Updated B1G Transfer Rules

Submitted by JeepinBen on

So there was a lot of talk yesterday about Bo Ryan's transfer snafu... and I was actually incorrect in what the Big Ten's stance on transfers within the conference is. I was under the opinion that the Big Ten had a blanket rule where you couldn't transfer within the conference and receive a scholarship. That used to be the case (see Mr. Plow, you could still transfer but had to pay your own way) but that was changed for the 2011-2012 season:

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/58173/big-ten-makes-changes-to-transfer-rule

The new rule, adopted for this current academic year, allows a player to receive the aid, but he would have to sit out the NCAA-required one-year in residence and lose a season of eligibility. 

Some coaches (JB included) still don't allow in conference transfers, but the B1G will allow it - if you give up a year of eligibility. 

In general I'm fine with blanket transfer restrictions that are made up front before a player signs his LOI. JB's had a long standing policy of nothing within the conference and nothing on the schedule for 2 years. If players know that before they sign, that's fine. Stuff like Ryan adding to and making up rules as each transfer happens for each kid - that's a different animal. 

CRex

April 20th, 2012 at 8:55 AM ^

I think it reflects on the class of the coach.  For example, I don't ever see Carr as taking a transfer from tOSU, sitting him down, and grilling him about how tOSU prepares for Michigan. It's poor sportsmanship to try to steal signals or the like via that method.  You win by improving yourself, not stealing from others.  

Certain other coaches would do it the minute the recruit set foot on campus, and so they have a no inconference transfer rule.  

Lionsfan

April 20th, 2012 at 9:03 AM ^

To me it's just like Greyshirts and the way Brady did it, vs. Les Miles and Saban. Brady told Clark that if he wanted Michigan, he'd probably greyshirt. He told him before he committed, or signed a LOI or anything like that, and he told him early summer so he had time to make a decision. As opposed to Miles, who tells kids after they step on campus.

NateVolk

April 20th, 2012 at 10:02 AM ^

Total BS. The NCAA should pass a blanket one year sit out rule and no loss of eligibility regardless of where a kid transfers to. No exception if a kid finds a way to pay his own way either. 1 year, bright line. Conferences aren't allowed to exceed those restrictions in any way. Only exception being in the case of active tampering by the transferee school.  

This business of controlling kids will on where they play is anti-free market and inhibits them during a very limited window to get the maximum from an experience they've worked long and hard for.  I always defend the NCAA and the idea of student-athletes getting much in trade for their athletic skills.  But this is clear treatment of them as property no better than cattle to satisfy paranoia by coaches.

Red is Blue

April 20th, 2012 at 10:29 AM ^

Clarifying question.  Suppose a kid has already red shirted and then transfers.  I'm assuming that your intention would be that he effectively loses a year of eligibility as his red shirt is already burnt?  In other word, you wouldn't give a early red shirt transferee 6 years to play 4.

the Bray

April 20th, 2012 at 10:13 AM ^

Why not let a kid transfer anywhere he wants but not allow him to play against his former team(s)? Want to go from Michigan to OSU? Fine, but you can't play against Michigan when you do. Also makes the coach weigh taking the transfer or not.

Maize_in_Spartyland

April 20th, 2012 at 10:58 AM ^

The problem is more so in basketball than in football. In football its relatively easy - 12-14 game schedule. In Michigan's case, they know they'll play Notre Dame, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, and Ohio State every year. The remaining two games rotate every two years - easy enough. The non-conference games are mostly determined for the next few years.

But with basketball the only certainty is the conference games. Non-conference schedules aren't known anything more than the year in advance.

The prohibition on transfers within conference are fair, but the out of conference ones are tougher to calculate.

Elmer

April 20th, 2012 at 10:19 AM ^

Sorry Beilein, but blocking any school on the schedule for two years is complete crap.  You always talk about taking the moral high road, so do it. 

I bet he didn't check to see if UM was on WVU's schedule when he left for Ann Arbor.

lhglrkwg

April 20th, 2012 at 10:45 AM ^

I don't think coaches should get to decide where players transfer at all. When kids sign a LOI, they aren't signing up to be a slave of that coach. It seems fair to say that if a coach bans his players from transferring to such and such schools that that coach should also not accept transfers from those same schools at the very least

Maize_in_Spartyland

April 20th, 2012 at 11:00 AM ^

What's interesting is the number of people outraged at what Bo Ryan did. Ryan's restrictions of transfers within the Big Ten is warranted, but the out of conference transfers, like the ACC, was likely a bargaining chip. Essentially "tell me where you want to transfer before I authorize a release". Might have been one of those things that an ACC could have been listed and Bo would have still allowed it.

energyblue1

April 20th, 2012 at 11:07 AM ^

NCAA needs to fix this in many ways......

1st, either force schools to honor scholarships for 4yrs or allow the athlete to transfer at will........... ie the athletes have no representation so every bit of this is against the athlete.  The coach can bolt for another job without sitting, the athlete cannot transfer without losing a year.  The coach can take the players scholarship and the athlete has no recourse.........

 

2nd,  NCAA needs to allow athletes to work and make money period..............this is bogus that they cannot work and are required to give so much to their sport but cannot make money to go out on saturday night, buy themselves anything...or go grab grub.........so either they need a decent stipend or be allowed to work. 

 

3rd, Ncaa needs to fix these scholarships in 2 ways....one to protect the athlete but 2nd to protect themselves..........By making scholarships 4yr scholarships they can force players who leave early for nba/nfl/nhl/mlb to pay back their scholarship so you help your cause a bit there and in turn you protect the athletes that didn't have a shot to go to professional leagues so they can complete their degrees as a student athlete! 

the Glove

April 20th, 2012 at 2:05 PM ^

I'm tired of people saying they don't make money, they do. I can show you how much I pay in student loans and tell you exactly how much they make. That's not even counting getting free room and board, meals, and clothing from the university. I worked in a conference compliance office as an intern and can tell you that any student athlete that complains about not having money doesn't know what it's like to be a normal student.

bacon

April 20th, 2012 at 1:57 PM ^

This doesn't apply to some transfers, but if you're a coach you've decided that you don't want to play someone on your team, you should be ok with the fact that you might play them two or more times a season when they play for another B1G team. Otherwise you're saying you're not good enough to play for my team, but you're too good to face on another team's roster.