NCAA agrees to end transfer rules permanently; athletes who lost eligibility will have year restored

[cigaretteman]

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The U.S. Department of Justice reached a settlement with the NCAA that will permanently bar the organization from restricting athletes’ transfer eligibility, it was announced Thursday.
The settlement resolves a federal antitrust lawsuit filed by a coalition of states last December challenging the NCAA’s requirement that athletes who transfer more than once must sit out a year of competition. U.S. District Court Judge John Preston Bailey in West Virginia issued a preliminary injunction at the time that banned the NCAA from enforcing its Transfer Eligibility Rule. The DOJ joined the suit in January.
A consent decree announced Thursday makes that policy change permanent, allowing athletes to transfer an unlimited number of times without penalty. It also requires the NCAA to restore a year of eligibility for current athletes who missed a year of competition since 2019-20 due to the old policy.

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“Free from anticompetitive rules that unfairly limit their mobility, Division I college athletes will now be able to choose the institutions that best meet their academic, personal and professional development needs,” Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division said in a statement.
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“We’ve leveled the playing field for college athletes to allow them to better control their destinies,” said Ohio AG Dave Yost, who brought the suit. “This long-term change is exactly what we set out to accomplish.”
As required by the Tunney Act, a 60-day public comment period will begin, after which the court may enter the settlement as final judgment.
Last week, the NCAA and the Power 5 conferences agreed to a settlement in another antitrust case, House v. NCAA, in which the defendants would pay $2.7 billion in back pay to a class of athletes alleging they were denied compensation for use of their name, image and likeness. That settlement still needs to be approved by a judge in Northern California.

NCAA agrees to end transfer rules permanently

The DOJ reached a settlement with the NCAA that will permanently bar the organization from restricting athletes’ transfer eligibility.

www.nytimes.com

 

[tarheelbybirth]

So now one-and-done is everybody. I don't disagree with the idea but it's ruinous to college athletics.

 

[DirtyJohns97]

Is there any loophole in the fine print that can get Jorbo another year of eligibility?

 

[B1GDeal]

I don't mind it at all. Will force colleges to take care of their student athletes... if not they will leave. They said, they need to enforce academic eligibility criteria and on track to graduate to be allowed to play. If someone constantly transfers they should likely loose credits that don't follow or just not keep up with being on track to graduate in a timely manner. Those things would keep the student athlete on the path to earn a degree and not just be an athlete. Obviously those who are going pro in 1-2-3 years won't care as much about these things but for every one of those is dozens who will never go pro and need the degree in their next chapter.