NCAA agrees to settlement to allow multiple-transfer athletes to compete immediately

Student-athletes will now be automatically eligible to play for their universities regardless of how many times they have transferred. 

The NCAA agreed to a settlement with a group of states suing the governing body to change the transfer rules. 

The big picture: The agreement will make a preliminary injunction, allowing multiple-transfer athletes to compete, permanent. 

• The judge overseeing the case, Judge John Preston Bailey, still needs to sign off on the deal.
• This agreement follows a fast-tracked NCAA Division I Council legislation ratified by the Division I Board, which coincides with Judge Bailey’s preliminary injunction.

Go deeper: The settlement also involves the U.S. Department of Justice, and includes the NCAA granting an extra year of playing eligibility to Division I athletes who were previously deemed ineligible for transfer since the 2019-2020 academic year.

• The agreement still requires athletes to meet academic requirements to maintain eligibility, and sport-specific transfer windows will continue to be in place. Undergraduate athletes will need to enter their names into the portal at specified times before they can be immediately eligible to play at a new school.
• Graduate students will still be able to transfer multiple times outside the specific windows, while maintaining immediate eligibility.
• Through this agreement, the NCAA is now barred from retaliating against member institutions and athletes who challenge the transfer rule or support those who do. This includes safeguarding athletes’ rights to compete during legal proceedings without fear of punishment from the NCAA.
• The agreement stipulates that the NCAA cannot undermine or circumvent its provisions through future actions that may impact athletes’ rights and freedoms without facing consequences.

What they’re saying: “We’ve leveled the playing field for college athletes to allow them to better control their destinies,” said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost in a statement. “This long-term change is exactly what we set out to accomplish.”