Tranfer question

Of course 3 Finger will show up and clarify as he always does...

But since he has never been on a team or any roster, it does not make sense that there would be any restrictions on transfering...

Which I am sure is how your mind is working as well.

How is your guy coming along with his recovery?

There are two potential ways to transfer without sitting. (Note that the fact that the first school is a D1 is irrelevant to any transfer situation. The NCAA D1 transfer rules only draw a distinction between 2 year and 4 year schools, but not the division of the "from" school.)

The first way probably won't be useful. It is 14.5.5.2.9 Nonrecruited Student Exception. The player can't have been recruited (see 13.02.13.1 for the exact definition of recruited) to the new school, hasn't done more than 14 consecutive days of countable activity, and has never received athletic aid. I doubt this is useful, because it doesn't make much sense to transfer unless the player has some assurance he is wanted, and that assurance probably implies recruitment.

The second way probably would work. Most sports allow a one-time exception to the sitout rule, and so did baseball until 2008. But 14.5.5.2.10.2 Nonrecruited Student allows even a baseball player to use the one-time exception, if he was not recruited to the first school (D1 or not), and has never received athletic aid. It's OK to have participated or even competed in baseball at the first school.

So it is important to avoid being recruited at the first school. Do not take an official visit, have no arranged off-campus encounter with the coaches, don't accept more than one recruiting phone call from the coach. Signing a NLI also makes a player recruited, but that event would make this whole line of inquiry moot!

One caveat: That's the way the rule reads today, and I haven't heard any suggestion to change the rule. But if it were changed, the effectivity would probably be in relation to the transfer date and not to the intial enrollment date. So the player could enroll at the first school and perhaps find out later that a revised rule requires the one year in residence if he transfers.

I would suggest calling the NCAA and asking them, since each individual situation is different the answer could vary.

I do believe there is a provision for non-recruited athletes but it is a fairly vague rule, I would clarify with the NCAA to be on the safe side.

Also, there are no mid-year transfers for baseball.

P.S. looks like 3 fingered posted while I was posting, the second one is the provisions I was referring to.

quote:

Originally posted by floridafan:
Of course 3 Finger will show up and clarify as he always does...

But since he has never been on a team or any roster, it does not make sense that there would be any restrictions on transfering...

Which I am sure is how your mind is working as well.

How is your guy coming along with his recovery?

He's out of the industrial strength sling into the kind bought at a drug store. He finds out Monday if he's out of the sling and starting rehab. He also needs to rebuild strength is his knee. The shoulder injury occurred in the first week of rehabbing his knee (he stumbled and fell on his shoulder). He's not going to be allowed to throw until May. He was told if all goes well he can swing a bat in March. The season starts March 15th. His plan is to be the DH.

One positive is the ortho thinks the shoulder injury was cummulative over years of sports. He said my son should throw harder if the rehab goes well. He threw 85 last year with very little pitching training. A pitching coach told him last year he could get him to 87/88. My son wants to be a position player (ran a 6.75 60 before knee injury). But he would prefer to pitch than not play college ball. And pitching is usually an easier route to gaining attention. The number on the gun is not subjective.

We'll see. It's still a long road. Thanks for asking.

The high school and travel coaches call the college coach to tell him the kid can play there assuming he recovers. Then the coach calls the kid. Is that recruitment even if the conversation is about a walk on tryout and the kid is already accepted and intending to attend regardless of baseball?

A player is a prospective student-athlete until he enrolls. And more than one phone call initiated by a coach constitute recruitment, according to 13.02.13.1. It's the second call that triggers it.

The 4 items that cause a player to become recruited are all verifiable, in principle. Certainly official visits and NLIs are recorded events. I'm a little less clear about phone calls--effective 8/1/2010 baseball coaches can call during a contact period at their discretion-- the one per week limitation doesn't apply. So maybe calls made during a contact period aren't entered into a call log. I think calls made during a quiet period (like now) should be logged.

RJM,
That's encouraging to hear son is doing well.

It's all in the rehab and the players desire to get back to the game, if that is what he wants, it'll happen.