By Canadian Press

NCAA rejects mandatory 2-year commitment to grad transfers

Apr 19, 2019 | 11:20 AM

A proposal to require a graduate transfer to count against a team’s scholarship total for two years in football and basketball has been rejected by the NCAA.

The Division I Council on Friday voted down a proposal that could have tapped the brakes on the de facto free agency created by a rule originally intended to give athletes more freedom to pursue graduate degrees.

NCAA rules require football and basketball players to sit out a season after transferring, but those who complete a degree are permitted to transfer and play immediately. The proposed change would have locked schools into a two-year scholarship commitment regardless of how much eligibility a grad transfer had remaining.

An exception would have been made if the athlete completed degree requirements before the second season.

International Spotlight

P.A.'s Howe one of 4 Sask. born players named to Canada's World Junior roster

5h ago

National

Ottawa to remove 30% investment cap for Canadian pension funds

9h ago

Budget woes

Golf and curling centre faces grim season without financial boost

12h ago

“I don’t think people were ready to take that step … but trying to figure out how that graduate space works will be a continued discussion,” said South Dakota State athletic director Justin Sell, who led the council’s transfer working group.

The council did pass a new rule that will go into effect this fall semester, allowing athletes who have enrolled in summer school and are on scholarship to transfer and be immediately eligible at a new school if their head coaches leave. Previously, athletes in that situation would have needed a waiver from the NCAA to avoid sitting out a season.

“It’s a fairly narrow exception, but it’s to help students who have a really late (coaching) change in the summer,” Sell said.

The council also voted to allow walk-on athletes to transfer and be immediately eligible at a new school.

Ralph D. Russo, The Associated Press