Tag Archive for: College Athlete Transfers

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Potential Changes to NCAA DI Transfer Portal Windows and Mid-Year Transfer Eligibility

At their meeting in late June, the NCAA Division I Council introduced a proposal to reduce the Transfer Portal Windows at the end of each sport season from 60 days to 30 days.

  • This proposal was recommended because data gathered over the past year showed that most athletes enter the Transfer Portal in the early days of each Transfer Window.
  • Various Division I committees, including the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, will review the proposal and gather feedback from their constituents before a final vote is considered at the October meeting of the Council.

On another item regarding transfers, Softball athletes should be aware of a new Division I rule that goes into effect this year.

  • A softball athlete who transfers to a Division I university at midyear will NOT be allowed to be immediately eligible for the Spring season at their new university. The athlete will be allowed to practice with their new team but won’t be eligible for competition until the following Fall term.

If you would like confidential assistance navigating the steps and rule for a transfer to another college or university:

Schedule a Confidential Transfer Consultation online or you can contact us directly at rick@informedathlete.com or by calling 913-766-1235

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Confirm Your Eligibility Before You Transfer or Start Classes!

Every year in August or September after classes have started, we are contacted by college student-athletes who have been told that they won’t be eligible for competition. By then, it’s too late to consider other options that may be possible.

If you are transferring to a new college or enrolling as a freshman – especially if you are doing so as a non-recruited walk-on:

  • Contact the athletic compliance office to confirm that you have satisfied ALL of the academic requirements to be eligible for competition in your first year of attendance.

DON’T wait until the last minute, do this ASAP! Why?

  • Because staff members who are responsible for certifying athletes’ eligibility will likely be focusing more attention on those incoming athletes who have been actively recruited by the coaching staff as scholarship athletes or as “preferred walk-ons.”
  • If you have not satisfied the academic requirements to be eligible in your first year at that university, it may be too late to consider possible options (such as taking additional summer courses, postponing your enrollment or returning to junior college for one more semester.)

It’s very important to:

  • Know the academic requirements your athlete will need to satisfy to be eligible at their new university as a transfer or as an incoming freshman.
  • Get confirmation in writing from the school that your athlete has satisfied all requirements to be eligible.

Do You Need Help?

We can discuss your athlete’s current situation, explain the academic requirements for eligibility in a confidential Eligibility Issues consultation, and we can even review your athlete’s high school or junior college transcript to inform whether they are on track to satisfy the eligibility requirements. Schedule a confidential Eligibility Issues Consultation online, call us at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com.

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NCAA DI Transfer Portal Windows Closing Soon

Division I Transfer Portal Windows are closing soon for the 2023 Spring sports listed below:

  • Women’s Beach Volleyball: June 14
  • Men’s Golf: June 17
  • Lacrosse: June 21
  • Tennis: June 15
  • Women’s Water Polo: June 15

To learn and understand how all the steps and rules involved in a transfer will impact your student-athlete, schedule a confidentialTransfer Consult online.

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Why June 15th is an Important Date for College Athletes and High School Recruits

For current college athletes including:

  • Student-Athletes who hope to transfer from any four-year college to an NCAA Division II athletic program,
  • Current junior college athletes who were signed to an NJCAA Letter of Intent during the 2022-23 school year.

4-4 Transfers hoping to transfer to an NCAA D2 program:

For athletes currently at an NCAA school and who want to be eligible this Fall upon transfer to an NCAA D2 program:

  • June 15 is the deadline that the athlete must provide written notification to their current school that they want to be entered into the NCAA Transfer Portal.
  • If the student-athlete misses the June 15 deadline, they will lose out on the opportunity to be eligible for competition in their first year at an NCAA Division II program (unless a waiver is approved for the athlete to be eligible).

For 4-year college athletes who don’t have access to the NCAA Transfer Portal (such as current NAIA athletes):

  • Student-athletes should make sure they request written permission from their current school to be allowed to contact NCAA Division II programs about a possible transfer no later than June 15. The request should be sent to their current athletic department via email so that the request date can be verified if it becomes an issue.

NJCAA Letter of Intent signees:

For athletes who attended an NJCAA two-year college during the 2022-23 academic year as a Letter of Intent signee:

  • June 15 is the date by which notification of renewal of the athlete’s Letter of Intent for the 2023-24 academic year is supposed to be provided by their college.
  • An NJCAA athlete who isn’t signed to a second-year scholarship by June 15 (which is supposed to be in the form of a new Letter of Intent) becomes recruitable by any other NJCAA college starting on June 16.

High School Recruits

NCAA Division I

June 15th is the first date when most coaches at NCAA Division I programs can place recruiting phone calls and send emails/messages to athletes who have just completed their sophomore year of high school.

The following Division I sports are the only ones that have a date other than June 15 as the earliest date for placing recruiting calls and sending emails/messages to prospects:

  • Baseball – Sept. 1 of junior year
  • Women’s Basketball – June 1 at conclusion of sophomore year
  • Football – Sept. 1 of senior year except for one call from 4/15 to 5/31 of junior year
  • Men’s Ice Hockey – Jan. 1 of sophomore year
  • Lacrosse – Sept. 1 of junior year
  • Softball – Sept. 1 of junior year

Football has an exception to the above date regarding emails sent to prospects. Those can be sent to prospects beginning September 1 of a prospect’s junior year in high school.

NCAA Division II

June 15th is the date when NCAA DII coaches in ALL sports can start to contact recruits who have completed their sophomore year of HS via phone, email, or direct messaging.

Division II coaches in all sports can also accept incoming calls and talk to prospects who call them at any time.

NOTE about the June 15 recruiting date: For any of you who may have requested and viewed our recruiting calendars for June and July, you’ll see change from June 14 to June 15 as to the classes of high school recruits who will be able to receive recruiting phone calls from NCAA Division I and Division II coaches.

Do you have questions or need objective advice?

For specific questions about the NCAA transfer or recruiting rules, or scholarship agreements and letters of intent, contact us by calling 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com.

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Transfer Portal Dates for NCAA DI Athletes Considering a Transfer

NCAA D1 athletes who hope to transfer to another NCAA program for next year should take note of the following Transfer Portal Dates.

A Division I Fall Sport athlete who wants to be eligible at another Division I program next year must notify their current school that they want to enter the Transfer Portal by May 15. (Note: Division I Football closed on April 30.)

For Division I Winter Sport athletes, those Transfer Portal windows are closed except for a few sports. Those are:

  • Men’s Basketball – May 11
  • Women’s Basketball – May 11
  • Women’s Bowling – May 28
  • Fencing – May 13
  • Men’s Gymnastics – June 3
  • Women’s Gymnastics – May 19
  • Men’s Ice Hockey – May 18

The Transfer Portal Windows for D1 Spring Sports are:

  • Baseball: – May 30 – July 13
  • Women’s Beach Volleyball: May 1 – June 14
  • Men’s Golf: May 4 – June 17
  • Women’s Golf: April 27 – June 10
  • Lacrosse: May 8 – June 21
  • Women’s Rowing: May 17 – June 30
  • Softball: May 15 – June 28
  • Tennis: May 2 – June 15
  • Outdoor Track and Field: May 19 – July 2
  • Men’s Volleyball: April 24 – June 7
  • Women’s Water Polo: May 2 – June 15

(There are exceptions for athletes who will be graduating from their current university and for those who have not had an athletic scholarship at their current university.)

Do You Have Questions About Transfers?

To learn all the steps and rules involved in a transfer and answer any questions you may have, schedule a confidential Transfer Consult online, send an email to rick@informedathlete.com or call our office at 913-766-1235.

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The Importance of June 15th for College Athletes & High School Recruits

June 15th is an important date for some college athletes as well as for many high school recruits.

Let’s first review the situations for which June 15 can be important for current college athletes.

It can be important for those who hope to transfer from any four-year college to an NCAA Division II athletic program, as well as for current junior college athletes who were signed to an NJCAA Letter of Intent during the 2021-22 school year.

4-4 Transfers hoping to transfer to an NCAA D2 program:

For athletes currently at an NCAA school and who want to be eligible this Fall upon transfer to an NCAA D2 program, June 15 is the deadline by which the athlete must provide written notification to their current school that they want to be entered into the NCAA Transfer Portal. If such an athlete doesn’t provide written notification to their current school by June 15, they will lose out on the opportunity to be eligible for competition in their first year at an NCAA Division II program.

For 4-year college athletes who don’t have access to the NCAA Transfer Portal (such as current NAIA athletes), those athletes should make sure they request written permission from their current school to be allowed to contact NCAA Division II programs about a possible transfer no later than June 15. Such a request should be sent to their current athletic department via email so that the date of the request can be verified if it becomes an issue.

NJCAA Letter of Intent signees:

For athletes who attended an NJCAA two-year college during the 2021-22 academic year as a Letter of Intent signee; June 15 is the date by which notification of renewal of the athlete’s Letter of Intent for the 2022-23 academic year is supposed to be provided by their college.

An NJCAA athlete who isn’t signed to a second-year scholarship by June 15 (which is supposed to be in the form of a new Letter of Intent) becomes recruitable by any other NJCAA college starting on June 16.

June 15th can also be an important date for High School recruits

High School recruits in many sports can begin to receive direct recruiting communication from NCAA Division I and Division II coaches as outlined below.

NCAA Division I recruiting information:

June 15 is the first date when most NCAA Division I coaches will be able to place recruiting phone calls and send emails/messages to athletes who have just completed their sophomore year of high school.

The following Division I sports are the only ones that have a date other than June 15 as the earliest date for placing recruiting calls and sending emails/messages to prospects:

  • Baseball – Sept. 1 of junior year
  • Women’s Basketball – June 1 at conclusion of sophomore year
  • Football – Sept. 1 of senior year except for one call from 4/15 to 5/31 of junior year
  • Men’s Ice Hockey – Jan. 1 of sophomore year
  • Lacrosse – Sept. 1 of junior year
  • Softball – Sept. 1 of junior year

Football does have an exception to the above date regarding emails sent to prospects. Those can be sent to prospects beginning September 1 of a prospect’s junior year in high school.

NCAA Division II recruiting information:

For recruiting by NCAA Division II colleges, June 15 is the date when coaches in ALL sports can start to contact recruits who have completed their sophomore year of HS via phone, email, or direct messaging.

Division II coaches in all sports can also accept incoming calls and talk to prospects who call them at any time.

For specific questions about the NCAA transfer or recruiting rules, or scholarship agreements and letters of intent, schedule a confidential Scholarship Strategies consult online send an email to rick@informedathlete.com or call 913- 766-1235.

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Academic Eligibility Issues with 2-4 and 4-4 Transfers

Student-athletes who transfer from a two-year to a four-year college are commonly referred to as a “2-4 transfer,” while those who transfer from one four-year college to another are referred to as a “4-4 transfer.”

In most of those 2-4 or 4-4 transfer situations, a student-athlete will have the chance to be eligible for competition in their first year at the new college as along as the academic requirements for a transfer to the NCAA or NAIA university have been satisfied.

However, when an athlete has transferred more than one time, the rules and academic requirements can be more difficult to navigate.

The more times that an athlete transfers from one college to another, the greater the odds are that the athlete won’t be eligible in their first year at the new college. In fact, many of these student-athletes are often given misleading information or don’t have a complete understanding of the transfer rules.

They often learn after arriving at their new university that they won’t be eligible to compete their first year.

I’ve spoken to several families of 4-4-4 transfers who find themselves in this situation.

Had they known the transfer rules and requirements for their specific situation in advance, they would have been prepared and possibly made better and more informed decisions as they navigated through their transfer process.

Of course, the best situation is if you and your athlete are prepared and knowledgeable about how to navigate successfully ahead of time.

However, if your athlete has recently transferred and learned they won’t be eligible this year, we can discuss their specific situation and advise about possible options available to them. Schedule a confidential Waivers & Appeal Consult online to learn what options are available at this point and how to move forward.

If your athlete is considering a transfer and wants to know what their options are before making the decision, we can help. Schedule a confidential Transfer Consult online and we’ll review and discuss best steps to take before proceeding with a transfer.

To learn more about these and other services we offer, call us at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com.

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Our Clients Say – Dad of a Softball Transfer

We always appreciate receiving good news from our clients, and this email this past week from the parent of a softball transfer is an example:

“Hi Rick,

Just wanted to let you know that my daughter’s team played in the NAIA Softball World Series National Championships recently in Columbus GA. We battled through the loser’s bracket to come back and win the national title – #1 in the Nation. It was an amazing experience and an amazing way for my daughter to end her college career.

Thanks so much for the help you gave us in getting her into such a great place. Your calm in our storm of transfer was truly a blessing for our family. Wishing you the best in your mission to help players.”

Read what other clients have to say about Informed Athlete®

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Is Your Student-Athlete Considering a Mid-Year Transfer?

We’ve recently been contacted by several student-athletes who are considering transferring to another college after this Fall term.

In one case, the athlete is looking at a transfer from a two-year college to a four-year college, while the others were considering a transfer from one four-year college to another.

It’s very important to know all the consequences of how a transfer will affect an athlete’s future eligibility BEFORE moving forward.

  • For example, many people think that a JUCO athlete can be immediately eligible when they transfer to a four-year program as long as they have graduated from their JUCO with an Associates Degree. That’s not always the case, especially if the athlete is transferring to an NCAA Division I program. It also may not be enough for an NCAA DII program either.
  • A four-year college athlete transferring from one program to another should also be aware of the steps and requirements that they need to satisfy for a successful transfer, and the potential downside to doing so.

Considering a transfer to another school can be extremely stressful.

We can help by answering any questions you have and explaining the steps your athlete will need to follow for a transfer. We’ll also explain the academic requirements that he or she will need to satisfy to be eligible at their next university.

For athletes transferring from a junior college to a four-year college, we can also provide a Transcript Review and Assessment to review their junior college courses and advise on whether those courses and grades will satisfy the NCAA or NAIA transfer requirements.

If you would like to have a confidential discussion of the steps to follow for a transfer and the rules involved, schedule a Transfer Consult online. Or you can contact us by phone or email: 913-766-1235 or rick@informedathlete.com

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Are you considering a Transfer or taking a term off?

We realize that this is a very uncertain time for current college athletes.

  • Your sport rosters may be overcrowded.
  • Maybe your season has been postponed or cancelled.
  • Or perhaps your season is being moved from the Fall to the Spring.
  • You’re not sure whether your classes will be in-person or online as the semester progresses.

If you are a student-athlete who is considering a transfer or is considering taking a term off from college (or the parent of one) and would like to have a complete understanding of the rules that will impact your specific situation, we can help. We will answer all your questions, discuss options and help you develop an action plan to move forward in these uncertain times.

Schedule a confidential Transfer Consult or Eligibility Consult online or you can contact us at 913-766-1235 or rick@informedathlete.com.

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