NCAA One-Time Transfer Rule Expected To Pass In January, Opening Up A Floodgate Of Transfers

The NCAA one-time transfer rule is expected to pass in January, opening up a floodgate of transfers.

“I have been told it is a done deal,” one high-profile college coach said.

Under the proposal introduced Wednesday by the Division 1 Council, all Division I student-athletes would have the ability to transfer and compete immediately once during their collegiate experience if the measure is passed.

The move could have been voted on in May, but was pushed back to the fall. Last year there were 1,027 Division 1 men’s basketball players in the transfer portal.

The proposal would expand the current one-time transfer exception to all sports. Currently, student-athletes who participate in baseball, football, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s ice hockey are not eligible to transfer and compete immediately without a waiver. They have to sit a year without a waiver.

“This proposal creates a uniform, equitable approach for all student-athletes, no matter the sport they play,” said working group chair Jon Steinbrecher, commissioner of the Mid-American Conference and vice chair of the Council. “We believe the proposal fulfills the promise of the transfer resolution adopted by the Council in the spring, and trust the membership will strongly consider bringing consistency and predictability to Division I transfer regulations while treating student-athletes across all sports alike and in a sensible fashion.”

The proposal includes a requirement that both the head coach at the new school and the student-athlete must certify that no tampering took place. It also provides the option for the Council to set deadlines by which student-athletes must provide written notification of transfer to their school: May 1 for fall and winter sport student-athletes and July 1 for spring sport student-athletes. Some exceptions would apply in cases of a head coaching change or cancelled athletics scholarship.

Transferring college athletes also would have to meet progress-toward-degree requirements and be otherwise academically eligible in order to compete after transfer. Schools would be required to educate all student-athletes regarding the impacts and implications of transferring, including academic requirements and financial aid policies. An online module would be created to assist schools with ensuring student-athletes can access this education, which is intended to help student-athletes make informed transfer decisions.

The Council intends to vote on the measure during the 2021 NCAA Convention in January. If approved, it would be effective for student-athletes who seek to be immediately eligible for competition during the 2021-22 academic year.

At the request of the working group, Council members also asked the Division I Committee on Academics to examine the impact of transfers on the APR and how the penalty structure would consider anticipated additional transfers. Additionally, the Council asked the Division I Student-Athlete Experience Committee to examine the concept of guaranteed athletics aid through degree completion for transfer student-athletes.

DI Council extends eligibility for winter sport student-athletes

In a separate move Wednesday, winter sport student-athletes who compete during 2020-21 in Division I will receive both an additional season of competition and an additional year in which to complete it, the Division I Council decided. The same flexibility was provided to student-athletes after the spring season was canceled in 2020 and the fall season was seriously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic will continue to impact winter sport seasons in ways we can’t predict. Council members opted to provide for winter sport student-athletes the same flexibility given spring and fall sports previously,” said Council chair M. Grace Calhoun, athletics director at Pennsylvania. “The actions today ensure the continuation of local decision-making in the best interest of each institution and its student-athletes.”

Said one Division 1 assistant coach: “Spring will be nuts for everyone, if indeed kids can get a year back, plus one-time transfer rule… You will be putting out a transfer tweet every 2 minutes.”