Rick Allen, Founder of Informed Athlete and former DI Compliance Director, shares insight into the Transfer Process including the types of transfers and the NCAA rules that an athlete must follow in order to successfully move to another school and be eligible to play.
When an athlete is being recruited, the last thing he/she wants to think about is transferring. However, it’s important to be aware of the NCAA rules before you sign with or walk-on at a school because decisions made can have a huge impact on what happens should you later have to go through the transfer process.
Please note: This product bundle includes the actual audio file plus a PDF transcript. After payment is processed, you’ll receive an email with the download link for both items. If you have any questions, please call Informed Athlete at 918-994-7272.
Reg. Price $10.95
Now Only! $$7.95
What You Should Know About Transfers
Rick Allen, Founder of Informed Athlete, shares insight into the NCAA rules that govern the athletic transfer process.
Share:
My son is unhappy with his first year of college. He plays football for a D2 school and second
String. So, he really doesn’t get any playing time. What steps or how do we go about getting him recruited/transferred to another school with a scholarship. With no film to provide due to lack of playing time. And will he loose a year of eligibility?
Hi Meko,
Assuming that your son qualifies for the one-time transfer exception (current school agrees to it, and he would be academically eligible if he were staying where he is next year), he shouldn’t lose a year of eligibility. If you need assistance with the steps in being recruited/transferring to another school, contact me directly at rick@informedathlete.com.
Rick
I really unhappy about my first year in college. i want to transfer out and play college football but I im not really sure about the process. I didnt play in high school but I believe I have the skill to play for a D-1 school. I want transfer out by January so that i dont have to redshirt and so that i can train with the team during spring maybe join the track team too. What should I do?
Hi Paul,
Based on your e-mail, I’m assuming that you aren’t playing or practicing in any sport currently. In this case, you can transfer to another school and be immediately eligible under the Nonparticipation Exception as long as you earn at least 6 credit hours this semester with at least a 2.000 GPA. However, you need to talk to other schools to determine if they’ll even give you a chance to try out for the team. You need to contact schools and ask questions before you transfer. Some schools may not allow you to try out since you didn’t play in high school. You may want to consider the JUCO route first and see how you do there.
Good luck,
Rick
Well i did sign these papers for the mens tennis team, but the season does not start until spring which i dont plan on attending if everything goes well and as planned. If i can cancel this will i still qualify for the Nonparticipation Exception?
(On a side note i played high school tennis so im just wondering if you have info about financial assistance. If i can play for any of those bigger schools and make the team sucessfully, i know i can get a scholarship but I do not know how long that will take.)
Paul,
You don’t have to “cancel” the papers you signed with the tennis team as long as you won’t be practicing or playing with the team during their season. If you are asking about athletic scholarships, those are totally up to the discretion of the head coach in each sport. As far as other financial assistance, that will be based on your need, and on the specific financial aid policies of the school you are attending.
Rick
Okay I have one more question. How do I go through the JUCO process?
(I’m sorry for asking so many questions)
Paul,
I’ll send you a private e-mail to follow up on this question.
Rick
Rick:
My son graduated from a Juco college and played baseball for 2 years. He was recruited to a DII baseball program and decided after 2 weeks that there wasn’t academic support for him and he wouldn’t succeed there. He got a release from his DII college but is coming across bad comments from that college to prospected colleges. His letter of intent was signed at the college without the proper administrators present, only the coach. Can this letter be null and void? Also, how do we handle the black balling we are coming against? Also, is he only allowed to transfer 1 more time to either a DII or DII college?
Thanks we are loosing our minds.
Francine
Hi Francine,
I’m not sure what you mean regarding your son’s letter of intent being signed “…without the proper administrators present.” Given this, and the comments coming from his coaches, I think it would be best for us to talk on the phone about your son’s situation. I’ll follow up with a direct e-mail to you.
Rick
I played a fall season of baseball for a juco school but got hurt and cut from the team, I tranfferd to another juco school to play and it wad closer to home. I emailed the coach to see if I can play at the new school. He told me I need 12 credits and be a full time student. Well I have 13 credits but my gpa is pretty low because I got a d and an f. Am I eligible to play??
Please help, jake
Hi Jake,
The school you’re attending will obviously have to determine your eligibility, but if you’re GPA is below 2.000 you probably won’t be eligible. The number of hours you earned at the first junior college may play a factor as well.
Good luck!
Rick
Rick,
My son just finished his first semester freshman year at a D1 school, at the end of the fall baseball season they told him they were cutting back the number of players to below 35, and he will probably not have a roster position in the spring (though they told him to keep working out with the team). He has an academic scholarship but not an athletic scholarship. He now wants to transfer, and we are waiting for the compliance officer to send us a Release Letter so we can talk to some other schools who are intersted in talking to him. If he transfers to another D1 school, will he need to sit out a full year?
Thanks very much for your response
Hi Paul,
A transfer to a Div. I program in the middle of the academic year cannot be immediately eligible, even if released by their current school. If he wants to transfer to another Div. I school, he can either transfer now, or at the end of this academic year, and either way, he can be eligible for Spring 2013 as long as his current school agrees to his use of the one-time transfer exception and can certify that he would be eligible if he were staying rather than transferring.
Happy Holidays, and good luck to your son!
Rick
Rick,
Thank you for your prompt reply. I was so impressed I purchased your booklet “About Transfers” but now I’m a little confused, the booklet seems to say that the D1 to D1 one-time transfer exception was taken away for baseball and that my son will have to sit out a year?
Again, thank you for your reply,
Paul
Paul,
Thanks for purchasing our booklet! Baseball is one of the sports (along with basketball, bowl subdivision football, and men’s ice hockey) that cannot use the one-time transfer exception. However, athletes in those sports who were not recruited by their original four-year college, and have never received an athletic scholarship from any four-year college, are allowed to utilize the one-time transfer exception.
The additional factor that makes the transfer rules for baseball confusing is that an athlete transferring to a Div. I baseball (or basketball) program in the middle of the academic year cannot be immediately eligible for the spring semester. So, for your specific question about your son considering a mid-year transfer to another Div. I school, it doesn’t matter whether he transfers now, or at the end of this academic year, the earliest that he can be eligible is next Fall (if the team plays any fall scrimmages against other teams) or Spring 2013.
I hope this resolves the confusion.
Rick
Yes it does Rick, thank you very much. I wish I had found your site sooner.
Happy New Year to you.
Hi Rick
My Son, Paul, is quite pleased with your responses to his questions about his Son–my Grandson–wanting to transfer. You have given them hope that PJ can transfer and not have to sit out a year.
Over the past few years, we have visited many websites for so-called help with the complexities of NCAA sports, but yours is a cut above the rest.
Do you have a regular subscription service? I would be more than happy to subscribe. Let me know if you have such a service, and count on me to join.
FR
Hi Frank,
Thanks for the compliment! You can sign up for our newsletter that we send out each month on the home page of our website. We include recruiting calendars for all sports for the upcoming month, and updates or “hot topics” regarding NCAA rules.
Has your grandson gotten you involved in Facebook? If so, we have an Informed Athlete Facebook page where you can follow us and receive updates there as well.
Thanks again, and good luck to your grandson. He’s got a bright future ahead of him!
Rick
Hi Rick,
I’m at a div 3 school on an academic scholarship and have a high GPA.
i was looking into transferring to a div 2 school Fall semester 2012. I am international and a little confused about the transfer rules i was wondering if you could further explain them please?
Thanks for your help
Sophie
Hi Sophie,
We are developing a booklet, Informed Athlete’s Guide to Transfers, which should be available in the store of our website very soon. Check back by the store in a few days and see if the guide has been uploaded. You’ll be able to purchase the Guide, which includes the transfer rules for 2-4, 4-4, and 4-2-4 transfers to NCAA and NAIA programs. Once purchased, you’ll be able to download it from our website.
Good luck!
Rick
Dear Rick:
My daughter is a junior in high school. She has had at least a dozen DI full ride offers, and then there’s her dream school….They are interested, asked her to come visit, and she got back last night. They did not make an actual “offer”. Instead, they want her to fill out financial aid paperwork first. Is this normal? All others came right out with offers up front. This makes me nervous. Should she just forget about this one?
Thanks,
Sue Ellen
Hi Sue Ellen,
First off, congratulations to your daughter on so many full ride offers! (In fact, you may want to review our article titled “Athletic Scholarships and Financial Aid Issues” that discusses full ride scholarships.) I understand your nervousness that her dream school did not make a similar offer.
It is common for many schools to have prospects complete financial aid paperwork before making an actual offer. it’s more common among smaller colleges than it is among large “big-budget” athletic departments, but it happens quite often. If this is her dream school, I see no reason to forget about them at this point. Unless you’re really opposed to providing all the information that financial aid forms require, I suggest that you go ahead and fill them out so that this school will have everything they need to determine their commitment to your daughter.
Good luck,
Rick
Rick,
My daughter is on a athletic scholarship for softball at a d1 school her coach is a first year coach,and really just not very good several girls have quit and several more have been cut for reasons that make no sense. It looks like this coach is going through a learning curve and it might take to long to learn her job. My daughter is growing impatient and already wants to transfer out some other d1 schools are interested for next season is this year shot or can she maybe transfer to a jc for this season 2012?
Hi Mike,
If classes have already started for the second semester and assuming that your daughter has already started attending classes for this term, it is best that she stay where she is this spring, make the most of it, and then transfer at the end of the year. In order to be eligible next year at another Div. I program, her current program needs to be able to certify that she would be eligible if she were returning rather than transferring. So she needs to do well academically this spring, even if the softball is a struggle.
If you have further questions, contact me directly at rick@informedathlete.com.
Good luck,
Rick
Rick,
I am a junior at a D1 school right now, and am looking to transfer. I know if I transfer to a D2 school next year I will have 4 semesters being a full-time student of eligibility remaining. If I transfer to another D1 school will I also have 4 semesters remaining or just 2 years no matter about full-time or not?
Hi Chase,
If you transfer to another Div. I program after three years at your current Div. I, you will have two years left on your five-year clock to complete your playing eligibility.
Good luck,
Rick