MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Michigan High School Athletic Association's Executive Director, Jack Roberts recently announced an upcoming rule change to help reduce the number of athletically motivated transfers in our state.

Under the current rule, a student althlete who transfers high schools must suffer one semester of inelegibility, beginning at the time of the transfer.

The problem with this is, that football players are allowed to transfer in January, and play for their new school the following fall semester, missing no playing time.

By the same token, baseball players can transfer in August and become elegible at their new school in time for the spring season.

Roberts told the detroit free press that the current rule had not worked out as hoped.

So, the MHSAA decided to lenthen the inelegibility period to 180 days, which should lower the number of athletically motivated transfers, eliminating the loopholes of the previous rule.

The new rule will take effect in the 2014-15 school year.