NCAA announces big change to transfer rules

The NCAA announced a potentially huge change to the transfer procedure that is set to take effect later this year.

Beginning in October, student-athletes will no longer be required to receive permission to transfer and go on scholarship at a new school.

This prevents the controversial process of coaches setting limits on where players can take their talents after deciding their current school is no longer the right place for them.

This new system allows a student to inform his or her current school of a desire to transfer, then requires that school to enter the student's name into a national transfer database within two business days. Once the student-athlete's name is in the database, other coaches are free to contact that individual.

However, the announcement also notes conferences will still have the ability to set more restrictive rules.

This might not be the last change to transfer rules as the NCAA’s Transfer Working Group continues to consider other changes, potentially to the graduate-transfer rule and to the requirement players sit out when transferring as undergraduates.

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