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The NCAA has changed transfer rules…sort of

By Shaun Gordon

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 06: Killian Tillie #33 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs is fouled as he drives to the basket against McKay Cannon #24 and Payton Dastrup #15 of the Brigham Young Cougars during the championship game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bulldogs won 74-54. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 06: Killian Tillie #33 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs is fouled as he drives to the basket against McKay Cannon #24 and Payton Dastrup #15 of the Brigham Young Cougars during the championship game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bulldogs won 74-54. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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With a new rule implemented by the NCAA, Division I schools can no longer block a student-athlete from transferring. The changes aren’t as drastic as they look, though.

The NCAA announced a major change to how transfers will happen across all Division I sports.

Unfortunately, the major change probably won’t change things all that much.

Starting in October, student-athletes no longer have to request a transfer and be granted a release by their school. Instead, the student can tell the school they are transferring, and do so without the hassle of obtaining a release.

If an athlete informs a school that he plans to transfer, then the school will have two days to place that player on a national transfer database. Then, and only then, may other schools and coaches contact that player without penalty.

This gives a student-athlete more freedom in moving schools if they want to. Plus, according to the nationwide rule, the coach can’t place restrictions on where an athlete can and can’t transfer.

Here comes the big caveat though:

"“Conferences, however, still can make rules that are more restrictive than the national rule”"

So conferences can still decide to put restrictions on where a student can or can’t transfer. And you can safely bet that most, if not all, conferences will add those restrictions to some degree.

That one line undoes a large chunk of what the new rule is meant to do.

The most important part of the change remains intact, though. A school can no longer prevent a student-athlete from transferring. They’ll still likely be able to restrict where they go, but they can’t prevent a transfer outright.

Another part of the rule change increases the penalty for tampering with a current student-athlete of another school. It’s now a Level 2 violation and carries more penalties.

But that’s only if someone gets caught doing it, and proving that will be just as difficult as always.

Could these changes lead to sweeping reform?

Maybe.

Is it more likely to become a narrow victory for student-athletes?

Yep, but it’s a victory nonetheless.

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