Transfers for athletic purposes is nothing new in Texas, but Duncanville is latest to pay

From time immemorial, or at least since Sammy Baugh’s family left Temple for the charms of Sweetwater, which, not so coincidentally, included a better high school football team, Texas kids have changed schools for athletic reasons and gotten away with it. Live and let live, the feeling among coaches goes. Especially if a five-star athlete suddenly lives in your district. Unless, of course, you win or flout the rules a little too much, and then all bets are off. Duncanville’s storied boys and girls basketball programs apparently were guilty of both, and because the athletic program had run afoul of the UIL recently, the school is paying for it. And if the UIL could limit its most serious sanctions to repeat or egregious cases — such as 11 football players ruled ineligible last month at San Marcos after following a youth coach to the school — no one could reasonably object. But let’s hope it’s not an example of a tidal wave of judgment, based on what the UIL’s long-time executive director said last week.

Charles Breithaupt said the organization is “challenged by many attacks on our rules.” Appeals and waivers are at an all-time high, he said, because parents of high school athletes want the same advantages college athletes now enjoy. Namely, the transfer portal and Name, Image and Likeness. Now, I can hear you thinking from here: Not the portal and NIL for high school kids! It’s already killing college football! What’s next? Unions? Agents? Socialism?!?!? Calm down, no such thing is happening to college football or high school sports in Texas. The state legislature ruled as much last year, making NIL illegal for kids under college age. We can argue whether it was the right thing to do. Frankly, I’m a believer in capitalism. If a high school kid were to come up with a cure for cancer or something really impossible, like an edible taco that doesn’t crumble on first bite, no one would deny said student from reaping the windfall. Same with a lead guitar in a high school garage band. Teenage Olympians earn sponsorship bucks and rewards for medals. High school cheerleaders can make serious coin if their TikTok following is big enough. But earning money because you’re good at football or basketball? Heresy.