restrictive probation for a period of one year in the sport in which the violation occurred and assessed a monetary fine. Repeated violations of this rule will cause a school to be suspended from the AHSAA.
