The NCAA’s DI Council has ruled that student-athletes in some specific situations can now transfer and compete immediately without a waiver.
According to a report on the NCAA’s website, incoming freshman college athletes who have enrolled in summer school and received athletics financial aid can transfer and play immediately without a waiver if their head coach departs before the first day of classes for the fall term. Additionally, walk-on student-athletes on teams that provide athletics aid and non-recruited walk-ons can transfer and play immediately without a waiver.
Those rules are effective for students who transfer to new schools this fall.
“It’s definitely a win in our books,” said Enna Selmanovic, SAAC vice chair and a former swimmer at Cincinnati who will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences. “(Allowing student-athletes in certain situations to transfer and play immediately) provides student-athletes with more opportunities to have the best experience possible within their collegiate career."
The council defeated a proposal that would have required schools to count financial aid for some postgraduate transfers against team limits for two years, regardless of whether the student remained enrolled after exhausting athletics eligibility.
Finally, Council members voted to prohibit student-athletes from competing for two different schools in championship season in the same academic year.
In other action, the Council:
- Adopted non-controversial legislation requiring athletics directors to certify that they understand the school’s obligations and personal responsibilities and that the athletics department staff is aware of those responsibilities and obligations. This step was based on a recommendation from the Commission on College Basketball.
- Defeated a proposal to add an additional countable assistant coach in baseball and softball.
- Adopted a rule requiring member schools to complete an equity, diversity and inclusion review once every five years and provide written confirmation to the national office.
- Tabled a proposal that would have eliminated the requirement that an injury or illness must occur in the first half of the playing season for a student-athlete to be eligible for a seasons of competition hardship waiver. The proposal will be considered as part of the larger conversation about seasons of competition rules.
- Recommended that the Division I Board of Directors adopt legislation for the 27 non-autonomy conferences in Division I that mirrors a new rule adopted by the autonomy conferences in January. The legislation, which requires schools to make available mental health services and resources to student-athletes, is the first to use a new process that provides a way for schools outside the autonomy conferences to consider proposals already adopted by the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern conferences.
