Oh yea, I’m not really forming an opinion on IF the rule should take place or not, ethically etc. I haven’t thought about it enough.
I’m just commenting on what I think the results will look like.
But that’s my point. I have no doubt that we will get alot of kids coming in. No doubt at all. Quantity doesn’t matter. OSU is a football program that relies on the Rudolphs, Washingtons, Wallaces, and Hubbards to be competitive. The few stud outliers are NEEDED for OSU to succeed in its current recruiting strategy.
Those types of players, once they have developed and become Rudolph, Washington, Wallace and Hubbard in college, will have the freedom to transfer anywhere. They will go to blue bloods.
They won’t come here, except for the few exceptions. It will be a microcosm for high school recruiting. Once developed, and in college, Rudolph, Washington, Wallace, and Hubbard types will be 5 stars and would transfer to wherever 5 stars go.
There’s an easy way to fix this: make what would count for an instant transfer solidified and public.
For example:
Grad transfer - fine, as that’s in place already
Proven medical for player or family - fine, because let’s not be monsters (like the NCAA already is)
Playing time - nope, take the year (eliminating Justin Fields-ing)
Coaching change - based on proximity to the season (e.g. a Colorado/MSU situation, yes vs. a Washington/Florida State situation) with moves before a certain date being eligible for immediate transfer and after requiring that year
That more or less is the way it is intended to be now with the waiver system. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked. The NCAA is trying to manage all of these transfer requests from D1, D2, D3 for probably close to 50 sports if you count men’s and women’s teams.
Right, but even with that, it’s a pretty easy call.
Is this player perfectly fine and just wants playing time or did a coach leave early in the offseason? Sit a year (coughFieldscough).
Is this player transferring to be closer to his/her family or did a coach leave near the end of the offseason? Immediate eligibility.
You could even just break it down to that. There’s no need to ponder a case-by-case basis and apply the rules for some and not for others.
Well Fields got his waiver approved because a baseball player allegedly called him a racial slur. That was the stated reason in the waiver he applied for and that is why it got approved. So do we add that clause in there too? How do you capture something like that in rule that isn’t a case by case?
You break it down to whether or not it affects a player’s ability to perform in their sport. Fields claimed that, sure, and I’m not saying it didn’t happen because I wasn’t there, but if you don’t think the transfer was solely due to playing time, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.
I don’t disagree with you on that at all. I think that playing time was definitely a factor. How much? Who really knows other than Fields. There is a ton of gray area. I don’t think the one time free transfer is perfect, but I think it eliminates the opportunity for the NCAA to screw up so many transfer cases. I get where you’re coming from though and think that there is a really good argument for your method. I think that you get into the weeds of the NCAA trying to sift through “what is a proven medical or family situation” and you get to the point that we are currently at in reviewing every individual case and handling them subjectively. I would whole-heartedly support your idea if there was a single governing body over only FBS football though.
I think that the ‘proven medical or family’ thing is more easily sussed out based on where the player wants to transfer to. The kids that wanted to go to Illinois or Virginia Tech to be close to family? I get that. A kid wants to go from Miami to Oregon and his family lives in Texas? That’s probably not a likely medical thing. I’m more for giving the benefit of the doubt in those cases, but - like the Fields thing - the transfer for free really does seem like it’d privilege the blue-bloods. The percentage chance of Fields getting his waiver if he went to, say, Kansas State vs. Ohio State? Zero percent.
Since it’s going to happen, if not this year, soon. You have to prepare for it, the only caveats I’d like to see are: one time transfer without sitting & in conference transfers sit one year.
Then you beef up your transfer recruiting program so you can compete, it’s going to happen, I’m sure Gundy and co have been preparing for it.
Make the “transfer portal” more rigid with NCAA oversight (lol I know I know). If a player wants to go into the portal, great. But that portal is public and physical. Set entry and release dates. Example, portal is only open once a quarter. If you enter, it’s not a free pass to leave your current school lingering. It sets a clock in which you are automatically released and your eligibility clock has begun. If you aren’t picked up in a certain time frame you lose a year of eligibility. Essentially make some rigid rules that may keep a player from just “fishing” in the portal. Also, (and here is where I laugh at what I am saying) make strict portal rules for programs. If it’s uncovered a player was tampered with, limit the amount of transfers that the tampering school may receive. The scholarships and 25 a year rule remain. So the penalty would be felt. If I tamper and my portal is limited to 3 next season but I can only sign 25 and lose 5+ to the portal myself, i now have less scholarships than the max.
I like a lot of this, I would just change it only being open at certain times. For example, in the case of the guys transferring to be closer to sick family members, what if your parent gets diagnosed with something and you want to get closer to them, but the portal closed the week before? I don’t think those guys should then have to wait months to go to a school closer to home.
The problem is a player never says it’s for “playing time”. It’s always something. Their aunts cousins dog had a kidney stone. The Thai Mega Tampon Fraternity called him a meanie head. It’s always something. This I believe, will be where we see the “Cowboy Culture” shine through. Chuba, and Tylan, and other don’t want to be somewhere else. They had that chance already. I may be naive but I believe most of the guys on the roster love where they’re at. It really is a family. The ones that leave, likely would have left even if this rule wasn’t in place. Go ahead and tell me how corny and naive I am now, but I’m gonna put faith in the guy that retained every vital piece of his program this offseason from the NFL, to other schools, and job opportunities. I’ll bet on that.
It would seem that when (not if) this change happens there is no need for a portal. If a kid wants out he tells his coach he’s leaving and that’s that. If he already has a landing spot then he’s good.
The portal would be an advertisement for the player.
Gundy hangs his hat on how well he treats his coaches and players so I don’t get his stance on this topic. If player mobility isn’t a benefit to oSu then what does that say about Cowboy Culture? Long before Daniels and Kolar left for other programs oSu was the program bringing in grad transfers. Couple of those DBs even got NFL shots. As a fan, I was thrilled to have those players improve oSu’s team and they certainly helped pad the win total.
Honest question…how will this help the student athlete? Other than getting rid of the stupid waiver rules, I don’t like this at all. It just encourages kids to leave at the first bit difficulty. Something many of them have never had to go through on the field before. It teaches zero lessons. I’m sure many of yall will think that makes me an #old, but I firmly believe it’s the truth.
I’ve been at the only “professional” gig I’ve ever had for twelve years. Certainly some miserable days but it’s a good company and things always come out better on the other side. I don’t join in the job hopping that most of my generation seems to aspire to.