Report: NCAA Division I Board of Directors Unlikely to Pass Unlimited Transfer Rule

Unlimited transfers reportedly aren't expected to come to Division I college athletics quite yet.

According to Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic on Saturday, multiple sources believe it is unlikely that the Division I Board of Directors will vote to abolish the one-time transfer rule that is currently in place.

The vote on whether to allow unlimited "free" transfers to college athletes is set to take place at a meeting on Aug. 3.

Auerbach noted that the Division I Council endorsed moving to an unlimited transfer rule this month as part of an effort to modernize college athletics.

The proposal to eliminate the one-time transfer rule also would have resulted in the creation of transfer windows and required schools to "provide financial aid to the incoming student-athlete through the completion of the student’s five-year period of eligibility or undergraduate graduation."

Under the current system, athletes are only allowed to play immediately after one transfer. Any subsequent transfer requires the athlete to submit a waiver request.

The athlete can play immediately if the waiver is accepted, but if not, they have to sit out one year before returning to competition.

Per Auerbach, college football and basketball coaches have been particularly resistant to the idea of unlimited transfers due to how much more difficult it would make managing a roster.

The landscape of college sports has already changed drastically in recent years thanks largely to the advent of name, image and likeness deals.

With college athletes now having the ability to earn money based from endorsements and other avenues, it has moved college sports closer to the professional ranks.

The expansion of the transfer market would be another step in that direction, as it would essentially allow for yearly free agency.

It doesn't appear as though that change is imminent, but it will likely continue to be a major topic of conversation moving forward.

According to Auerbach, sources expect the transfer proposal to be sent back to the Transformation Committee since it is unlikely to pass.

It is possible the Board of Directors could vote only on the transfer window and financial aid pieces of the proposal after sending the unlimited transfer portion back, but it is said to be a "fluid" situation.