Report: NCAA could adopt new transfer rules

The transfer portal might soon see an unprecedented increase.

The NCAA Division I Council could adopt emergency legislation this month that would allow undergraduate athletes to transfer and play immediately if they meet specific academic requirements, according to The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach. The council's next meeting is scheduled April 17-18.

The proposed legislation wouldn't limit the number of times an athlete can transfer, Auerbach adds. However, athletes reportedly still wouldn't be allowed to transfer mid-year or play for a second school in the same athletic season.

The transfer window would still be in effect under the new policy, Auerbach reports.

The NCAA proposed the legislation last December following a West Virginia judge's ruling that intended to stop the organization from enforcing its bylaw preventing athletes from transferring multiple times and playing immediately.

The NCAA introduced a one-time transfer policy in 2021, granting student-athletes immediate eligibility at the first school they transfer to. Any additional transfer prior to graduation requires athletes to sit out for a year or apply for a waiver from the NCAA to be eligible immediately.

The U.S. Department of Justice joined a lawsuit in January against the NCAA's transfer policies, arguing its limitations violate antitrust law, according to ESPN's Heather Dinich.