Changes in the Number of Division I Graduate Transfers – June 2018 (PDF)
BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) released a report detailing the growth of Division I graduate transfers from 2011-to-2017 in both men’s and women’s sports.
In 2017, the number of graduate transfers in men’s sports was five times higher than 2011 (80 compared to 433), while the women’s numbers tripled (62-to-227).
However, the number of graduate transfers is still low relative to the total number of participants in Division I sports. There were only 660 graduate transfers identified in the 2017 Academic Progress Rate (APR) data out of over 110,000 Division I student-athletes for a 0.6 percent number.
Men’s Water Polo:
Men’s water polo rates last in the number and percentage of Division I graduate transfers as one athlete made the list in 2011 with none appearing in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Using the latest numbers for 2017, men’s water polo trails football (211), basketball (104), track & field (48), baseball (25), soccer (20), tennis (eight), wrestling (seven), golf (four), ice hockey (three), volleyball (two) and skiing (one), while tying with lacrosse (zero) and swimming & diving (zero). During the time of the study, the number of men’s Division I graduate transfers increased exponentially on the span of examination from 80 (2011) to 123 (2012), 170 (2013), 205 (2014), 249 (2015), 292 (2016) and 433 (2017) with football (17-to-211) and basketball (15-to-104) experiencing the largest increases.
Women’s Water Polo:
Similar to men’s water polo, women’s water polo ranks last in the number and percentage of Division I graduate transfers. One athlete made the list in 2011 and two were noted in 2014, while no athletes in women’s water polo garnered notice in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Using the numbers from 2017, women’s water polo trails track & field (68), basketball (63), beach volleyball (22), soccer (16), volleyball (11), field hockey (10), golf (nine), swimming & diving (eight), tennis (six), lacrosse (four), rowing (three), softball (three), rifle (one), ice hockey (one), bowling (one) and fencing (one), while tying with skiing (zero) for the final spot. During the time of the study, the number of graduate transfers in basketball (four-to-63) and track & field (31-to-68) ballooned as the total number of transfers rose from 62 (2011) to 73 (2012), 82 (2013) and 118 (2014), decreased slightly to 116 (2015) prior to rapidly ascending to 151 (2016) and 227 (2017) over the past two seasons.
