Despite family's residence, UIL rules Ropes football player ineligible for 2025 - sparking controversy

Tyson Reyes, a junior defensive lineman, had his transfer revoked by his old school, Sundown. UIL upholds the decision despite the family residence in Ropesville

Ropes runs out to the field before a non-district football game, Friday, August 29, 2025, at Eagle Stadium in Ropesville. / Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A promising high school football season for Ropes High School lost a key player before it began.

Tyson Reyes, a junior defensive lineman, has been denied varsity eligibility for the 2025 season by the University Interscholastic League (UIL) State Executive Committee. The committee upheld a 3-0 decision from the District 3-2A Division II Executive Committee, which concluded that Reyes’ transfer from Sundown ISD appeared primarily motivated by athletics.

Background on the Transfer

Reyes, a first-team selection on the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal 2024 small-school Super Team at Sundown High School, moved with his family to Ropesville in late July 2025 after, according to the family, they were told by the Sundown's principal that they needed to find a new school for him to attend after an off-campus alcohol incident. While the district verified the family’s new residence, UIL officials determined that the transfer fell under the rule prohibiting moves made mainly for athletic advantage - despite the family maintaining residence in Ropesville.

Ropesville is approximately 22 miles - or a 23 minute drive - from Sundown. Ropes, currently 1-1, went 12-2 last season and reached the Class 2A Division II state quarterfinals. Sundown, also 1-1, went 3-8 in 2024 in 2A Division II and was outscored 367-252 last season.

Under UIL guidelines, students who transfer without a verified change in residence are generally ineligible for varsity athletics for one calendar year. These rules exist to maintain competitive balance and prevent recruiting abuses. Even when families relocate, UIL examines evidence to determine whether the move is genuine or primarily for athletic reasons.

Reyes appears to have checked that box, but the UIL seemingly shrugged.

Comparison with Past Cases

The ruling drew attention because of similar past situations. Riley Wormley, a running back with Division I prospects who transferred from Colleyville Heritage to powerhouse Southlake Carroll in 2023, was initially ruled ineligible under similar concerns. However, Wormley was able to show evidence that the transfer was tied to academic reasons, including issues with how Colleyville Heritage handled his Section 504 accommodations.

In addition, it was revealed Wormley’s father is a resource officer at Durham Intermediate School, which also factored into UIL’s decision to reverse the ruling and allow him to play late in the season.

Like Wormley, Reyes, who is dyslexic, is also on a 504 program - though it seems his case, unlike Wormley's, didn't play factor in the UIL's ultimate decision. The UIL shrugged again.

The similarities between Reyes’ and Wormley’s cases has fueled debate about how consistently UIL applies its rules. Some argue that certain transfers receive closer scrutiny than others, often with little transparency, while many transfers that appear to be athletic in nature receive less attention as some schools in the state have built power programs - and sustained that power - on the backs of transfers.

Program and Community Impact

Even though he didn't get to step foot on the field in a game this year, Reyes’ ineligibility is a loss for Ropes High School, which now must adjust its season without him. Supporters emphasize that the family’s move was genuine and motivated by non-athletic reasons.

Per this decision, UIL maintains that the young man should lose a key high school season despite those cries and stands that its decision follows its rules designed to prevent transfers that confer an athletic advantage.

At minimum, Reyes' case highlights the challenges student-athletes face - even when they think they are doing the right thing - when adults and governing bodies interpret transfer rules and impose their will.

As the 2025 season continues, Ropes will, barring a major change, move forward without Reyes who, adults willing, hopes to have a senior season.

Observers, meanwhile, continue to debate how UIL applies its transfer rules.

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