INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Board of Directors strongly supports legislation that would allow all Division I student-athletes the opportunity to transfer and compete immediately, regardless of the sport they play. The board met virtually on Wednesday, October 28.
“It’s time to provide uniform transfer flexibility to Division I student-athletes,” said board chair Denise Trauth, president at Texas State University. “The board members agree that the Working Group on Transfers created a sensible proposal that provides all student-athletes, no matter what sport they play, the opportunity for academic and athletic pursuits at the school that is the best fit.”
Trauth was officially elected chair during Wednesday’s meeting and has served on an interim basis since the summer.
The transfer rule change was introduced into the legislative cycle earlier this month by the Division I Council. It was recommended by the Working Group on Transfers, which has been studying the issue since May, when Council members resolved to address transfer issues by January 2021.
The Council expects to meet that deadline, with a vote scheduled for its January meeting.
Sustainability
Board members heard from the Division I Presidential Forum about its work on the sustainability of Division I. Work will initially center in the areas of finances, legal, governance and membership requirements. Forum members met in small groups and acknowledged many of the areas are intertwined and will require collaboration, particularly given the growing resource gap between schools within the division.
Conferences also will be intimately involved in the examination of the future of the division, and forum members are committed to additional meetings. The forum intends to provide an initial report to the board in April.
Championships Finance Review
Board members also heard from the Division I Finance Committee, which this week approved several policy changes to provide opportunities to efficiently manage championships resources. At the recommendation of the Division I Championships Finance Review Working Group, committee members:
- Approved the creation of a budgetary timeline (not to exceed two years) between when a new sport reaches the sponsorship threshold and when the first championship is conducted.
- Approved the creation of a process and principles to manage future requests to manage squad, travel party and bench size.
- Approved the creation of principles to guide decisions related to bracket/field size.
- Approved the creation of a process for future resource allocations.
- Approved the creation of gender equity principles to apply when developing recommendations impacting championships administration and funding.
Release courtesy National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
