Inside California's Scandal: Brett Steigh's Multi-Million Dollar Football Scheme and High-School Student Transfers

The introduction of the NIL era has introduced significant challenges for college football and its athletes, starting with California's groundbreaking legislation allowing high school athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). This shift opened a financial door for a new wave of teenage sports stars, previously only accessible to college and professional athletes. However, the "pay-for-play" phenomenon has not eradicated the predatory culture involving opportunistic boosters and relentless programs.A private institution, Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, California, has forfeited its entire football season for 2025 amid allegations that a prominent booster, Brett Steigh, funded illegal transfers of players to the school. Following an internal investigation, the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section determined that five out of over 20 transfers were ineligible, violating crucial by-laws. Steigh openly admitted on a podcast that he financially incentivized parents to facilitate these transfers, declaring full responsibility for his actions.