The Good and Bad of New NCAA Transfer Rule’s Wild, Wild West

Over the last month or so, we’ve seen over a quarter of DI basketball players enter the transfer pool. It hasn’t been everyday, it’s been every hour. A hotly debated aspect of college athletics could now play a prominent, every year role with NCAA’s potential new rule.

After being passed by the NCAA Division I Council, the new “One Transfer” rule heads to the Division I Board of Directors for final vote on April 28. If passed, it would allow all DI athletes, regardless of sport, to declare one transfer without penalty of sitting out a year. So what we’ve seen recently, will only continue. But what’s the good and bad of it all?…

GOOD NEWS

Yearly Anticipation

Let’s be honest here…it was a really, really fun 60-day stretch of hearing rumors, hoping your school added depth and praying your favorite player didn’t leave. The fact that each year we could have a free agency period for all sports pro and DI, is exciting. While we keep an eye on rivals during recruiting, the transfer window seemed to have more interest from the standpoint of a big name could leave.

Allow the Smaller Schools to Sell

Imagine UNCW, Charleston Southern, North Texas, App State and other small schools becoming the hotbed for the transfer market? While Power 5’s sell on the fact they can gain you access to the NBA, NFL or elsewhere. Now these smaller schools can start selling the fact they get you to the Power 5’s. Double-edged sword as you build something for one year and then it’s done. But I guess, how is that different from the major programs anyways?

Allow 19-Year-Olds to Make Decisions Their 16-Year-Old Self Couldn’t

We’ve discussed this in previous “Love and Hate” transfer talk, but it’s a wild ride for young athletes. You’re sitting there at 15 or 16 thinking the coaching staff is telling you the perfect scenario. Then you show up on campus a year or two later and it’s a 180 difference. Now these players can take a step back and decide the future that’s best for them. There’s also no saying that they enter, but aren’t drawn back.

BAD NEWS

Holding Coaches Hostage

You recruit someone with the understanding they need to adapt to a higher level of competition. They play minimal minutes and then the offseason comes along. There WILL be moments that players hold coaches hostage with, “I better get those minutes or I’m out of here” scenarios. Now, is it kind of funny that coaches and institutions are the ones behind the 8-ball? Kinda…but it’ll get messy with young egos, for sure.

Absolute Madness of Super Teams

Whether it’s the Buccaneers, Nets, Heat, whomever…Nobody likes artificial super teams that just decide to go all-in together. I can picture the day when the top players from various schools converge to “win it all” and there will be no way to stop them. After the initial excitement, there will be moments disbelief as five players announce through elaborate TikToks (or whatever the future hot social app is) to say they’re all heading to ________. It will feel dirty…it will feel gross…

Does Initial Recruiting Even Matter

Keatts was the first to look at Ross in Florida as the literal, next big thing. On it early, worked with him consistently and got him to State. Then let’s say Ross explodes; gains muscle and experience, understands how to use his abilities to succeed, becomes a star. Then he looks at Keatts and goes, “Welp, that was fun…I’m heading to Michigan because they seem like the ones to beat next year.” Brutal. Recruiting will be a 24/7/365 lifestyle that is going to be harsh at times. If you sense something special elsewhere, there is no longer a waiting period, you can jump right in. Folks will build it perfectly, only to watch another coach steal them away.

All of this to say…it still needs to be voted in…haha. The college landscape will forever change, however, for  good or bad. We just hope that more often than not, State wins these “trades.”