HS sports should be modernized, not turned into free market | Opinion

Cameron Smith is right that high school sports aren't what they used to be. That hasn't been the case for a long time. The notion that everything operates as it did decades ago – when student-athletes played for their zoned schools, opportunities were equitably allocated and external influences were negligible – no longer prevails.

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Things have changed in college sports. Things have changed in club sports. Families have different ideas about growth, exposure and chance. High school sports are right in the middle of all that.

But understanding that change is one thing. Deciding to tear down the whole structure as a result is an entirely different thing.

The new one-time transfer rule brings clarity to a muddied system

Before the most recent change to the rules, the TSSAA transfer system was based on a framework that most people understood, even if they didn't always agree. If a student-athlete changed schools, they were not eligible to compete the next year unless they met a certain exception, which usually meant moving to a new home.

As time went on, more exceptions were added to account for real-life circumstances. Most recently, a first-time transfer with immediate eligibility could be approved for school or personal reasons, but only if the sending school said the transfer had nothing to do with sports.

Rep. Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, speaks during a news conference concerning TSSAA transfer rules at Cordell Hull State Office Building in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, April 21, 2025.

Schools were asked to verify something they couldn't really know. Families were expected to explain choices that weren't always easy to understand. And results often depended on how well those explanations fit into categories that didn't really show what was going on.

Some transfers were given the go-ahead. Some students weren't. Families that knew how the process worked had an edge. Others were angry because they couldn't figure out how to use a system that didn't seem to work for them. At the same time, student-athlete movement never stopped.

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The new transfer rule, allowing immediate eligibility, doesn't change everything. It allows one transfer, as long as it happens in the summer and the student meets all other requirements. There is no movement during the season. No transfers that last forever. There are still academic and age requirements. And the rule doesn't legalize recruiting, even though some people have said it does.

At higher levels of sports, movement is controlled by clear rules, not by trying to figure out what someone wants. This rule brings high school sports closer to that model without getting rid of the framework in which it operates. Smith takes that truth and goes much further.

Providence Christian Academy's Kayte Madison Bjornstad (23) shoots in front of USJ’s Jasaylnn Holmes (3) during a TSSAA Division II-A basketball state championship game at F&M Bank Arena on Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Clarksville, Tenn.

Rules protecting high school sports parity are still important

Smith thinks that because recruiting already happens in some way, we should stop pretending and let it happen openly. He applies the same reasoning to financial assistance: If schools can reward academic success, why not athletic success? His ideas sound reasonable on the surface, but these shifts would change the whole system.

High school sports are still linked to schools and communities. They are not meant to be places where people can buy and sell talent. When you start open recruiting and give athletes direct financial rewards, you change the system's base. Schools start to fight over players in ways that go beyond just giving them a chance to grow. Resources become the main force. Facilities, funding and outside help begin to determine outcomes.

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When that happens, talent comes together. More players are drawn to programs that have more resources, and it's hard for programs with fewer resources to keep them. Some programs grow quickly. Others turn into stepping stones. Eventually, students may stop participating in places where they feel like the outcome is already set.

That's not a guess. That's what happens when there are no limits on competition for talent.

Smith says that worries about competitive balance are not important, but that balance is what keeps many programs going. It keeps people in the community involved. It gives more athletes, not just the best ones, a meaningful experience in their local programs. When that balance is gone, the effects go way beyond just winning and losing.

Progress is built on a middle ground, not extremes

There is a real conflict between academic merit awards and athletic-related aid. But getting rid of those limits completely isn't a quick fix. The same goes for Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) compensation. It's part of the changing sports landscape, but schools still can't control those changes.

The change to the transfer rule shows a more measured approach. It recognizes that sports have changed. It agrees that things move. But it keeps things in order, getting rid of subjectivity without getting rid of the system. This is what progress looks like.

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Issues with recruiting, financial power and fair competition are here to stay. But to address those problems, we need to find a middle ground, not extremes. We have to adjust to reality without forgetting what high school sports are all about.

The old system fell apart because it depended too much on interpretation. The new rule is better because it's clear. That doesn't mean every next step has to follow the path Smith lays out.

High school sports don't have to stay the same. They also don't need to turn into college or professional sports.

Geoff Cottrill

Business owner, community leader and Nolensville Youth Football President Geoff Cottrill works to empower young athletes and strengthen the community. He is married to Lindsay and proud father to Brooks, Bowen and Powell, who inspire him to lead on and off the field.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why HS sports still need recruitment, financial aid rules | Opinion