NCAA policy making it easier for athletes to change schools

Last year, a high-profile overhaul of NCAA transfer rules stopped short of creating free agency in college sports.

A much quieter change, however, helped quarterback Shea Patterson play for Michigan and will determine whether Justin Fields is eligible this fall at Ohio State. The modification to the waiver process can be seen as something of a compromise that has cleared the way for more athletes to switch schools and play right away.

“The membership wanted to put immediate eligibility back on the table,” said Dave Schnase, the NCAA vice president of academic and membership affairs. “And so whether that resulted in a high approval rate, I don’t think membership knew. They just wanted to put that back on the table. And then the circumstances of each individual case would essentially dictate the approval rate.”

Immediate eligibility for all transfers was considered but ultimately not included in the NCAA’s well-publicized reformation last year. New rules no longer require athletes to request permission from a school to transfer, just provide notification. Then the athlete’s name is entered into an NCAA-run database, the so-called “transfer portal” that notifies other schools the athlete can be recruited.

The new legislation, however, did not change the waiver guidelines. That modification was approved by the NCAA Division I Council in April, with few outside the process noticing.