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COVID-19 may have put a halt to springtime college athletics, but it hasn’t stopped criticism regarding a potential one-time transfer rule proposed by the NCAA.

The new rule, which will be voted on in June, would afford student athletes the opportunity to transfer schools one time with immediate eligibility. Any additional transfers would be subject to a one-year sit out period.

So are transfers better off at their new school? How does this affect coaches?

Seth Greenberg, ESPN college basketball analyst, shed some light on the subject during The Dan Dakich Show.

“I think you have to find a balance. This transfer thing is amazing to me because not only are guys transferring, like good players are transferring…guys that have good roles, guys that could play a lot. Immediate eligibility sounds great, but…coaches can’t be afraid to coach their players, and I see guys that are afraid to coach their players. When a guy can transfer mid-semester, how hard is it going to be to coach a team? …What about the [players] that have made these decisions…was it worth it?”

Greenberg argued that grad transfers, in particular, do not benefit from joining a bigger program for their final season. Citing Purdue’s Jahaad Proctor and UNC’s Christian Keeling, he said contributing factors include reduced playing time and the fact that transfers often fill smaller roles.

“The lack of success that immediately eligible grad transfers have had [at their new school]…is mind-boggling. Most guys go into situations where they’re not as successful.”

It’s no secret that college basketball has had its fair share of recent scandals, and this new NCAA guideline could open up a whole new can of worms. Referring to a recent conversation he had with Kentucky coach, John Calipari, Greenberg said:

“He doesn’t want this immediate eligibility thing and he can benefit more than anyone… His thing is, if someone tampers with a player and gets caught, then that guy should get fired.”

He noted:

“This thing is gonna be an epidemic. The way people will go about recruiting will totally change.”

It’s apparent that the NCAA is making a push to put more power in the hands of student athletes, and only time will tell if that push is for the better.

 

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