The number of CIF Southern Section (CIF-SS) students that have transferred schools in the months of July and August has fallen by 87.9 percent compared to 2019.

The summer months are typically when the majority of student-athletes would make any potential transfer, whether due to a change in residence or simply a desire to play with a different program.

However, with sports currently on hiatus to varying degrees across large swaths of the CIF-SS and the state of California, the number of summer transfers declined precipitously, according to a report from CIF-SS Commissioner Rob Wigod.

This year there were only 234 transfers during July and August in the CIF-SS, while in 2019 there were 1,931 over the same period.

Some programs have been able to begin to conduct limited forms of conditioning workouts while adhering to state and local health guidelines. The first step to initiating those workouts is the reopening of high school campuses, but all Santa Clarita high schools are currently utilizing a distanced, virtual learning model.

Related: CIF Announces High School Sports Start Date Pushed To At Least December

Some had speculated that the lack of high school sports opportunities in California this fall would drive an increase in transfers, however, the data doesn’t seem to show that. 

For the majority of athletes, an out-of-state move for an opportunity to compete is not feasible logistically and fears of the potential to contract COVID-19 also may have played a role.

“You have no doubt heard that there are some states around our nation who have begun their Fall seasons of sport, including allowing spectators in the stands,” wrote Wigod. “I have been asked if that makes us in the Southern Section and California feel we are being left behind. Quite the contrary, as I believe the lessons learned from the experiences in other states can be applied to the time period we have available to us prior to the beginning of our 2020-2021 Sports Calendars and will provide valuable information to us for what lies ahead.”

In California, the CIF-State office announced in coordination with its ten members sections that the start date for any official competition has been pushed to at least Dec. 2020.

“I want to thank our principals, athletic directors and coaches for their ongoing commitment in guiding our student-athletes through these challenging times in a healthy and safe way,” Wigod wrote. “We must continue to vigorously follow the advice of our health professionals as we navigate through the critical weeks and months ahead as things hopefully open up even more.”

Wigod’s full Sept. CIF-SS update is available here.

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