Chad Tester is planning to flip sides in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference rivalry.

The 2008 South Kitsap graduate said he accepted a scholarship to play football at Central Washington University this fall.

Tester, who redshirted as a freshman last season because he didn’t meet NCAA requirements on the math portion of the SAT, was a walk-on linebacker at Western Washington until the school discontinued its football program Jan. 8 after 98 seasons.

Because of that status, he isn’t eligible to transfer until the end of the school year, but said he will head to Ellensburg this summer to begin training with the team.

Tester said he visited Central about two weeks after the announcement at Western with roommate Johnny Jackson, a freshman defensive back from Seattle’s Evergreen High.

Both were offered scholarships and committed to playing for the Wildcats.

He chose Central over Idaho State. Tester said the Bengals, who recruited him out of high school and play in the higher-profile Big Sky Conference, also offered him a scholarship, but he felt Central was “a better place for me.”

But before Tester, 19, settled on a new school, he wanted to know about the support behind the program. Only four schools in the GNAC — Central, Dixie State (Utah), Humboldt State (Calif.) and Western Oregon — still sponsor football programs.

“They have really big support for their program,” Tester said. “That’s one of the things that makes me feel better. They probably won’t be shutting the program down.”

Tester said he is one of six players, including defensive backs Dustin Adams and Jordan Spriggs (who had just transferred from Navy To Western), running back Randall Eldridge and tight end Zack Hekker, heading from Bellingham to Ellensburg.

“I got to meet a lot of the team while I was over there,” said Tester, adding that they were accepting of the former Western players. “There was no rivalry thing going on.”

He said moving from one side of the rivalry to the other wasn’t an issue for him.

“I don’t think I got into the tradition like the older guys,” Tester said. “Without a football program, I don’t think there’s much of a rivalry there anymore.”

After he transferred, Tester also learned that his position coach, Casey Clifton, also is headed to Central, where he will serve as the linebackers coach under Blaine Bennett.

Even though he didn’t play last year, Tester believes he will compete for immediate playing time and possibly a starting job at outside linebacker.

“They told me that they wanted me and my roommate to come over and become impact players,” Tester said.

Tester is a physical-education major and hopes to coach football after his playing days are over.

“They’re pretty good about letting their players serve as graduate assistants,” he said. “Then I can coach at a university after that.”