Penn State Football: Explaining the Transfer Situation

Who is going to remain loyal to Penn State, and who is going to leave?

That is now the question everyone will like to know the answer to ever since the NCAA dropped heavy sanctions on the university.

One of the main penalties that the football team will suffer is allowing any current player to leave the program for another school without that player suffering any consequences. This is extremely serious and will really tell us how competitive this football team will be during the 2012 season.

Usually, a player that decides to transfer schools has to sit out a year before being able to compete. With no player involved in the Sandusky scandal and all players banned from postseason play for four years, the NCAA has decided to try and avoid punishing the players as much as possible.

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The NCAA recognizes that current football student-athletes will be negatively impacted by the Penn State sanctions. Said Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president for Academic and Membership Affairs. We want to allow those eligible student-athletes as much flexibility as possible while still being mindful of some of the transfer safeguards our membership has put in place. (Via NCAA.org)

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Here is a breakdown of how these transfers will work, if a player actually decides he wants to leave Penn State for another program.

Penn State cannot prevent a transfer

If a student-athlete plans to transfer to another school, all he has to do is let the university know what his intentions are. The school he is talking to will also inform Penn State that they are talking to the student-athlete; Penn State can't interfere in any way.

The permission-to-contact rules have all been suspended under these circumstances, meaning that permission is not needed for a school to contact a Penn State player if they are interested.

Recruiting

Any incoming football player or current player is eligible right away to take official visits during the 2012-13 academic year. They can take as many official or unofficial visits as they would like when trying to decide which school to leave for. Off-campus and telephone recruiting rules have all been suspended and will be effective until the first day of classes, which is August 27.

Transfers

Any student-athlete that does, in fact, decide to transfer is eligible to play for that school right away. There won't be anything that holds him back from competing, and he would not have to sit out a season like he usually would under normal circumstances. All incoming players from the 2012 recruiting class are eligible to transfer as well. Penn State has been ordered to release them from their letters of intent so they can explore their options.

The student-athletes have until the 2013 season to make their decisions on whether or not they will remain with Penn State. The status of every transfer student-athlete must be reported to the NCAA, and a transfer will not count towards a transfer school's 105 student-athletes limit.