Mark Stoops sees benefit in NCAA's new transfer windows

To close out the month of August, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors voted to establish notification-of-transfer windows for fall, winter and spring sports, effective immediately. Before, student-athletes participating in fall and winter sports could enter the transfer portal at any time before May 1, while spring sports had a deadline of July 1.

Now, fall sports will have a 45-day window beginning the day after championships are made in their sport, along with a period from May 1-15. Reasonable accommodations will be made for participants in the Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision championship games.

From there, Winter sports will have a 60-day window for student-athletes beginning the day after championship selections are made in each sport. Then, spring sports will be from Dec. 1-15, or a 45-day window beginning the day after selections are made in the sport.

There will be exceptions made for student-athletes who experience head coach changes or have athletics aid reduced, canceled or not renewed.

What does Kentucky head football coach Mark Stoops think of the rule change? He supports it, seeing the benefit of not having to battle roster change essentially from the end of the regular season through the spring, roughly a six-month stretch.

It’s not a perfect rule, but the good outweighs the bad.

“I think everyone was in agreement, just so we can have some idea of what’s going on,” Stoops said Thursday. “Everybody can understand that this is a good thing. It can also put some stress on the roster, managing your 85. So yeah, maybe this can help in certain ways.”

All college athletes will continue to be immediately eligible the first time they transfer, provided they notify their schools in writing during the designated notification-of-transfer windows.

If not, the board also adopted new, more specific standards for immediate eligibility waivers for student-athletes who do not otherwise meet the one-time transfer exception. The well-being of a student-athlete and/or circumstances outside of their control will also be considered.

A potential end to the one-time immediate transfer rule entirely was also up for vote, but turned down. Had it been passed, student-athletes would be able to transfer an unlimited number of times while maintaining their immediate college eligibility.

It was a potential change Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari had no interest in.

“My thing is, if we’re about education, if you transfer once, it’s going to be difficult to graduate near on time,” he said in August. “If you transfer two or three times, you’ve got no chance of graduating on time. Let’s make it about academics and let’s fight it, keep it at one year. If you need to take a year off, make it a redshirt year and come back.”

The NCAA agreed — for now, at least.

“Like their peers in the general student population, college athletes choose to transfer for any number of reasons,” University of Georgia President and chair of the Board of Directors Jere Morehead said. “We believe the changes enacted today enable member schools to adapt to students’ needs, while also positioning students for long-term academic success.

“These changes to NCAA rules recognize further study is needed on graduation rates before we consider authorizing multiple transfer opportunities with immediate eligibility. We will continue to review potential modifications to transfer rules as the landscape evolves over time.”