NCAA working to crack down on second (and third, and fourth) transfers
I don't want to blow up anybody's spot so I won't name names here, but a new pastime in college football and basketball in recent years has become the "Wait, that guy transferred again?" game.
They've been playing that game in NCAA headquarters as well, and on Wednesday the organization made an attempt to crack down on the 1-time waiver becoming an unlimited waiver.
The Division I Council voted unanimously to update the "guidelines" for undergraduates transferring a second time.
Each waiver request will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, but moving forward, student-athletes 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.
All other guidelines will no longer be used for waiver requests to compete during championship seasons that first occur in 2023-24.
The Council agreed that athletics reasons (lack of playing time, position presence) and academic preferences should not warrant waiver relief.
Note that the new guidelines apply only to undergraduates, so by rule an athlete can transfer and play immediately as an undergrad, then transfer and play immediately a second time as a graduate.
In theory, this should eliminate players transferring three times within a career. In reality, it may come down to which players can afford lawyers that can find a loophole around this.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.
To learn more about The W.I.N..Awakening please contact Coach Ken Karcher at kenkarcher@winawakening.com
