HARTFORD — Transfers and NIL contracts have been a hot topic in the college sports world in recent years, with the introduction of the transfer portal causing college athletes to transfer at a record pace.
Some of these players transfer multiple times.
But after a federal judge last week issued an interim order barring the NCAA from enforcing the transfer rule for two weeks, the double-transfer rule has become front page media coverage.
Before the West Virginia lawsuit, underclassmen in the NCAA were allowed to transfer once without missing a game, but if a player transferred twice he had to sit out a year. Previously, the only way to avoid this ruling was for athletes to receive a waiver from the NCAA.
Among the current lawsuits, West Virginia, Colorado, Illinois, New York, Ohio State and Tennessee allege that current NCAA rules violate antitrust laws and allow Division I athletes to access their names, images, He testified that there are restrictions on the use of his likeness.
UW women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma and Louisville coach Jeff Walz said they have no problem with players requesting multiple transfers, but the NCAA needs to quickly review the situation before free agency. He warns us that we need to understand.
“I don’t care. You can transfer as many times as you want. I transfer all mid-year. [care]. Let them do what they want, but reality will come back to haunt them,” Walz said.
He added that if you want them to become professionals, that’s fine, but professionals get fired.
“If we want to trade you at Christmas because we need another guard, we should be able to trade you if we are the pros,” Walz said. “I had no problems…I think the NIL is a great idea, but it’s so broken. Only 1 percent of college athletes can truly perform the NIL on their own. Everyone else, this is the reality. And coaches and organizations are raising money for them.”
Auriemma said he understands the change in transfer rules because the rules are different for each sport, and it was only a matter of time before the NCAA lost that battle. But he said:
“It’s like we’re all trading baseball cards now,” Auriemma said. “I don’t think coaches in this country have a chance of producing anything pretty good in your program unless there’s some regulation.”
Fortunately, UConn hasn’t been affected yet, he said.
“I always think that if I give you XYZ, I have to give you something in return,” Auriemma said. “If I have to write everything, I’m going to give it to you in writing. I want you to sign something. I think that’s every coach’s problem with what’s going on right now. ”
He said, what are the players responsible for? Coaches can be fired, but players can’t be fired even if they shoot 3-of-27.
“It’s okay if they get paid X amount,” he added. “I’m fine with them getting fired. You can’t have one with the other.”