NCAA votes to limit eligibility for second-time transfers to curb ballooning portal usage

[iowaathletes]

Source: CBS sports

The NCAA Division I Council approved legislation on Wednesday to limit waivers for second-time transfers. Now, undergraduate players who transfer will have specific guidelines they must meet in order to be eligible for immediate playing time starting with the 2023-24 season or risk sitting out a year in between transfers.
First, a player can receive immediate eligibility if they have a physical injury or mental health condition that pushed them to transfer from a school. Additionally, the NCAA will consider "exigent circumstances" that could force a player to leave an institution -- like sexual assault or abuse. No other factors will be considered, including academic considerations or playing time.

The new rules are an attempt to rein in the number of players using transfer portal, which has exploded since it launched four years ago. Nearly 2,000 players in FBS alone entered the portal in the first transfer window following the 2022 regular season. At least 120 quarterbacks alone have entered the portal, including a handful that were expected to enter the 2023 NFL Draft and opted for new starts at the college level instead.

Notably, Rice quarterback JT Daniels just landed at his fourth institution after leaving West Virginia. He played at USC from 2018-19 and Georgia from 2020-21 before starting for the Mountaineers in 2022. With these rules, Daniels would need to graduate in between each of his final two transfers or sit out and risk burning a year of eligibility.


The new NCAA rule only applies to undergraduate transfers. Players who graduate will still be eligible to play immediately at their next stops.

 

[dadster]

What a comedy show. NCAA will review each........ blah blah blah. They were inconsistent, untimely and a joke before NIL. Now we're supposed to believe they will clean this all up. Not buying this load of horse apples.

 

[LIV4GOD]

" . . . a player can receive immediate eligibility if they have a physical injury or mental health condition that pushed them to transfer from a school."​

​

What a true joke, LOL! Any athlete could claim these things. "I was injured and lost my position . . ." "My mental health deteriorated when I got beat out . . . "

I hope a day comes in which the nearly worthless NCAA doesn't exist.

 

[hknation]

My question, why would a coach/univ want and pay NIL $$$, given the exceptions that makes the player immediately available?

 

[grayhair81]

" . . . a player can receive immediate eligibility if they have a physical injury or mental health condition that pushed them to transfer from a school."​

​

What a true joke, LOL! Any athlete could claim these things. "I was injured and lost my position . . ." "My mental health deteriorated when I got beat out . . . "

I hope a day comes in which the nearly worthless NCAA doesn't exist.

Fields got a waiver to leave Georgia because he heard "that word" at a baseball game and it traumatized him.

 

[GHawk]

The way I read it, is that this is about 2nd time transfers. A player can still transfer once with no restrictions.

 

[Herky T Hawk]

The way I read it, is that this is about 2nd time transfers. A player can still transfer once with no restrictions.

You are correct.

But reading between the lines, the way that I read it is that this won't impact anyone. There are too many exceptions. Like trying to bail out a sinking boat with a colander. Maybe it works, but not really in practice.

 

[M&Shawk]

Mental health issues leaves a big loop hole. If they deny an exception for someone claiming mental health ncaa will be called discriminatory towards people with mental health issues. Good way to get canceled in todays environment

 

[Fran-Con-2]

Mental health issues leaves a big loop hole. If they deny an exception for someone claiming mental health ncaa will be called discriminatory towards people with mental health issues. Good way to get canceled in todays environment

Sad thing is there are tons of players (like P-Mac) suffering from true mental health issues. But plenty of other bozos looking to take advantage of the system, thus ruining the legitimacy of the exception.

But if we're being perfectly honest: if you are suffering from true mental health issues to the point that you need to transfer schools, then maybe a year away from high-stress competition is exactly what you need.

 

[NorthDSMHawk]

"First, a player can receive immediate eligibility if they have a physical injury or mental health condition that pushed them to transfer from a school."

And this single sentence made the entire new rule worthless.

 

[TheGuy9]

My question, why would a coach/univ want and pay NIL $$$, given the exceptions that makes the player immediately available?

They are still immediately available. The stipulations are for the second time they transfer.

 

[MAXIMUSHAWKEYE]

I think that you should be able to transfer one time without any restrictions in your college career. If you are transferring a second time you must sit out a year. If you're a graduate I see no restrictions

 

[mro1978]

who's more corrupt and useless, the NCAA or congress?

 

[shanksit44]

who's more corrupt and useless, the NCAA or congress?

Yes

 

[obfuscating]

What a comedy show. NCAA will review each........ blah blah blah. They were inconsistent, untimely and a joke before NIL. Now we're supposed to believe they will clean this all up. Not buying this load of horse apples.

Man, that description fits our government to a T as well.

 

[iowaathletes]

Addl info from another source:

In a release announcing the vote, it stated that the Council agreed that athletics reasons such as lack of playing time and position presence, along with academic preferences should not warrant waiver relief.

According to an NCAA news release announcing the vote, each waiver request will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and athletes transferring for a second time must meet one of the following criteria to be granted a waiver to compete immediately:

• A demonstrated physical injury or illness or mental health condition that necessitated the student's transfer (supporting documentation, care plans and proximity of the student's support system will be considered)

OR

• Exigent circumstances that clearly necessitate a student-athlete's immediate departure from the previous school (e.g., physical assault or abuse, sexual assault) unrelated to the student-athlete's athletics participation.

The release notes that all other guidelines currently used or used in the past will no longer be considered for waiver re-quests beginning with the 2023-24 school year.

Any situations that fall outside of the guidelines above will be turned over to the Transfer Advisory Group for further review, again on a case-by-case basis.

Student-athletes who meet the requirements for what’s known as “a limited transfer exception,” which is tied to a sport being discontinued or non-scholarship athletes, also will now be allowed to enter the transfer portal at any time rather than being required to use their respective sport’s transfer window.


The rise of NIL and the recent one-time waiver transfer opportunity granted to all college athletes created quite an explosion of players changing schools for the very reasons outlined above.

 

[nu2u]

I've been advocating to make 2nd time transfers iineligible for their first 6 games. That would tend to make transfers less common and would dampen the NIL madness. Exceptions and Immediate eligibility for recruits/players transfering from a school where the head coach has left the program and for players transfering to a lower division program.

Allowing any "guideline" discretion by the NCAA only sanctons further abuse and inconsistency (as we've previously seen with "medical hardship" waivers).

 

[abby97]

Make no mistake, this was not an error, that wording was put there so the NCAA could claim they did something without actually having to do anything.

 

[hawkeyekid]

The NCAA will review the cases...I'll save them the time and money and just tell them to use their old method.

Is the athlete from Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, or USC? Then Yes.

Is the athlete from a "popular" school that is in the complete ridiculous pre-season Top 25, has a blow hard coach that the media loves, or the majority of their fan base has a southern accent and/or listens to Paul Finebaum? The Yes.

All other athletes? Take an abnormal amount of time to decide, then No.