Report: NCAA to Discuss One-Time Transfer Waiver; How Could It Affect Florida?
A potential new transfer rule which would affect the entirety of Division I student-athletes, will be deliberated on by the NCAA Council on April 24th, according to a report from D1Baseball's Kendall Rodgers.
According to Rodgers, the transfer rule up for discussion is for the long-awaited one-time transfer waiver, which would effectively allow any student-athlete that decides to transfer will be allowed a one-time waiver to become immediately eligible for the upcoming season.
A vote on the matter will not be held until May 20th, and according to Rodgers, it should pass and would immediately apply if so.
If the rule were to be implemented, the Florida Gators would benefit heavily. Three student-athletes recently transferred to the university. Wide receiver Justin Shorter (Penn State) and running back Lorenzo Lingard (Miami) would be the benefactors of such a move, able to immediately become eligible and suit up for the Gators this upcoming season.
The team's other transfer, wide receiver Jordan Pouncey (Texas) is already eligible as he is denoted as a graduate transfer as a redshirt junior, according to the UF athletic department.
Gators head coach Dan Mullen has discussed the transfer protocols at length in the past, frustrated with the NCAA's discretions, specifically regarding who to deem immediately eligible and who not to deem immediately eligible.
"I just think it would be much cleaner for everyone if it was, here’s the rule," Mullen said. "You know? You’re immediately eligible and you can play, you get the one time transfer waiver or you’re not and there’s no waiver process to create kids to make things up or one kid gets it and one kid doesn’t."
Last season, Mullen grew frustrated with the NCAA's process, specifically regarding Georgia-transfer linebacker Brenton Cox Jr. Cox was not deemed immediately eligible when he transferred to Florida shortly prior to the season, however, his teammate, quarterback Justin Fields was allowed to become immediately eligible after transferring to Ohio State.
This new rule, if passed, would have allowed Cox to play last season. Instead, the Gators were stuck in limbo.
Mullen said he simply wants "consistency" within the rule, and now the process to get there may be on the horizon sooner rather than later.
