SAN MARCOS, Texas — The San Marcos High School football team has had its two-year playoff ban lifted following a UIL State Executive Committee meeting on Monday. The committee upheld a public reprimand and placed the school on a three-year probation period.
According to a report by KVUE's news partners at the Austin American-Stateman, the decision was handed down by the committee for players allegedly transferring to the school for athletic reasons.
The probation period begins immediately.
In the final results from the State Executive Committee of the University Interscholastic League (UIL), the San Marcos Athletic Director and Head Football Coach John Walsh and San Marcos CISD Employee Earl Anderson were both issued a public reprimand in addition to the probation.
The committee said it reserved the right to revisit possible post-season sanctions at a later date.
The decision comes after the school appealed a District 27-6A committee ruling in August that included a two-year playoff ban for the football program.
In a letter to parents explaining the situation, the school district said the district committee also recommended that multiple athletes be ruled ineligible for the season along with a second recommendation to ban the ineligible athletes for an additional two years due to allegations of recruiting.
The school maintains that no coach or staff member recruited any of the student-athletes that were ruled ineligible.
Walsh told the Statesman that the decision would not impact how the team approaches the season.
Here's the full letter:
San Marcos CISD Families,
This message is on behalf of the SMCISD Athletics Department. Yesterday, August 24, the 27-6A District Executive Committee (DEC) made a recommendation to issue a two-year postseason ban on our SMHS football program. The DEC also recommended that multiple student-athletes be ruled ineligible for the 2022-2023 season with a second recommendation to ban the ineligible student-athletes for an additional two years due to allegations of recruiting. At no point did any SMCISD coach or staff member recruit any of the student-athletes that were ruled ineligible.
SMCISD will appeal the DEC recommendations to the State Executive Committee on a date to be determined.
Dr. Michael A. Cardona
Superintendent of Schools
Read the full report by the Austin American-Statesman here.
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