It's Time to Abolish the Transfer Rule

[DeltaBoy]

Just say if the Coach leaves before you graduate you got a penalty free option to Transfer to the school of your choice.

[GlassofSwine]

Not up on why Coker transferred to Alabama, but for the most part the answer is no.

Most FBS coaches realize that other than a player that has graduated or a player from a school far from home has a sick relative near their school, the door is closed to a player transferring without sitting out.  Might be more willing to 'recruit' players if there were less restrictions.

My biggest concern would be the standout players at the FBS and G5 level 'recruiting' the P5 school they feel they can help, not the P5 school recruiting them.

When an average UAB closed shop several players were picked up by P5 school even, top end P5's, so almost every G5 school, and many FCS school have players that can play at some P5 school, and  who would like to be at a P5 school.

Coker isn't high profile. Coker is a Senior this upcoming year, he transferred because he couldn't beat out Winston, had already graduated from FSU and didn't have to sit out a year. This is a player who in 4 years has only played in mop of duty.

It is true that small schools have players that P5 teams want, but they have them today. That also isn't an issue of the players wanting to transfer but of enforcing schools in their recruiting practices. If a standout player at a school the size of UAB wants to make contact with a program like Alabama or Arkansas  and see if they will take him as a transfer he should be allowed to. He still will have to walk into a situation where he has to compete against a much stiffer talent pool. The bottom line is why should a talented player be penalized from seeking out a better opportunity?

[bigdaddyhawg]

Disagree, Alabama pulls the No.1 recruiting class. FSU is Top 5. What you will see is 4 and 5 * talent that can't make the 2-deep at those schools looking to transfer out to schools they can play at. Your scenario is much more likely to end up similar to a Mitch Mustain, where a talented guy transfers in and can't break the 2-deep that is already established.

I hear what you're saying, but this past year Alabama had some issues in their OL and in their secondary, due to all their early departures and graduations.

A top, proven kid from another school could transfer in to fill a hole, and would have a much better shot over some redshirt freshman or sophomore who have no experience.

[mizzouman]

Just say if the Coach leaves before you graduate you got a penalty free option to Transfer to the school of your choice.

Don't think that will work.  If the coach leaves for another program, he could bring the entire team with him, penalty free while the team he leaves is in shambles.

[bigdaddyhawg]

Don't think that will work.  If the coach leaves for another program, he could bring the entire team with him, penalty free while the team he leaves is in shambles.

I think the 85 roster limit at his new school would bring all that to a screeching halt before it even got started.

But I could see the new coach "weeding out" 5-10 of the lower rated kids at his new school to bring in some key producers from his old school.  Especially could see a stud QB doing that.

[GlassofSwine]

I think the 85 roster limit at his new school would bring all that to a screeching halt before it even got started.

But I could see the new coach "weeding out" 5-10 of the lower rated kids at his new school to bring in some key producers from his old school.  Especially could see a stud QB doing that.

I agree. You also have to look at most promotions are upward. Look at a guy like McElwain how many players from Colorado State would he really want to take to Florida. Lateral moves like Bielema are increasingly rare. P5 coaches usually leave when they get fired or retire.

I also don't have a problem if a player wants to follow a coach. Look at a guy like Mallett who transferred to our benefit. It wasn't his fault they fired the coach he wanted to play for and hired a spread guy.

[NaturalStateReb]

Many of you are thinking about this from the SEC perspective. Bama isn't likely going to be successful recruiting other SEC or BIG or B12 programs.

The biggest problem that I can imagine would be major programs would be able to pass on guys out of high school that they think may have potential but just aren't ready for primetime. They could then sit back and focus on the 5* guys and save the rest of their spots for players that blossom at smaller schools.

Basically, the SEC, BIG, or any other major conference could treat the rest of CFB as their farm system. What football player at UTSA for example wouldn't jump at the chance to go play for a ring in the SEC?

I think there would be unintended consequences and more problems than solutions created with doing away with the transfer rule.

Agreed--or it could work the other way:  you can sit in line at Bama, or come play for us at Arkansas State right now. 

[bigdaddyhawg]

Agreed--or it could work the other way:  you can sit in line at Bama, or come play for us at Arkansas State right now. 

That's already possible for transfer to D1AA schools.  And it happens.

[Kicking Wing]

How does UCA and Appalacian State have an equal vote as Arkansas , Alabama, and LSU?

Because transfer and some other rules are not part of autonomy. Those still go to the entire D1.  Appalachian is FBS, UCA is FCS.

[Kicking Wing]

The reason for the transfer rule to so that school who negatively impacted, won't have their program left with no one on the team.

Imagine that 5 or 6 BB players were allowed to transfer at the same time and be immediately eligible.  It's too late for that team to recruit players to fill those slots.  That team would be set back for several years.

Yep.  You would have to change the rules for signing class limits to counteract liberal transfer rules and that would lead to even more kids being advised to go elsewhere at places like Alabama.

[mizzouman]

I think the 85 roster limit at his new school would bring all that to a screeching halt before it even got started.

But I could see the new coach "weeding out" 5-10 of the lower rated kids at his new school to bring in some key producers from his old school.  Especially could see a stud QB doing that.

He won't renew schollies.  it would be worse for hoops.

[GlassofSwine]

Yep.  You would have to change the rules for signing class limits to counteract liberal transfer rules and that would lead to even more kids being advised to go elsewhere at places like Alabama.

  Or you could make it illegal for schools to actively recruit transfers. The idea of opening up transfers is to allow students to have some control when situations don't work out. Not for schools to use it as an extra recruiting tool. It would be similar to the anti-tampering clause in the NFL. If you find an NCAA institution is breaking the rules then pull scholarships.

[bigdaddyhawg]

He won't renew schollies.  it would be worse for hoops.

I hadn't even thought about the complete chaos that would happen in hoops!!

[bob slydell]

Agreed--or it could work the other way:  you can sit in line at Bama, or come play for us at Arkansas State right now.

Hadn't considered that angle.

[bob slydell]

That's already possible for transfer to D1AA schools.  And it happens.

ASU isn't a D1AA program.

[NaturalStateReb]

That's already possible for transfer to D1AA schools.  And it happens.

Arkansas State isn't I-AA.

[Swine-as-wine]

Personally, I think that if a player is given a multi-year scholarship, then
that player should be legally obligated to to stay at that school the length
of those scholarships. Give them a choice. If they think that they will be
going pro long before their graduation year, then a 1 year contract might
be their choice. If that player's stock rises quicker than he or anyone else
expected, but that same player had signed a 4 year scholarship contract,
he'd be obligated by law to remain in school.

College players committing to the draft early, is hurting the game. In college
basketball.....it's actually killing it. Seems to me, that it's about time that
College football stands up for itself in this regard. The cost of training an
athlete, to a level that he is draftable, can not be re-couped if that player
leaves early.

[sickboy]

Personally, I think that if a player is given a multi-year scholarship, then
that player should be legally obligated to to stay at that school the length
of those scholarships. Give them a choice. If they think that they will be
going pro long before their graduation year, then a 1 year contract might
be their choice. If that player's stock rises quicker than he or anyone else
expected, but that same player had signed a 4 year scholarship contract,
he'd be obligated by law to remain in school.

College players committing to the draft early, is hurting the game. In college
basketball.....it's actually killing it. Seems to me, that it's about time that
College football stands up for itself in this regard. The cost of training an
athlete, to a level that he is draftable, can not be re-couped if that player
leaves early.

I agree with the notion that if a kid signs a multi-year scholarship... he should be held to that agreement for its duration.

However, it's hard to say that kids going pro is hurting college football. It's probably the biggest, most lucrative it's ever been. Having said that, selfishly, I'd love to see some of these kids stick around four years for my enjoyment. Still, it's their life... and I'd hate to see rules put in place to try and get kids to stay in school longer, only to see it backfire and drive kids away from college football.

[bigdaddyhawg]

ASU isn't a D1AA program.

Arkansas State isn't I-AA.

Yes, I know that.  That's why I placed the specific qualifier in there, and made the point if a kid wanted to immediately transfer to some second tier program they already had that option.