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Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School is banned from the Michigan football playoffs.
Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School has been disqualified from the Michigan football playoffs. The decision ends their controversial pursuit of a state title.
The Cougars have been entwined in an eligibility scandal dating back to the beginning of the season. A prospective home buyer unearthed evidence to support the postseason ban.
Catholic Central will not play its next playoff game against Berrien Springs. Its season ends after 10 games.
Michigan high school football controversy hits Catholic Central.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has withdrawn Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School from the 11-Player Division 5 Football Playoffs as a result of its using an ineligible player during the first seven games of the regular season.
— The D Zone (@TheD_Zone) October 29, 2026
The Cougars welcomed a transfer player to the roster in January. His previous school, Comstock Park, then filed a complaint against the move.
The program deemed the transfer athletically motivated. It questioned the eligibility of the player for the 2026 season.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association looked into the claims. At the time, it found no evidence of wrongdoing. The player, who did not participate in football activities amid the investigation, was ruled eligible in August.
He played in seven games. Catholic Central won six of those contests to finish the year at 7-2 and earn a No. 1 seed in the postseason.
In mid-October, Catholic Central was notified of new information that again called the player’s eligibility into question. Then, just 24 hours before a playoff opener, the Cougars were forced to forfeit the six wins in which he competed. Their record fell to 1-8, knocking them out of the postseason.
The timing is interesting. Comstock Park, the school that filed the initial complaint, was set to be Catholic Central’s first playoff opponent.
Administration blasted the ruling after the fact. It said it did everything by the books.
Grand Rapids Catholic Central statement regarding their forfeits: https://t.co/zAS7g9vTKl
— The D Zone (@TheD_Zone) October 29, 2026
A teammate of the ineligible player then filed a temporary restraining order against the MHSAA. It was granted, allowing the Cougars to play the game vs. Comstock Park. They won convincingly, 56-13, to advance to the next round.
That victory, however, did not solidify Catholic Central’s playoff status. The MHSAA continued to battle in court. On Monday, they got their wish.
The Cougars have been DQ’d.
New evidence was presented in the case. It ultimately tipped the scales in the MHSAA’s favor. A full change of residence had not been completed.
Fox 17 West Michigan detailed the situation, referencing paperwork filed with the Michigan Court of Appeals in Grand Rapids. A prospective home buyer was noted.
According to court paperwork filed with the Michigan Court of Appeals in downtown Grand Rapids, the Michigan High School Athletic Association obtained video evidence that a player did not make a complete move that would have allowed the player to play football at Grand Rapids Catholic Central for the 2026 season.
MHSAA received the video on October 26… the video shows a “potential buyer” touring the family’s home with the ineligible player’s grandfather, who was serving as a realtor. The video is said to contain images of the home with family photos on the wall, food in the fridge and clothes in the closet. The MHSAA requires a student be fully moved to be eligible to play a sport at a different school for back-to-back seasons for the same sport…
Court records say the decision that the player was eligible was made with the understanding that the family’s home was being rented to a non-family member from July 2026 to July 2027.
The home buyer covertly took a video from inside the player’s old house while touring as a real estate client. There were still family photos on the wall, food in the fridge, and clothes in the closet.
The MHSAA made its initial eligible ruling under the assumption that the family had completely moved out of the home. It was supposedly being rented to a non-family member. That does not appear to be the case given the house tour footage.
I do not know if the home buyer is connected to Comstock Park. They did not reveal intentions to hand the video over to the MHSAA. You can draw your own conclusions.
Either way, the video was enough to have the TRO overturned. Catholic Central has been disqualified from the Michigan high school football playoffs.
MHSAA Statement from today’s court ruling:
“The MHSAA is thankful for the Court’s prompt decision today, confirming the integrity of the MHSAA’s eligibility rules, which all of our member schools expect to be enforced as written. As a result of the Court’s decision, there will not be a District game played on Tuesday, November 10th, and Berrien Springs High School will advance to the next round of the playoffs to face Grand Rapids West Catholic High School on Saturday, November 14 at 1 p.m.”
— The D Zone (@TheD_Zone) November 9, 2026
In a statement, the association expressed gratitude for the court’s decision, which “confirmed the integrity of the MHSAA eligibility rules.”
The Cougars’ previously scheduled opponent, Berrien Springs, will advance to the next round of action without having to play a game. Catholic Central concludes its season at 2-8 with the forfeitures.