A last-minute amendment may have just widened the field.
Tennessee lawmakers in the Senate advanced a bill on Monday that would let certain private school students try out for sports at their zoned public high schools, with an important amendment added.
Read the bill’s summary and current status here.
Originally, the bill required that the private school itself be located within the same local school district as the public school team.
That language is now gone.
Under the amended version, eligibility would depend on where the student lives, not where their private school is physically located.
If the student lives within the geographic boundaries of the local education agency, is enrolled in a private high school with fewer than 200 students, and meets the athletic association’s eligibility rules…they could try out at the public high school they are zoned to attend.
They would still have to make the team and the bill does not guarantee roster spots and does not override the authority of coaches or athletic governing bodies.
Supporters say the change puts small private school students on similar footing with homeschool students, who already have access to public school athletics in Tennessee.
“This right now, it’s just taking into account that there are smaller private schools,’ said State Senator Adam Lowe of Bradley County. “And we’re allowing them the same access that we have homeschoolers in recent years in the school in which they’re zoned and they are living.”
Opponents argue it creates an uneven playing field for public school students.
“You shouldn’t be able to attend a private school academically and attend a sports school in a public setting,’ one lawmaker said during debate. ‘I think that’s double dipping in my opinion. So, I just think you can’t have it both ways.”
Read the bill’s summary and current status here.
Up next, the Senate passed the companion bill with the amendment included and now the House must agree to the revised language before it can be sent to the governor. If the bill is signed into law, the measure would take effect in the 2026-2027 school year.
