At long last, the NCAA has reportedly approved the major transfer reform that many have advocated for years now. Once officially ratified, athletes in all sports, including revenue sports like football and basketball, will be able to transfer and maintain immediate eligibility once during their careers.
According to Nicole Auerbach, the NCAA Division Council has approved the rule. It will go into place on Thursday, once the organization’s meeting is officially over. While most have figured this would be the case, tomorrow will make it the law of the land.
This will have a huge impact on college basketball, perhaps more than any other sport. CBB has seen a pretty wild wave of transfers, with hundreds of players changing teams. The combination of the extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19, and this upcoming rule change has led to a wave of players who will switch teams, who previously might have stuck things out at their current school.
There will certainly be some negative ramifications for certain players here. There are plenty of success stories about guys who wait a year or two before becoming major players and put together tremendous college careers at their original schools. At the same time, given the lack of binding paid contracts for players, and their coaches’ freedom to come and go as they see fit, it is only fair to give college players extra mobility.
The one-time transfer rule for athletes in all sports has been approved by the NCAA’s Division Council, source tells @TheAthletic. Athletes in all sports will be able to transfer once and be immediately eligible.
(This isn’t official until end of Thursday’s meeting.)
— Nicole Auerbach 😷 (@NicoleAuerbach) April 14, 2021
Transfers have become far more popular in recent seasons, with the advent of the transfer portal. That NCAA creation allows teams to reach out and recruit players who enter, and really get a sense of what the transfer market looks like.
Hopefully this year is the peak for player movement, and we settle into something that is more fair for the players, but doesn’t totally blind side coaches, fans, and their programs.
The next major change, an overhaul in Name, Image, and Likeness at the college level, will be even more fascinating. Allowing players to profit from their NIL may have its own stabilizing effect, and draw players closer to the college communities where they begin their careers. That is also expected to be on the horizon, as multiple states have already passed legislation on the matter.
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