Transfer

Hello Coach.

I am a Club Volleyball Coach.

I do NOT have a specific athlete in mind when I ask these questions.

I wanted to completely understand the College Transfer Process.

I can see that this is happening more and more frequent.

I read you information and am completely up to date on the actual Transfer Initiation process.

How the athlete would go about obtaining their release and the process from there.

Questions……..

What are the restrictions regarding WHEN the kid can play for their new school?

If I transfer from one Division I institution to another, do I have to sit out a year?

I know that if I transfer from Division I to NAIA or something that I can play immediately?

Thanks for your help. Rick

Rick:

The current NCAA rules say that DI players can transfer to another DI institution and be immediately eligible to compete and receive financial aid provided they satisfy the minimum academic progress, the one time transfer exception and receive the Release to Transfer/Participate from the original school.

In sports such as football and basketball, the SA has to sit out one year. I say 'current' because there is a misguided movement within the NCAA/AVCA about making our transfer rule like basketball/football (they must sit out one year) as a remedy to the number of transfers which many feel is a result of the very early commitments of PSA's. Misguided because basketball and football have very early commitments, and they still have a large number of transfers.

Minimum Academic Progress is determined by the transfer school based upon their specific academic major unit counts, with the caution being the later in a SA's career, the harder it is to transfer because schools can become very selective about what classes they deem as acceptable to transfer.

The One Time Transfer Exception and Release to Transfer/Participate is just a sheet of paper signed by the first/original college/university that states the SA did not previously transfer to the original institution and that if the SA had elected to remain with the original school, they would have been academically eligible compete the next season.

Since the NAIA is a completely different governing body, the NCAA would have no jurisdiction over it - I am unfamiliar with NAIA governance other than it tends to leave much of its details up to each individual school. The NCAA cannot tell a NAIA school if a SA can transfer to them, but the NCAA can determined if an NAIA SA can transfer to a NCAA school.

I am curious to see if the Volleyball Transfer rules change - Again, I believe this is a misguided attempt. If the Powers That Be (the mythical force of all college volleyball changes) really wanted to stop early commitments, they would need to hire the Super Friends (did not like Batman within that group, preferred him solo, but did like the leadership of Superman.....and, the WonderTwins were always on the edge of bothersome).

Changing the rule so SA's have to sit a year if they transfer, punishes a PSA for being part of the system and having to make a decision as a 16 year old. Just throwing this out there, but how about no Unofficial Visits until 9/1 or 12/1 or 2/1 of a PSA's Junior Year - PSA can come to campus at any time, but there can be ZERO contact with ANYONE from the athletics department and they cannot tour facilities other than to attend contests. Hard to feel good about making a commitment if you can't interact with coaches on campus.

Coach