NATCHEZ — The Mississippi High School Athletics Association has ruled that no out of state residents will be allowed to participate in Mississippi high school sports beginning next season.

“I think over the last year or so, people have been bringing it up and it never went anywhere,” MHSAA associate director Lonnie Tillman said, “Over time I remember hearing people say that everybody needs to follow the rules, and that was it.”

Cathedral High School, which is home to some Louisiana residents, was made aware of the situation recently.

“It is a big impact,” Cathedral athletic director Craig Beesley said. “I feel like a lot of younger kids, elementary kids will be impacted when they get to high school. It really affects the Catholic schools, because kids come from across the river to get a Catholic education at Cathedral.”

Cathedral’s first football state championship and fourth baseball state championship, which it won this past season, will not be affected.

Last season, the Green Wave had three players on the football team from Louisiana and two on the baseball team.