The NCAA should have criteria for transfer eligibility, regarding immediate availability. Then all student athletes and coaches would know the risk/reward concerning transfers. There would be no waver applications. There would be no perceived "favoritism". I understand certain student athletes transfer for family situations as well as other "critical" personal reasons. There should be hard and fast rules that say yes/no you are immediately eligible. However, the NCAA likes to have "control" and make decisions based on their own criteria and no one really understands what that criteria is on any given day, school, coach etc etc. All the while, the NCAA is criticized by fans (myself included) and media alike. What little credibility they (NCAA) have is eroded with each "exception" they allow.
Agreed. Personally, I'd love to see a bit more
"structure" in the NCAA's student athlete transfer policy.
I'd like to see a hard and fast deadline (if they don't already have one) for entering the transfer portal, i.e, 7 calendar days after the date of the NCAA women's Division 1 championship game. This would give coaches losing players notice and ample time to prepare to fill those vacancies, and not get caught "flat-footed" as a result of those transfers.
No transfers (entry into the portal) would be allowed AFTER that date. If a player is unhappy and/or thinking about transferring, they know whether or not they are leaving by then. Transfers can be a good thing for both athlete and coaches if the "hard and fast" rules of transfer are fair and equitable across the board for everyone, i.e, no favoritism.
Granted, it can be problematic when one of your best, or your best player(s) decides to leave, however, do you want a player on your team that no longer wants to be there? Disgruntled/unhappy athletes can move on, and coaches can fill holes immediately on their roster with "experienced" (graduate transfers) players.