The Illinois High School Association announced today (Oct. 12) that Auburn senior Marcus Posley is ineligible to play sports at his high school.
Posely was found ineligible based on IHSA by-laws regarding the transfer of studen athletes.
"After concluding my review into Mr. Posley’s transfer from Winnebago to Auburn I reached the decision that the transfer failed to comply with IHSA By-law 3.045, as the reason for the change in guardianship, and ultimately the transfer, were not circumstances completely beyond the student’s control," stated IHSA Executive Director Martin Hickman, who investigates such situations.
Posley attended Winnebago High School until this summer, when he transferred to Auburn. He was a three-sport star at Winnebago, participating in football, basketball and track.
Posley made his transfer official via a report from the Rockford Register Star on Sept. 4. Afterward, Auburn sent an eligibility request to the IHSA to clear Posley to play.
Posley's brother, Jacoby, currently plays football for Winnebago. The fact of two brothers going to two different schools starting this year has made the situation a high-profile one in the Rockford high school sports scene.
IHSA by-law 3.045 states: "In the case of a student who transfers attendance from one high school to another in conjunction with the adoption of the student after the student has entered high school for the first time, or a change in guardianship of the student by order of a court of proper jurisdiction, the student shall be ineligible pending a ruling by the Executive Director. In such cases, the Executive Director may grant eligibility only if it is determined, after investigation, that the circumstances giving rise to the change of guardianship or adoption and the transfer were completely beyond the control of all of the following:
(1) the student
(2) the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s)
(3) the schools to and from which the student transferred.
Any action, inaction, or voluntary or self-initiated decision of the student, parent/guardian or the school to or from which the student transfers, or any one or more of them, which results in, affects, causes or pertains to the transfer shall not be considered to be “circumstances completely beyond the control.” The student may practice, but shall not participate in an interscholastic athletic contest until a ruling on the student’s eligibility has been made by the Executive Director."
