NCAA introduces proposal that could curb graduate transfers

Coaches who would like to curb the flow of graduate transfers had better start lobbying their favorite Division I Council member.

On Friday, the Division I Transfer Working Group announced four proposals, primarily (at least where football's concerned) one that would force schools to count a graduate transfer's scholarship against his new school's count for two years -- even if that player has only one year of eligibility remaining.

However, if the graduate transfer successfully completes a graduate degree within his one year on the roster, his scholarship would only count toward the 85-man total for one year.

In other words, a player who puts the "graduate" in graduate transfer would still count against his team's 85-man limit for one year, but a player who does not graduate within his one year of eligibility would have his scholarship counted for two years.

Here's the NCAA's wording:

Require schools to count financial aid for postgraduate transfers who receive athletics aid and have one season of eligibility remaining in football, women’s basketball and men’s basketball against team limits for two years, regardless of whether the student-athlete remains enrolled after exhausting athletics eligibility. However, a student who successfully completes all degree requirements before the start of the second year would not count in the second year.

This rule could make teams less likely to take a graduate transfer if his new school knew they would essentially lose a scholarship the following year.

Elsewhere, the NCAA Transfer Working Group offered a proposal that would allow student-athletes who have enrolled in summer school to transfer and play immediately should their head coach depart before the first day of fall classes.

So every Ole Miss player would have been free to transfer and play immediately in the summer of 2016 after Hugh Freeze's resignation.

A third proposal would allow all walk-ons to transfer and play immediately, and a fourth would prohibit student-athletes from competing for two teams during the same championship season.

“Over the last year and a half, we learned that we can work together to solve complex issues, and we accomplished so much,” South Dakota State AD Justin Sell, the working group chairman, said. “The Association still has work to do, but this group’s legacy is very positive.”

The proposals will now enter the NCAA's legislative system. If approved, they would most likely go into effect in April 2019.