The NCAA’s Division I Council on Wednesday unanimously approved new transfer rules that will allow all undergraduate athletes to transfer schools and play immediately, regardless of how many times they have changed schools in the past.
The decision is expected to be formally approved by the NCAA Board of Governors on Monday. It will make athletes who transferred during the 2023-2024 academic year immediately eligible, as long as they are both academically eligible to compete and meet degree requirements at their new school.
The change no longer limits the number of times athletes can switch schools. Previously, athletes could transfer once and play right away, but had to sit out a full year if they switched schools a second time without a waiver. The two transfer windows are still in effect with the new arrangement, and players cannot switch schools mid-year and play for their new school in the same season.
“With these rule changes, NCAA members continue to prioritize long-term academic success for college athletes who transfer, while supporting their opportunity to compete immediately,” said Lynda Tealer, chair of the Division I Council and Florida deputy athletic director , in a statement.
“We hope that this practical approach to admissions requirements will encourage student-athletes to make informed decisions about transferring and the impact such a move could have on their ability to graduate on time in their degree of choice, especially when it comes to transferable credits.”
The transfer portal has exploded across all sports in recent years, especially with the advent of NIL deals. And while the new transfer rules will still be dependent on academic progress, there is a lot of concern about how realistic that will be after one or two transfers. for example, when he moved to Arizona from North Carolina last season. He was initially going to transfer to Michigan, but that fell through after an admissions problem regarding credits.
“One of the questions we have to ask ourselves is: At what point does the degree matter anymore?” Oregon football coach Dan Lanning. “I think it’s becoming increasingly difficult as boys become multi-year transfer boys so that they can actually get a university degree. When you graduate, it often makes sense to change schools as often as you want, if you can. But equally, if someone has three changes schools, I wonder what his or her progress towards a degree really looks like. I think this is something that everyone should probably be somewhat aware of.’
