2021 forward Curt Hopf was ruled ineligible by the IHSAA, per the Courier Press, after transferring to Barr-Reeve this summer.

Hopf spent his first two high school years at Forest Park. He helped the Rangers to the 2A state final game as a freshman. As a sophomore, Hopf averaged 16 points and eight rebounds per game. Then he solidified his status as a D1 prospect this spring and summer with Indiana Elite. In recent months, his game took many positive steps.

The news of Hopf’s transfer was surprising, but his ineligibly ruling is more head-turning. Most Indianapolis area schools sign off on all transfers as a blanket policy, but a few won’t sign off on any. That leads to head-scratching decisions from the IHSAA.

With IHSAA transfers, the student will be eligible at the new school if the former school has no qualms about the move. The IHSAA requires a bona fide move without athletics being the reason for the move. They call a bona fide move as a change of permanent address, and the old resident must be vacated. That means a family can’t rent a new place but retain the old place. The caveat of an athletic-based motive is the wildcard in rulings.

Last year, Evansville North fought Kolten Sanford’s transfer to Evansville Bosse. Sanford was granted full eligibility in the first judgement by the IHSAA. That’s one instance of the IHSAA siding with the student even when the former school doesn’t sign off on the transfer.

In the 2018-2019 school year, there were 3,225 transfers with 2,968 receiving full eligibility. That works out to 92% receiving full eligiblity. The previous year, the IHSAA used temporarily ineligibility that they didn’t in 18-19. The IHSAA ruled 0.47% of transfers ineligible in 18-19 and 0.58% in 17-18. Each student that is ruled ineligible will draw the ire of families because those cases are so rare.

The Hopf family will get to appeal the IHSAA decision, but those decisions are difficult to overturn. Most basketball fans in the state remember Eron Gordon being ruled ineligible after transferring from North Central to Cathedral. He was ruled ineligible then received limited eligibility through an appeal. His family then filed a restraining order through the courts to allow Gordon to play during his junior year.

The next step won’t be heard by the IHSAA until October, per a quote by Barr-Reeve coach Josh Thompson to the Courier Press. If the ruling isn’t changed during the appeal, Curt Hopf and his family might be headed down the same road that Eron Gordon faced in 2014-2015.