More changes to NCAA transfer rules could be on the horizon after the Division I Board of Directors requested Wednesday that NCAA staff and committees consider potential modifications. In particular, the committee requested that NCAA staff review "existing transfer rules and waiver guidelines" for the purpose of improving efficiency in the waiver process and increasing the objectivity of waiver decisions.
The board's request comes as the NCAA has dealt with considerable scrutiny early in the 2023-24 academic year while enforcing rules that require second-time transfers to meet strict criteria for immediate eligibility. A more prominent example was North Carolina wide receiver Tez Walker sitting in limbo for the first several weeks of the 2023 season before the NCAA granted him a waiver earlier this month.
New rules approved in January for the 2023-24 academic year limit the conditions under which a second-time transfer can receive immediate eligibility with a third program. First, a player can receive immediate eligibility if they have a physical injury or mental health condition that pushed them to transfer from a school. Additionally, the NCAA will consider "exigent circumstances" that could force a player to leave an institution, such as sexual assault or abuse. Under the new rules, no other factors will be considered, including academic considerations or playing time.
The enforcement of those rules has led to backlash and scrutiny against the NCAA, which has denied waivers for players seeking immediately eligibility as second-time transfers.
"The Division I board continues to affirm that NCAA staff and the Committee for Legislative Relief are applying existing transfer waiver guidelines as intended by members," said Jere Morehead, the Division I Board of Directors chair. "We continue to view student-athlete well-being and mental health as a priority for the Association and will continue to look at whether those priorities can be addressed more objectively and be better understood by members of the media and public."
Any changes that are adopted in the 2023-24 school year would only apply to athletes seeking eligibility for the 2024-25 year.
