NCAA Gives Up Fight Against Unlimited Transfers

The NCAA is on the brink of an unlimited transfer policy in Division I college athletics.

The NCAA agreed Thursday to drop key transfer rules following a lawsuit by the U.S. Justice Department of Justice, Washington D.C. and 10 states. And the agreement led to a new U.S. DOJ-proposed consent decree.

On Thursday, the U.S. DOJ filed a proposed consent decree to prohibit the NCAA from enforcing the Transfer Eligibility Rule, enforcing the Rule of Restitution against anyone in connection with the Transfer Eligibility Rule and implementing similar restrictions between Division I colleges and universities.

In other words, it would allow a college football or basketball player to transfer as many times as he/she wanted and not be required to sit out a season — instant eligibility.

It would also grant an additional year of eligibility to athletes previously deemed ineligible to participate as a result of the Transfer Eligibility Rule for any portion of a season.

“Free from anticompetitive rules that unfairly limit their mobility, Division I college athletes will now be able to choose the institutions that best meet their academic, personal and professional development needs,” Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division said in the release. “This resolution is a testament to the benefits of federal and state enforcers working together to ensure free markets and fair competition for all Americans.”

The transfer portal rules have been lax since an additional season of eligibility was granted to players for the COVID-19 season, but there were still players who had to be cleared by the NCAA to play after multiple transfers in football and basketball, primarily those who had not yet graduated. That will no longer be the case.

“The amended complaint alleged that the NCAA’s one-time-transfer rule unreasonably restrained competition in the markets for athletic services in men’s and women’s Division I basketball and Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football, as well as for athletic services in all other men’s and women’s Division I sports,” the release said.

The decree still needs to be approved by a judge, but it’s only a formality before transfer rules are dropped. It remains to be seen if transfer portal windows will be impacted.

This story originally appeared on our partner Pittsburgh Sports Now.