Which Fairfax County Public Schools football programs violated recruitment rules?

Hayfield Secondary School and Fairfax High School football programs violated Virginia High School League recruitment rules.

What penalties did Hayfield Secondary School face for recruitment violations?

Hayfield Secondary School's football team was banned from playing any postseason games in both 2024 and 2025.

What new systems are FCPS implementing to prevent future recruitment violations?

FCPS is revamping statewide policies on athletic transfers and eligibility and has expanded the authority of its Office of Student Activities and Athletics for independent investigations.

Home / Sports / FCPS Football Programs Violated Recruitment Rules

FCPS Football Programs Violated Recruitment Rules

2 Feb

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Summary

Independent investigation confirmed VHSL rule violations at both schools.
Systemic failures within FCPS allowed improper recruitment practices.
Hayfield received a postseason ban; Fairfax was placed on probation.

FCPS Football Programs Violated Recruitment Rules

An independent investigation has confirmed that two Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) football programs, Hayfield Secondary School and Fairfax High School, systematically violated Virginia High School League (VHSL) recruitment rules during the 2024 season. The school board and superintendent accepted these findings in February 2025, validating concerns about improper recruitment activities.

The investigation uncovered systemic failures within FCPS, including deficiencies in registration verification, eligibility assessments, and coaching staff training. These gaps allowed questionable transfers and eligibility issues to go unnoticed.

Hayfield Secondary School saw an unusually large influx of 14 transfers from Freedom High School after its coach's hiring, along with five private school transfers and five additional incoming students. Consequently, the VHSL banned the team from postseason games in both 2024 and 2025.