NCAA moves toward some reforms

The NCAA is about just days away from finally making some substantial reforms to transfer rules. The changes will not be quite as extensive as some had hoped and the work is not complete, but considering previous failed attempts, getting anything accomplished on transfers can be counted as a success.

The NCAA’s transfer working group, led by South Dakota athletic director Justin Sell, will reconvene in Indianapolis on June 11 and plans to present a proposal to the Division I Council that will end the practice of schools and coaches blocking an athlete from transferring or dictating where an athlete can go. The change to a notification model from a permission model is likely to pass that week, Sell said.

“We’ve got nothing but really positive feedback across the board,” Sell said. “I’m assuming that’s going to go through very easily and smoothly.”

Currently, an athlete must ask a coach for permission to contact other schools when choosing to transfer. A school interested in recruiting a transferring player also must ask the athlete’s current school for permission to recruit the athlete. Without permission from the athlete’s original school, the athlete cannot get financial aid from another school.

The new model would free athletes to be contacted when they notify their current coaches. The athletes’ names would go into a database created and managed by the NCAA, alerting schools of who can be recruited. The changes will come with stricter tampering rules to help appease coaches who worry illegal recruiting could rise.