NCAA Exploring Idea of Allowing One Transfer With No Penalty in All Sports

The NCAA is reportedly considering changing its insane transfer rules. The organization is exploring a proposal that would allow athletes in all sports to transfer once without having to sit out a season.

NCAA rules currently allow athletes in all but five sports to transfer without a penalty. But in football, men's basketball, women's, basketball, baseball and men's ice hockey, athletes transferring schools must sit out a season, unless they are a graduate transfer.

The Big Ten and ACC have already proposed changes to the transfer rule. The NCAA seems to be changing its tune on the issue rapidly. MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said the current transfer system is simply unsustainable:

""More than a third of all college students transfer at least once, and the Division I rule prohibiting immediate competition for students who play five sports hasn't discouraged them from transferring. This dynamic has strained the waiver process, which was designed to handle extenuating and extraordinary circumstances.""

Currently some athletes are granted immediate eligibility, while others wind up sitting out. It's a mess of a process and something needs to change.

The NCAA has a working group examining the issue and will hopefully come up with a new system quickly.