Gabe Kuhn Show: TSSAA rules Heffner ineligible at Lausanne

92.9 FM ESPN's Gabe Kuhn discussed Lausanne Collegiate (High) School Class of 2028 quarterback Thomas Heffner's ineligibility rule by the TSSAA. Listen for more here:

• Thomas Heffner has been ruled ineligible to play football for Lausanne this regular season by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA).
• The ruling stems from TSSAA’s new transfer rules for the 2026–27 school year, which changed how student-athletes are treated when transferring between schools.
• Under the new rules, a student who makes a first-time transfer between school years can generally be immediately eligible, provided the student meets the other eligibility requirements.
• However, TSSAA’s rules also provide for 12 months of ineligibility in certain transfer situations, including subsequent transfers or transfers that occur outside the permitted circumstances.
• According to reporting on Heffner’s case, TSSAA determined that he did not qualify under the applicable “one free transfer” provision, leaving him unable to compete for Lausanne during the regular season.
• The decision is particularly significant because Heffner is a highly regarded quarterback and Lausanne is relying on him as part of its football program.
• TSSAA states that transfer students cannot participate until their athletic eligibility has been verified and approved by the association’s Executive Director.
• TSSAA states that transfer students cannot participate until their athletic eligibility has been verified and approved by the association’s Executive Director.
• Bottom line: Heffner’s situation is not a football suspension or disciplinary punishment; it is an eligibility ruling resulting from Tennessee’s transfer regulations.