Conference Teams
Bloomington (HS)
Champaign (Centennial)
Champaign (Central)
Danville (H.S.)
Decatur (Eisenhower)
Decatur (MacArthur)
Mattoon
Normal (Community)
Normal (Community West)
Rantoul
Urbana (H.S.)

Past Champions
2003
-Champs Before 2003

Past Articles:
-Eisenhower Forfeits Wins
-Divisions Combine (8/03)

Big Twelve

Eisenhower Must Forfeit Wins

10/23/03 - The IHSA Board of Directors ruled that Decatur (Eisenhower) must forfeit three football games in which an ineligible athlete participated.

Jamie Taylor, a student who transfered from Maroa (M.-Forsyth) to Decatur (Eisenhower) on August 14, was ruled ineligible for the first semester of the 2003-04 school term for noncompliance with Transfer By-law 3.041 and Scholastic Standing By-law 3.022.

By-law 3.041 stipulates: "In all transfer cases, both the principal of the school from which the student transfers and the school to which the student transfers must approve of the transfer and execute a form provided by the IHSA Office. A student is not eligible to participate in an interscholastic contest until the transfer form, fully executed by both principals, is on file in the offices of the school to which the student transfers." By-law 3.022 stipulates that a student "shall, unless entering high school for the first time, have credit on the school records for twenty (20) credit hours of high school work for the previous semester."

Eisenhower reported that an error in its administrative procedures caused the school not to send the Principals' Concurrence Regarding Transfer Form to Maroa-Forsyth until Oct. 6. The school also learned during its investigation that the transfer student was not academically eligible. The school reported the infractions to the IHSA Office in an Oct. 15 letter. The Executive Director's ruling was made Oct. 21.

Taylor did not play in the team's first game and seventh game of the season. He played in five games, including a Sept. 5 win over Normal (West), a Sept. 26 win over Bloomington (H.S.) and an Oct. 3 win over Champaign (Central). Eisenhower is required to forfeit those three games.

The only school who was truly affected by this ruling besides Eisenhower wasBloomington (HS)who now has a chance at securing an undefeated regular season.

by Vincent Johnson