NCAA allowing transferring players to become immediately eligible
NCAA athletes will be immediately eligible to play no matter how many times they transfer — as long as they meet academic requirements — after the association fast-tracked legislation Wednesday to fall in line with a recent court order.
The NCAA announced the Division I Council's decision becomes official today when its meeting adjourns. The change still needs to be ratified by the DI Board next week, but that is expected.
The new rules will go into effect immediately, though in reality they have already been enacted through a lawsuit filed late last year.
Transfer windows, which are sport-specific, remain in place and require undergraduate athletes to enter their names into the portal at certain times to be immediately eligible at a new school. Graduate students can already transfer multiple times and enter the portal outside the windows while maintaining immediate eligibility.
A coalition of state attorneys general late last year sued the NCAA, challenging rules that forced athletes that wanted to transfer multiple-times as undergraduates to sit out a season with their new school.
A judge in West Virginia granted the plaintiffs a temporary injunction, lifting requirements for multipletime transfers to request a waiver from the NCAA to be immediately eligible to compete.
The NCAA quickly requested the injunction be kept in place throughout the remaining school year to clear up any ambiguity for athletes and schools. The association has had to issue guidance to its members to clarify what that means for next season. Now the rules match the court ruling.
By eliminating the socalled year-in-residence for transfers, an athlete must be academically eligible at the previous school and not subject to any disciplinary suspension or dismissal to compete immediately at a new school. Transferring athletes must also meet progress-toward-degree requirements before competing.
“We hope that this practical approach to transfer eligibility requirements will encourage student-athletes to make well-informed decisions about transferring and the impacts such a move could have on their ability to graduate on time in their degree of choice, particularly as it relates to transferable credits,” Florida deputy athletic director and council chairwoman Lynda Tealer said in a statement.
Chargers adding ex-Ravens RB Dobbins
Running back J.K. Dobbins plans to sign with the Chargers on a one-season deal, according to multiple reports, another former Baltimore Ravens player reuniting with offensive coordinator Greg Roman and Gus Edwards in Los Angeles.
Dobbins and Edwards, who left the Ravens and signed a two-year contract with the Chargers last month, will be tasked with establishing a consistent ground game for Roman and head coach Jim Harbaugh. In addition, they will team up to replace Austin Ekeler, who signed with the Washington Commanders.
Dobbins, 25, battled injuries during the past three years with the Ravens, suffering a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in Week 1 this past season. Overall, he has been sidelined by injuries for 42 of 51 games over the past three seasons, after the Ravens drafted him in the second round from Ohio State in 2020.
After rushing for 805 yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games as a rookie in 2020, Dobbins injured his left knee in the exhibition finale in 2021 and sat out the entire season. He played only eight games in 2022 because his knee wasn't sound and then hurt his Achilles in the season-opening game in 2023.
When healthy, Dobbins has been quite effective running and catching the football. He gained 1,347 yards and scored 12 touchdowns in 24 career games with Baltimore, averaging 5.8 yards per attempt. He also had 27 receptions for 177 yards and one touchdown, averaging 6.6 yards per catch.
— Elliott Teaford
Nadal ousted early at Barcelona Open
Rafael Nadal's first tournament since January lasted only two matches with the Spaniard losing 7-5, 6-1 to Alex de Minaur at the claycourt Barcelona Open.
Nadal, back from an injury layoff, looked like his old self for brief moments in the second-round match but couldn't keep up with the 11th-ranked De Minaur.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion had comfortably defeated 62nd-ranked Flavio Cobolli in straight sets in the first round Tuesday in what was his first competitive match in more than three months.
Nadal again looked injury-free on Wednesday but was never in control against the in-form De Minaur.
• Coco Gauff battled her way to the quarterfinals of the Porsche Grand Prix with a hard-fought 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 win over Sachia Vickery.
The 134th-ranked Vickery created 19 break points but could only convert seven of them against the world No. 3. Gauff had 15 double faults in the match, but rallied from 4-2 down in the final set before winning in 2 hours, 26 minutes with her first match point.
Gauff, who received a first-round bye at the claycourt tournament, awaits the winner between No. 7 Zheng Qinwen and Marta Kostyuk.
Other notable winners included Aryna Sabalenka, Emma Raducanu and Ons Jabeur.