The NCAA or National Collegiate Athletic Association is an organization that helps student-athletes compete. It also allows students to transfer between divisions and schools. This is the case whether we are talking about men’s basketball, fresh high school recruits, or anything in between. However, the NCAA transfer rules can be confusing, especially for first-timers.
These rules for student-athletes often change, which makes keeping up with them essential. The last significant change took place in the first quarter of 2021 and still applies at the time of this writing. Read on to find out about the newest NCAA transfer rules. There is some important landmark legislation to be aware of, as well as intraconference transfer rules as well.
Before Transferring
Before student-athletes transfer within NCAA divisions, it’s necessary to prepare for the process, and yes, you will need to provide written notification. Later, you’ll submit multiple documents in the transfer portal as part of the process. You’ll also need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
The documents you’ll for most NCAA schools need are as follows:
- Official transcripts from your original school
- Unofficial transcripts
- Your current school schedule
- Information about your high school
- Any documentation on your athletic eligibility
You should also have the medical documents you received as an athlete or medical hardship waivers. If you have been redshirted, pass this fact and any related documentation. They may help you in the process.
When you know whether you’re a transfer student-athlete for college sports, the school you want to attend, and your current initial-eligibility status, it’s time to visit this website. Students looking for Division I and II schools must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. If not, you’ll be listed as a non-qualifier. Without the relevant information, institutions can’t presume to classify you as a qualifier or partial qualifier.
2022 NCAA Transfer Rules
Student-athletes playing college sports may request a transfer for various reasons. This is done through the NCAA transfer portal. For example, the school or team might not be what they’re looking for, or they might not mesh well with their coaches. Of course, whether or not you are approved is the NCAA’s decision.
The students may elect to leave and request a transfer, no matter the reason. However, all student-athletes must follow the NCAA transfer rules, and some of these regulations are sports-specific. This is to ensure equal student-athlete opportunities.
There are also different types of NCAA transfers with various NCAA rules that need to be followed by student-athletes. In the following sections, we’ll cover each of them in detail.
4-4 Transfers
4-4 transfers are the most common process involving moving from one four-year college to another. Compared to 2-4 transfers, they have fewer stipulations, though there are still several requirements to consider before applying.
Here is some general advice:
- Meet the academic requirements for the transfers, especially if you need to compete immediately or receive a scholarship.
- Ask for permission to contact other schools if this is required.
- If you qualify for an exception to the transfer rules, do everything you can to meet all terms.
- Gather all the transfer documents needed by the NCAA.
- If necessary, contact the new school to start filing waivers.
While there aren’t as many academic requirements to be eligible for a 4-4 transfer, make sure to keep these in mind.
Stay Eligible in Your Old School
Before you transfer to a new school, you should make an effort to stay eligible at your current school. Typically, college athletes can’t start playing for their new school immediately if they don’t meet this requirement.
When transferring to a Division I school, you also won’t receive any athletic scholarships during your first year.
By remaining eligible to play in your current team, you’ll barely affect your Academic Progress Rate when transferring. In addition, this way, the right to contact other schools or receive assistance will be much more accessible.
Achieve Eligibility in Your New School
Naturally, college athletes want to play as soon as the transfer is approved. Therefore, you should make all efforts to become eligible at the desired school. This process is mostly about bringing along any transferrable credits and the major you pick. Allowing student-athletes to compete immediately is one of the main goals here.
There is one crucial piece of information. Any student who transfers before completing two years of college doesn’t usually need to transfer many credits. Two years is equal to four semesters and six quarters. Transfer policies such as these are important to pay attention to.
While you can lose credits when transferring, it generally doesn’t prevent you from playing right away. However, note that you will have to catch up academically later.
Hit All Requirements for Transfer Credit Hours
Both Divisions I and II student transfers must complete six hours in the previous term. For the latter, these hours must be transferrable. In addition, Division I has further requirements that depend on the length of your college career.
- Six semester-hours or six quarter-hours following one semester or quarter
- 24 semester-hours or 36 quarter-hours following one academic year
- 30 semester-hours or 42 quarter-hours following three semesters or four quarters
- Anything above four semesters or six quarters will require six semester hours or six quarter-hours the previous term
While these numbers may seem intimidating, there’s no need to be too anxious. If you’re eligible to play at your last school and next school, it’s highly likely that you already meet these requirements.
4-4 Transfer Process
The first step is to receive permission to contact other schools, and there are differences between Divisions I and II, Division III, and NAIA transfers.
Divisions I and II students can get permission in oral or written forms for both formal and informal requests. However, the school must provide written authorization should a student make a written request. If denied, the new school must stop the recruitment process and can’t give the athlete an athletic scholarship during the first year. However, they can still transfer and practice with the team.
Students in Division I and II schools may also obtain a one-time transfer exception if the council approves. If the student is released from the current school, they can usually transfer to the new school. Athletes in these five sports can’t apply for this exception:
- Baseball
- Men’s ice hockey
- Men and women’s basketball
- College Football
However, they can use the exception if they graduate in these sports. In some cases, there may be a one-time transfer exception.
Division III transfers to Division I and II schools follow the same rules as above. Division III to Division III transfers allow students to complete self-release forms and send them to the new school.
Students from an NAIA school recruited by an NCAA school must receive permission for communication. However, NAIA to NAIA transfers don’t require authorization but notices. This is an official NCAA announced rule.
Some students may also require an NLI Release. NLI refers to the National Letter of Intent that students sign with the school. After signing an NLI and before completing their freshman year, those who transfer will need it before permission to contact other schools, or one-time exceptions are accessible.
The NLI has a recruiting ban that prevents other schools from recruiting you until you are released from the said ban. It also has a condition that states students must complete the academic year. If not, there is a penalty for the athlete.
A student-athlete who breaks the NLI condition and enrolls in another NLI school may not compete for an entire academic year. They also lose one season of eligibility in any sports. Doing so eliminates the opportunity for immediate eligibility. This is one of the most important NCAA rules to be aware of.
The release form can be obtained from the NLI website. Student-athletes must fill out any relevant sections as required before sending the form to both their current school’s athletic department offices and the NCAA Eligibility Center’s NLI offices. The former has 30 days to respond to the student.
There are three possible outcomes:
- The athletic department office doesn’t release you from the NLI, and its provisions will still apply.
- The athletic department releases you from the NLI completely.
- The recruiting ban is lifted, but the penalty is still in effect should you not fulfill the NLI.
NLI releases can’t be school-specific, meaning you are released to all schools. Thus, many colleges will elect to remove the recruiting ban first. When you provide them with information about where you wish to transfer, they may grant you a complete release afterward.
2-4 Transfers
Those who studied in two-year colleges and now wish to transfer to NCAA four-year colleges will undergo what’s called a 2-4 transfer. However, as mentioned in the section above, there are more academic requirements than a 4-4 transfer. Thankfully, these requirements for qualifier students aren’t too difficult to meet.
- As a full-time student, complete at least one term or semester.
- Earn at least 12 semester credit hours as a full-time student for each term. You must be academically eligible.
- Your cumulative GPA must be 2.000 and above.
All 12 semester credit hours referenced must be transferable towards your four-year college degree. You should also know that summer school doesn’t count as a term or semester. It has to be a regular school semester or term in the fall or spring.
Those who qualify for the above requirements will be able to practice with the new school’s teams, receive financial aid, and compete in the first year after the transfer. This is the case both for winter sports student-athletes and spring sports student-athletes. If not, you can do the first two things but have to wait a year before competing is possible.
Non-qualified students have similar requirements as well.
- Complete at least three semesters or four quarters as a full-time student.
- Earn an Associate of Arts degree or an equivalent.
- Earn 48 semester or 72 quarter transferrable credit hours.
- Have a cumulative GPA of 2.000 and above.
The Associate of Arts degree or its equivalent must be 25% of the credit hours at the two-year college that awarded your degree.
Those who meet these requirements can practice with teams, receive financial assistance, and play immediately after transferring. Students who don’t can still practice and apply for a scholarship. However, they must wait a whole academic year of residence in the new school before playing.
Those transferring to Division I colleges will have an additional requirement known as the 40/60/80 rule. Here are the conditions:
- Complete 40% of a degree within four full-time terms.
- Complete 60% of a degree within six full-time terms.
- Complete 80% of a degree within eight full-time terms.
Yet another requirement is the 6/18 Transfer Requirement.
- Before transferring, student-athletes must complete at least 6.0 units in a previous full-time term. No summer terms are allowed for this rule. The units can be remedial or transfer units.
- The transferring student must complete at least 18 units in the last two full-time academic terms. Summer and winter terms aren’t allowed. The units can be remedial or transfer units as well.
As with the 4-4 transfer, 2-4 transfers to Division III schools don’t require NCAA initial-eligibility status. However, each institution has its standards and requirements, and you should check if you meet them before transferring. You want to do this before attempting to transfer from a previous school.
4-2-4 Transfers
4-2-4 transfers deal with students who initially went from a four-year college to a two-year college. Somewhere down the line, they transfer to a different four-year college from the first. It wouldn’t be surprising to say that a 4-2-4 transfer is the most complex process out of all of them.
4-2-4 transfers between Division I and Division II are very different, but some similarities exist between the rulesets. Here are the requirements for both sections.
Division I Requirements
- Student-athletes can compete immediately after transferring to the second traditional college by meeting these academic requirements. Other student-athletes who do not meet the following requirements may not be immediately eligible for competition.
- Complete an average of 12 transferrable degree credit hours each term at the jr college or community college as a full-time student.
- In these transferrable courses, earn a cumulative GPA of at least 2.000.
- Wait for 365 days after leaving the first four-year college.
- Graduate from the junior or community college to be immediately eligible.
Only two physical education credits can be used as transferrable degree credits for men’s basketball. In addition, both men’s and women’s basketball and baseball athletes are not eligible to play in the same academic year they transfer to the second four-year school.
Division II Requirements
The transfers to Division II colleges are similar to those who transfer to Division I colleges. However, to play immediately, the following requirements need to be met:
- Attend the junior college or community college for two semesters or three-quarters.
- Graduate from junior college.
- Pass 12 transferrable degree credit hours each full-time term at the junior college on average with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000.
Division II student transfers can choose one from the first or second requirements outlined above, unlike Division I students.
As for non-qualifiers and partial qualifiers who didn’t graduate from the two-year institution, there’s another rule.
- Pass at least six semester-hours or eight quarter-hours of transferrable English credit.
- Pass at least three semester hours or four quarter hours of transferrable math credit.
This requirement allows students to use any transferrable credit from either institution they attended in the past. Thus, courses from the original traditional college and the two-year school are usable.
4-2-4 Transfer Process
The 4-2-4 transfer process is similar to a 2-4 transfer, but the former involves managing two transfers when you’re communicating with NCAA athletics. Most of the information-gathering will also be the athlete’s responsibility.
You’ll need to gather information from both previous institutions. The required documents are:
- Transcripts
- High school information
- Schedules
- Previous transfer documentation
Due to requiring two sets of information, it’s best not to delay. 4-2-4 transfers are incredibly challenging to evaluate and certify.
The transfer process also requires tracers from both schools, which are documents one school sends to another to verify your eligibility as an athlete.
When you leave the four-year school, ask the institution currently recruiting you to send a tracer, even though you’ll have to wait before sending one to the two-year college.
Transferring credits can be a nightmare when it comes to a 4-2-4 transfer. These credits must transfer in three ways:
- Credits transferring from the first four-year college to the two-year school to meet the latter’s graduation requirements.
- From the two-year school to the second four-year college to meet transferrable credit requirements.
- In most cases, both previous schools’ credits must meet the new four-year college’s percentage-of-degree requirements. This is the case for more or less any conference school.
Some 4-2-4 transfer students never intended to bring this unusual status upon themselves. They may have left the first college and then prepared to enroll in the second four-year college. To gain some credits in the meantime, they attend a two-year college full-time, which means they can’t transfer the following semester.
It is a relatively common situation that results in the 4-2-4 transfer becoming necessary. Ultimately, you should be willing to meet all 4-2-4 transfer requirements if you want to attend the community college full-time.
Stay Up to Date with NCAA Division Rules
The NCAA transfer rules for college athletics are subject to changes every so often. New transfer legislation does arise from time to time. For that reason, keeping up with them is crucial. You can always visit the college athletic departments to talk with a representative. They will know more about the rules than anyone.
The NCAA Transfer Portal has been in operation since 2018, and it helps make transfers easier. In addition, it’s a compliance tool to manage the processes from beginning to end. This is where you will find out about any new transfer rule. Thanks to the portal, there has been more transparency in procedures, and student-athletes are making their desire to consider other programs clear.
Students can use it to help compliance administrators handle time-consuming tasks in a matter of minutes. Previously, some tasks required weeks of work. Therefore, you should consider using it.
Not Too Complicated
The basics of the various NCAA transfer rules aren’t too hard to understand, and students are expected to read up on the different processes. These NCAA division rules may also change due to improvements and updates to the system.
Your school’s athletics compliance office will be most knowledgeable on transfer legislation. It’s best to visit the athletics department and ask for assistance if you encounter any difficulties.