Bishop Montgomery High School has suspended its varsity football program for the 2025-26 season, the school announced Sept. 2.
The Catholic high school, located in Torrance, will forfeit the football season after self-reporting violations of CIF bylaws related to transfer players, according to a letter sent out signed by Bishop Montgomery President Patrick Lee and Principal Michele Starkey.
The self-reporting of violations came after an investigation was launched by the archdiocese and the Department of Catholic Schools when five students attempting to transfer to Bishop Montgomery were ruled ineligible by the CIF on Aug. 20 for violating a rule “providing incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete or false information” of a student’s eligibility.
“We recognize the gravity of this situation, and we are deeply sorry for the lapses in oversight that resulted in violations of CIF-SS regulations,” the letter stated. “We are instituting corrective actions aimed at ensuring compliance and preventing such issues in the future. We would like to assure you that we remain committed to providing the best possible academic and athletic experiences for all our students at Bishop Montgomery.”
After the players were ruled ineligible, Bishop Montgomery traveled to Hawaii to play its first regular-season game against Honolulu’s Saint Louis High School, one of the country’s top football teams. As the game was ending in a 34-27 loss for Bishop Montogmery, a skirmish broke out where its players rushed the field.
That incident led to some Bishop Montgomery players getting suspended, leading to the school being forced to forfeit its much-anticipated Aug. 29 game with Orange County powerhouse, Mater Dei.
On Aug. 30, the school announced it had fired head football coach and co-athletic director Ed Hodgkiss after 15 years.
Assistant Coach Mike Hall, a former player at the school, will take over as interim head coach for the football team, the letter stated, while all involved “remedy any issues” so that Bishop Montgomery can field a varsity football team next season.
CIF rules allow for student-athletes to apply for a waiver allowing them to transfer to another school and maintain eligibility if the sport they were competing in is no longer offered.
“We apologize for the impact these actions have had on students and families, our community, the Camino Del Rey League, the CIF-SS and its member schools, and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles,” the letter stated. “Bishop Montgomery is committed to working actively with the CIF-SS and the Catholic Athletic Association to restore trust in our school and our program.”
