6/11/2025

(Renton, WA) The Roosevelt Roughriders football program has been hammered by the WIAA Execuitve Board after a thorough fact finding review of initial alleged violations.  The committee upheld the review’s findings of several violations as stated in the WIAA handbook.

The final report does not explicitly state how the violations occurred other than to the different overall rules that were found to be in violation. There were a total of 4 violations that numerous Roosevelt and Seattle school district coaches and administrators violated.

The rules that have been substantiated to have been broken include 4 rules which we have listed below. We have only printed the lead paragraph with the rules having several subsections. Again, what hasn’t been provided in the report is the exact violations under each of these confirmed violations.

The first rule cited was 3.0.0 in the WIAA Handbook, “MEMBERS’ COMPLIANCE WITH THE RULES – All member school districts of the Association must comply with all Rules and Regulations of the Association for interscholastic programs. Failure to adhere to the Rules and Regulations of the Association are grounds for imposing the penalties outlined in the article regarding rule violations and penalties of the Association Handbook. These rules shall not be waived by agreement or otherwise by anyone other than the WIAA Executive Board.” 

The next rule identified was 18.0.0 which states, “STUDENT STANDARDS FOR INTERSCHOLASTIC ELIGIBILITY PHILOSOPHY OF STANDARDS OF ELIGIBILITY: In keeping with the belief that participation in interscholastic activities is a privilege and not a right, six separate standards of eligibility have been established, each reviewed at the student’s school to determine a student’s athletic eligibility. Student eligibility is determined by the athletic director at the member school in which the student participates. Standards on age, residence and seasons limitations promote the Association’s goals of fairness and equality of opportunity for all participants. Standards on scholarship, attendance and amateur standing support the Association’s goals of educating youth and promote activities as an integral part of the total educational process.”

There were violations under rule 27.0.0 which reads, “ILLEGAL RECRUITING – Students who demonstrate special skills and talent in any of the activities under the jurisdiction of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association should not be subjected to pressures to enroll or continue to be enrolled in a member school outside of their normal enrollment area. The rules do not prohibit legitimate school public relations, promotion or marketing. Rather, these rules prohibit capitalization upon a school’s athletic program and/or a student’s athletic interest, potential or proficiency as a factor in determining school attendance. Efforts to induce students to enroll or continue to be enrolled in a member school because of the students’ special talent or skill is considered recruiting. Recruiting of students or attempted recruiting of students for athletic purposes is prohibited, regardless of their residence.” 

And violations were found under rule 28.0.0 which says, “PHILOSOPHY OF RULE VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES: The strength of the WIAA lies in the willingness and ability of the membership to support the rules and regulations adopted and, if necessary, to support the penalties placed upon members, if it is determined that those same rules and regulations have been violated. The process for developing a penalty starts with the offending school’s administrator contacting the league president and determining the parameters for developing the offending school’s proposal for penalty and any other remedies. If there is a doubt about a proposal, the WIAA staff must be contacted for assistance. The WIAA staff may assist or seek guidance from members of the review panel. The penalties listed are available to the leagues, districts, and WIAA Executive Board. Authority to impose forfeitures, withhold revenue shares, and impose fines is vested in the League, WIAA District Board, and WIAA Executive Board, while only the District and Executive Boards have the authority to withhold allocations and suspension, or place a member school on probation or restriction. The Penalty Review Council is available to assist schools, leagues, and districts in establishing the appropriate penalty.” 

The consequences of the violations are severe including the Roosevelt Football program having to officially forfeit all games that ineligible players played in 2023 and 2024 including postseason games, vacating any league, district or state placings. The Roughriders have also been banned from postseason play for the upcoming 2025 season.

Roosevelt over the past two seasons were a combined 16-6, going 8-2 in 2023 and losing to Mt Spokane in the round of 32 game 27-0. Last year the Roughriders were 8-4 overall while advancing to the 3A State Semifinals where they lost 29-13 to Bellevue. Roosevelt won their first ever WIAA State Football trophy with a 3rd place finish. But now they will have to give it back and that placing will be wiped off the books. They will also be on probation for 3 years.

The sanctions don’t stop there, Head Coach Sam Adams has been fined $2,500 and has been suspended for a full year from coaching at a WIAA member school for the 2025-26 school year. Assistant coach Saul Patu has also been given the same sanction. Adams and Patu were the only ones suspended for a full year. Another assistant coach along with the AD and Principal the District AD and District were fined $2,500 each for a combined $17,500 fine.

The school AD has also been placed on probation for 3 years and cannot serve on any WIAA committees during that time. The Roosevelt and Seattle school district athletic departments are all on 3 years probation. Roosevelt now must submit all paperwork for any transfer student competing in athletics to the District 2 eligibility committee for review for the next 3 years. The Metro League also got hit with a 3 year probation.

The student-athletes involved in the transfer issues who provided false information to gain eligibility will be banned from participating for 1 year. There was no indication how many students this included if any at all. It is possible the students didn’t know they were supplying false information, the details of exactly what and how it happened have not been provided.

The WIAA Executive Board can review the processes that have been ordered to ensure compliance and the Board retains the right to reconsider the probationary status based on the response from Roosevelt High School and the District Athletic office.

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