Why the Div 1 Transfer Rule

[60Shock]

All this talk about LOI and scholarships being good or honored for only one year then brings up the question, "Why do athletes at Div I have to sit out a year if they transfer from one Div l school to another?

If only good for one year, why shouldn't the student/athlete be able to relocate to any school without having to sit out a year?

Was it put in place to prohibit the larger schools from raking off star players from smaller schools? Doubt it as the BCS schools obviously wield the power and would have strongly objected.

Or was it the reverse? Put in effect more than likely because the smaller schools were obtaining players who are unsatisfied with playing time, etc., from the BCS schools. Like in Kyle's transfer from Illinois.

But why should there be any penalty at all if both the student and the coach mutually agreed? Who is hurt? Not the student or the school.

In the case of GM being over in scholarships, why if both GM and one or more of the student/atheletes agree, should the athlete(s) either be forced to transfer to a lower division or sit out a year?

I'm sure there is a perfectly "good" reason, but the logic escapes me.

Appreciate your input.

[CharlieHog]

Re: Why the Div 1 Transfer Rule

But why should there be any penalty at all if both the student and the coach mutually agreed? Who is hurt? Not the student or the school.

I can't really think of a good reason, and the funny thing is, they are now pushing this rule on baseball.

[mattdalt]

I believe the "1 year of residence rule" only applies to football and basketball. In fact, in those sports, it is more than sitting out one year, it is actually called a year of residency, which means that you must attend the transfered to school for a full year, at your own expense, before you are eligible for any athletic financial aid.

Of course, in all the other scholarship sports, you must get released from your school, otherwise, you will have to sit a year. This release is usually a formality, but not always. I believe Iowa hired the Va Tech wrestling coach and some of the wrestlers wanted to follow him, Va Tech would not release the athletes, thus they would have to serve the 1 year of residency requirement before being eligible for competition or athletic financial aid at another D1 institution.

And this year of residency has everything to do with money and revenue.

None of the other divisions have this stipulation on the athletes, unless it s a conference specific rule

[RoyalShock]

Because it only applies to the high-profile sports, I think it is meant to discourage players from making an easy switch to a higher-profile school. It's tough on the player (having to sit out a year) and tough on the recipient school as they have to use a scholarship on an ineligible player (so only 12 are suited up) and it's an extra year of money being spent.