There’s Still 1 Path Left for RaeQuan Battle to Play This Year

The NCAA has continued to make college programs jump through hurdles to receive transfer waivers this fall. On Tuesday, the NCAA denied WVU G RaeQuan Battle of immediate eligibility once again, as this time it was his appeal. For now, Battle will sit out this season and can complete his final year of eligibility during the 2024-25 season.

But there is one more way Battle can suit up for the Mountaineers this season.

After a chaotic transfer portal cycle in 2022, the NCAA finally put its foot down and added in transfer windows. The NCAA also told schools this past June that they would be more strict on multi-time transfers. This occurred after the majority of college basketball transfers had already committed to their new schools. There have been many waiver denials in both football and basketball this fall, as well as some approvals.

For Battle to become eligible this season, West Virginia will need to threaten legal action, or actually submit for a lawsuit. The biggest thing for West Virginia and Battle to look at is how certain guys in his situation have been approved. Let’s take a look at two players.

Tez Walker, WR – North Carolina

The first instance comes off the basketball court and on the gridiron. North Carolina WR Tez Walker transferred from Kent State to North Carolina to take care of his ailing grandmother. Walker began his career at NC Central, making him a multi-time undergraduate transfer. Walker’s waiver was denied by the NCAA in August and his appeal was eventually denied as well. North Carolina, with help from the state, pressured the NCAA with potential legal action. In early October, the NCAA, after denying Walker twice already, found “additional information” and mentioned that UNC never brought it up before during the process. Walker has played over the past seven weeks and has emerged as one of the top wide receivers in the ACC.

Aziz Bandaogo, C – Cincinnati

Now back on the court, Cincinnati big man Aziz Bandaogo has had a similar situation with Battle, as both were still waiting on waiver decisions before the season started. Bandaogo does not have family in America but decided to transfer close to his girlfriend’s family, who lives in West Virginia. Bandaogo was approved on Monday afternoon after the NCAA asked for a three-hour window for extra consideration after pending legal action. By 5 p.m., the NCAA approved Bandaogo for immediate eligibility. Bandaogo, whose initial and appeal waivers were denied, averaged 11.5 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.9 blocks at Utah Valley. Bandaogo is a multi-time undergraduate transfer who acknowledged having mental health problems to the NCAA.

Battle and Bandaogo haven’t been the only ones to use mental health as a reason to transfer but it appears that the NCAA is not in favor of approving those certain waivers, unless potential legal action is involved of course. West Virginia will have to do the same as UNC and UC and threaten a lawsuit. Both Patrick Morrisey, West Virginia’s Attorney General, and Dave Yost, Ohio’s AG, took to social media their displeasure with how the NCAA has handled transfer waivers.

For too long, the NCAA has failed to maintain a consistent and defensible transfer policy. Refusing to let RaeQuan play is only the latest example.

Its approach has placed it in legal peril. The NCAA is not immune from the laws of competition. It cannot continue reaching wildly…

— Patrick Morrisey (@MorriseyWV) November 21, 2023

General Morrisey and I talked today about this. Too many stories about too many young people being harmed by the NCAA’s high-handed, arbitrary and anti-competitive behavior.

Got my slingshot and five smooth stones up in the attic… https://t.co/lz5A5nt58O

— Attorney General Dave Yost (@DaveYostOH) November 21, 2023

The NCAA clearly does not want any lawsuit on their hands. It seems to sadly be the only way some of these transfers that have been denied, can get cleared.

“RaeQuan clearly meets the criteria, but once again the NCAA has failed to do the right thing for the well-being and mental health of the student-athlete,” WVU AD Wren Baker and interim men’s basketball HC Josh Eilert wrote in a joint statement on Tuesday.

West Virginia will take the floor again without Battle during the third-place game in the Fort Myers Tip-Off on Wednesday. It appears that WVU will do what they have to do to get Battle to play this season.