The NCAA Division I Board of Directors slowed the momentum building toward allowing every student-athlete a one-time waiver to transfer without penalty.
According to ESPN, the board agreed to lift the moratorium on new transfer legislation, but doesn’t recommend making changes to the waiver process at this time. Transfers in football, baseball, basketball and men’s hockey are currently required to sit out one year before competing at their new school — unless cleared by the NCAA for undergoing hardship that necessitated the transfer.
The NCAA released a statement saying that the board “recommended to the Council that changes to the waiver process as suggested by the working group are not appropriate at this time. Board members recommended the waiver process be sensitive to student-athlete well-being, especially those impacted by COVID-19 in the interim period.”
The NCAA Transfer Waiver Working Group has been developing a plan that would allow athletes in those sports to transfer one time without penalty. That freedom is already present to any student-athlete not participating in the aforementioned sports.
Related content: NCAA Working Group Developing One-Time Transfer Proposal
The proposed policy shift would extend the immediate transfer ability to players in all sports, including baseball, basketball, football and men’s hockey, where immediate transfers are currently prohibited. To be eligible for a transfer waiver, student-athletes must:
- Receive a transfer release from their previous school
- Leave their previous school academically eligible for competition
- Maintain their academic progress at the new school and
- Leave under no disciplinary suspension
The NCAA Division I Council is expected to hold a May 20 vote on implementing the one-time transfer waiver. There have been more than 700 college basketball athletes in the transfer portal this spring, all of whom could potentially benefit if the one-year transfer penalty is waived.
Related content: NCAA to Vote on Transfer Waiver in May
