BREAKING: District 27-6A DEC recommends San Marcos football playoff ban for 2 years, SMCISD to appeal

San Marcos High School’s football team received a recommendation for a two-year ban from the playoffs by the District 27-6A District Executive Committee. 

John Walsh, San Marcos athletic director and head football coach, said several players who transferred were ruled ineligible for transferring for athletic reasons. Walsh also said the alleged players involved in the ruling played on the same select youth football team as middle schoolers. Walsh continued to say that the district will appeal the DEC’s ruling to the University Interscholastic League, which oversees high school athletics in the state. 

The ban would be effective starting this season, meaning that barring a change after the appeal process San Marcos would be unable to qualify for the 2022 UIL State Championships regardless of record.

“There’s an appeals process, we’re gonna go through the appeal process,” Walsh said, “and I trust the process.” 

“I told our kids we can [only] control what we can control and let’s make dang sure that if the ruling gets overturned we’re in there [and] that we’ve qualified ourselves for the playoff to get into it.” 

San Marcos CISD Superintendent Michael Cardona also released a statement regarding the matter on Aug. 25.

"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," Cardona said. "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."

Quote from @jwalshrattler on today’s rumors regarding a playoff ban for San Marcos football:

Part 1:

“Today the 27-6A district executive committee ruled several of our players that have transferred ineligible for transferring for athletic reasons.”@smdrsports

— Jude McClaren (@judemcclaren) August 24, 2022

This report has been updated.