SEC Eliminates Intraconference Transfer Rule

Thursday it was announced that the SEC presidents have voted to ban intraconference transferring.

It was announced on Thursday night that the SEC presidents have voted to eliminate the intraconference transfer rule. 

Players will no longer have to sit out one full season when transferring from one SEC program to another. 

The news was first broken by Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated. Dellenger published a tweet saying:

“SEC presidents have voted to eliminate the league’s intraconference transfer rule, sources tell @SINow.

It required players who are transferring within the conference to sit a season. This falls in line with most other conferences and the NCAA’s new one-time transfer exception.”

College football fans have been wondering how conferences were planning to counteract the one-time transfer rule and now have their answer.

The SEC released a statement shortly after the news broke, detailing  the conference’s decision.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey was quoted in the press release saying:

“This is an important measure to further support student-athletes throughout the Southeastern Conference while maintaining the expectation that coaches and others avoid improper recruiting, this change will ensure that student-athletes who enroll at an SEC member institution will enjoy the flexibility afforded to other student-athletes across the nation.”

In order to gain immediate eligibility, the athlete has to enter the portal by February 1 for fall sports, May 1 for winter sports, and July 1 for spring sports.

This news comes just days after tight end Arik Gilbert announced he was transferring to Georgia from LSU. 

Gilbert still gains immediate eligibility, but is an example of the movement that the SEC is trying to avoid.  

It is also just weeks after Georgia added former Alabama cornerback Brandon Turnage.