The release will determine whether or not he is eligible for an athletic scholarship during that sit-out year.
The release can be school specific to minimize the chance he will stay in-conference by denying that first year of aid.
There are a few exemptions, but Hood doesn't seem to meet any of them.
I can't find anything in the NCAA or SEC rules that allow a school to deny a transfer other than the one year scholarship restriction.
Ole Miss did not give Murphy Holloway a release, so he sat out one year of play, but attended South Carolina without a scholarship.
(His return to Ole Miss met a "return to original school" exemption.)
I found some reporting to the contrary, but the rules don't seem to back that up.
I thinkrelease denialhurts recruting more than it helps with competition, and if Hood is a sure fire pro, then a year of tuition loansshouldn't be a problem for him.
Or I could be wrong.I riskthe normalkneejerk insults in a search for answers.