No Decision Made Yet on NCAA’s One-Time Transfer Waiver

No decision has been made regarding whether a one-time transfer waiver in which student-athletes in all sports could transfer and play immediately will go into effect for this coming season.

MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher, the chairman of the working group that came up with the proposal, told Stadium the he will send a report to the Division 1 Council on April 24, and that a vote will be held at the council’s next meeting — which he’s hopeful will be sometime in May.

“Contrary to any speculation, nothing has been determined yet,” said Steinbrecher, who is also the vice chairman of the Division I Council. “There’s been no decision made, no date attached to it yet.”

All signs pointed to the change going into effect for the 2020 season, but the coronavirus shutting down college sports has caused uncertainty whether it could wait until the following season.

“There’s still work to be done,” Steinbrecher added.

The working group determined that the previous system, in which there was inconsistency with waivers being given to certain student-athletes, wasn’t effective after receiving no shortage of backlash from the coaching community.

The working group also proposed changing the waiver criteria to allow approvals for first-time four-year transfers in all sports to compete immediately if they:

1) Receive a transfer release from their previous school,
2) Leave their previous school academically eligible,
3) Maintain their academic progress at the new school, AND
4) Leave under no disciplinary suspension.

Steinbrecher also said that a waiver process will remain in place for student-athletes who have already transferred or do not qualify for the one-time waiver guidelines.

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