On Monday, the NCAA announced in a news release that its Division I Athletics board will be unveiling some much-needed changes to the organization’s transfer portal rules which will help to “provide greater clarity for student-athletes and members schools within the transfer landscape.”
Officially, the deadline to submit one’s name into the transfer portal for both fall and winter sports is May 1 presenting the opportunity to enter at almost any point in the academic year with the window even currently open just days from the start of college basketball season.
However, with these new changes implemented by the NCAA, in order to be eligible to play immediately following a first-time transfer student-athletes will need to notify their school in writing during an allotted “notification-of-transfer window” depending on which sport they play.
For fall sports, a 45-day window will begin the day after championship selections are made or anytime between May 1-15 at the NCAA’s discretion while winter sports will receive a 60-day notification-of-transfer window which also begins the day following championship selections.
These new rule changes will permit exceptions for student-athletes who have dealt with head coaching changes or have had athletic aid reduced, canceled, or not renewed by their University and will also work to adopt changes to immediate eligibility waivers for student-athletes who don’t necessarily meet the one-time transfer requirements.
Furthermore, the board voted against enacting another exemption that would allow student-athletes to transfer multiple times and be immediately eligible for their new program if they met specific degree requirements.
In addition to the transfer window changes, the board also announced that student-athletes who choose to transfer will be guaranteed their financial aid through graduation with the NCAA now requiring any school that awards athletic scholarships to provide those scholarships for the duration of 5-year eligibility.
If a student-athlete opts to transfer a second time or engages in any professional athletics opportunities then the University has the right to revoke the original scholarship awarded.
As the chaotic musical chairs of the transfer portal begins to slow heading into the 2022/23 college basketball season, let’s hope these adjustments can provide clarity and inspire hope to the student-athletes who are stuck navigating the murky depths of NCAA transfer policy.
