No, Exchange Students Are Not Taking Roster Spots From North Texas Athletes

When representatives of the University Interscholastic League’s (UIL) legislative council gathered earlier this fall to vote on a new policy that will bar foreign exchange students from participating in varsity sports across the state, you would have thought that Texas’ airports are being flooded with international teens carrying little more than a football helmet and an appetite for a letterman jacket. 

The UIL governs the competitive activities in which Texas high schoolers compete. Everything from jazz competitions to debate tournaments to sports falls under the UIL umbrella, and policy decisions that affect these leagues are made by the Legislative Council, which is composed of 32 public school administrators from across the state. 

In late October, the legislative council unanimously passed a new rule that will bar non-U.S. citizen student-athletes from appearing on varsity rosters across all sports starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The policy will allow exchange students to compete on junior-varsity or freshman-level teams and will not prohibit participation at the highest level in music, theater or academic competitions. 

Aaron Hood, the superintendent of Robert Lee ISD near San Angelo, urged the committee to approve the change, stating that the issue has been a recurring one. 

“Our Texas kids are not allowed to go to a neighboring town without moving there and play at a Varsity level. But [exchange students] are allowed to get on a plane, come to our state, and play immediately, taking the place, many times, of a community kid who has worked hard to get a place on that team,” Hood said. “I do not understand why we allow that to happen.” 

Another administrator, Barbers Hill ISD Superintendent Greg Poole, commented that, while “politically unpopular” to say, “you can tell” when a team has a “higher percentage of foreign exchange students” on it. 

Currently, foreign exchange students must obtain approval from the UIL to compete on varsity sports teams. The change must still be approved by State Education Commissioner Mike Morath to take effect. If Morath rejects the plan, the council will have to amend the suggested rule change. 

One thing missing from the conversation was actual data on the scale of the problem. The Texas Education Agency does not track enrollment of foreign exchange students. Private groups, like NAFSA, the Association of International Educators, track international enrollment at the collegiate level but not high school. 

Some estimates suggest that as many as 20,000 exchange students are placed in high schools across the U.S. each year. The International Student Exchange states on its website that in the last decade, the agency has helped more than 2,080 international students enroll in Texas high schools. That’s around 200 exchange students a year, compared to Texas’ 3,553 high schools, according to GreatSchools data. 

The International Student Exchange did not respond to the Observer’s request for comment. 

Out of the 11 Dallas-area school districts we contacted regarding foreign exchange enrollment data, only five responded. Dallas ISD stated that it does not have a foreign exchange student program and hasn’t for many years. Grand Prairie ISD said that there are no foreign exchange students enrolled in the district this school year. Mesquite ISD reported that one international student is attending classes this fall, and that student is not on a varsity team roster. 

Frisco and Allen ISDs said the number of exchange students enrolled in the districts was not readily available information and would require a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain. An Allen High School informational website suggests that the school limits the number of exchange students to 10 each year, and an online flyer from Mansfield ISD states that the district caps foreign enrollment at five students per high school per year. 

Quentin White, athletic director for McGregor High School, just outside of Waco, said that in 30 years, he has seen only a few international students express interest in athletics, and a majority did not make it onto a varsity roster. At least in high school football, he “hasn’t really seen foreign students make a big impact,” the coach told KCEN. 

Still, in an interview with The Texas Tribune, Traci Zavala, a district representative for International Cultural Exchange Services, acknowledged that a few bad apples may have gotten involved with sports recruitment when placing international students. 

“I know there are coordinators that will place kids just because,” she said. “There are coaches that will say, ‘Hey, I need this kid.’ … Unfortunately, those few that do those things mess it up for everyone else.”