NCAA Division I Transfer Rules Working Group Update

The Division I Transfer Working Group continues to gather information and feedback from coaches, athletic administrators, and student-athletes to develop proposed rule changes which they intend to “…improve the transfer environment for colleges athletes, coaches, and teams.”

It appears that the Working Group will be proposing a change from the current need for an athlete to request permission prior to contacting other colleges about a transfer to instead simply notifying their current university that they intend to transfer.

While this proposed change may appear to make it easier for an athlete to transfer if they are not required to obtain permission before contacting coaches at other schools, athletes and families should keep in mind that it’s quite possible they will immediately be removed from their team and barred from training facilities once they provide such notification, even if they don’t yet know where they want to transfer.

Just last week, the Division I Committee on Academics met in-person and provided additional feedback for the Transfer Working Group to consider.  The Committee on Academics relied heavily on statistical data provided directly by NCAA schools, as well as from other sources, on such factors as grade-point average, the timing of a transfer, the percentage of degree completion, and gaps in enrollment.

Regarding potential rule changes and the opportunity for an athlete to be immediately eligible when transferring to a Division I university from another four-year college, the key points of feedback provided to the Transfer Working Group by the Committee on Academics were:

• An athlete’s cumulative grade-point average should be a factor to determine eligibility,
• An athlete’s progress toward their degree should also be a factor, and
• The academic requirements for eligibility may differ depending upon an athlete’s year in college.

The key takeaway from these points is that an athlete’s academic standing and progress toward earning their degree may become even more important than they currently are now in determining eligibility when transferring to another university.

Contact us at 913-766-1235 or send an e-mail to rick@informedathlete.com to arrange a consultation call if you have questions about the current academic requirements for immediate eligibility as a transfer athlete.