NCAA OKS immediate eligibilty for transfers

NCAA athletes are now eligible to play immediately no matter how many times they transfer — as long as they meet academic requirements — after the association fast-tracked legislation to fall in line with a recent court order.

The Division I Board of Directors formally ratified the change to the transfer rule and approved a tweak that allows schools to identify name, image and likeness opportunities and facilitate deals between athletes and third parties.

Athletes are not obligated to accept assistance from the school and must maintain authority over the terms in their NIL agreements. Beginning Aug. 1, schools will be permitted to increase Nil-related support only for athletes who disclose their NIL arrangements. Transfer windows, which are sport-specific, remain in place.

By eliminating the so-called 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.

The board will ask the committee on academics to explore creating a new metric that would hold schools accountable for graduating the transfers they accept.