NCAA athletes will now have immediate eligibility to play regardless of how many times they transfer, as long as they meet academic requirements. This decision was fast-tracked by the NCAA to comply with a recent court order. The Division I Council's ruling will become official after its meeting concludes on Thursday and is expected to be ratified by the DI Board next week.
The new rules, which are effective immediately, were prompted by a lawsuit filed last year challenging the previous regulations that required multiple-time transferring undergraduates to sit out a season at their new school. The change aligns with a court injunction that lifted these restrictions, allowing transferring athletes to compete right away if they meet academic and disciplinary criteria.
Transfer windows, specific to each sport, remain in place for undergraduates, while graduate students can transfer multiple times outside of these windows and still maintain immediate eligibility. The NCAA has clarified that transferring athletes must also meet progress-toward-degree requirements before competing at a new school.
The NCAA is considering implementing a new metric, akin to the Academic Progress Rating, to hold schools accountable for the graduation rates of the transfers they accept. This move aims to encourage student-athletes to make informed decisions about transferring and its impact on their academic progress and degree completion.
In addition to the transfer eligibility changes, the DI Council is advancing legislation that would allow schools to play a more active role in securing sponsorship deals for their athletes. While direct payment to athletes is still prohibited, schools could facilitate Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities between athletes and third parties.
The lifting of restrictions on multiple-time transfers has already led to an increase in athletes seeking to switch schools. Notably, an Alabama offensive tackle entered the transfer portal, committed to Iowa, but later decided to reenroll at Alabama after the retirement of the Crimson Tide's head coach.
These developments mark significant changes in NCAA transfer and eligibility rules, aiming to provide more flexibility and opportunities for student-athletes while ensuring academic progress and accountability among member institutions.
