SEC Reportedly Adjusts Graduate Transfer Admissions Rules to Align with NCAA

The SEC reportedly aligned one of its graduate transfer rules with the NCAA.

On Thursday, Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated reported the conference's presidents and chancellors approved a proposal that would allow graduate transfers to pursue a second undergraduate degree instead of enrolling in a graduate school.

The NCAA made the same change to its legislation in April.  

These changes are intended to "reduce tensions between athletics and academic departments" and help athletes who may not "lack necessary practical experience to be admitted" to graduate programs that are often multi-year commitments intended to steer students into the given profession.

The SEC's change will go into effect for those graduate transfers enrolling Aug. 1 or later. 

Dellenger noted the NCAA said the number of graduate transfers across all sports more than doubled from 2013 to 2018.

The SEC is no stranger to graduate transfers impacting the football season, especially seeing what Joe Burrow did just last year. The Ohio State graduate arrived at LSU prior to the 2018 campaign with two years of eligibility remaining and eventually turned into a Heisman Trophy winner who led the Tigers to the College Football Playoff and won a national championship.

He was so impressive that the Cincinnati Bengals selected him with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft.

The change will theoretically improve the chances of future graduate transfers who are looking to find the right landing spot and potentially make an impact like Burrow did.