A number of NCAA college basketball players who have transferred multiple times will be able to compete in the next academic year provided they meet conditions while a lawsuit agains the NCAA plays out.
According to ESPN, the NCAA issued updated guidance to a document previously circulated to member school about its redshirt rule as it pertained to the lawsuit, which was filed by a coalition of states. In December multiple-transfer student-athletes who were denied a chance to compete were immediately allowed by a federal judge in West Virginia to play through the remainder of the academic year.
As it stands, underclassmen are allowed to transfer once without having to sit out a year, but require a waiver from the NCAA if they transfer again in order to not have to sit out for a year at their new school. Last January, the NCAA implemented stricter guidelines for granting those waivers on a case-by-case basis.
Related: Seven Attorneys General Sue NCAA Over Existing Transfer Rules
ESPN reported that on Wednesday the NCAA said while it is not certain whether the preliminary injunction issued by the judge will remain in place during the 2024-25 season, athletes who transfer again during or after the current academic year won't be subject to the requirement that they sit out one year. However, transfer window notification rules must be followed.
The transfer window for men's and women's basketball runs from March 18 to May 1.
The NCAA also said athletes would "continue to be subject to all other existing eligibility legislation and to any eligibility standards required for competition that may be developed or modified for the 2024-25 academic year."
The lawsuit is scheduled for a jury trial in June 2025 in Wheeling, West Virginia.
