The Mid-American Conference announced Thursday that the league’s intraconference transfer policy will be eliminated, a change that will allow student-athletes to transfer between MAC schools without losing a year of eligibility.
Previously, intraconference transfers who received a scholarship from one MAC institution and transferred immediately to another one were subject to lose a year of eligibility for athletic competition.
Prospective student-athletes who attended scholarship-funded summer sessions prior to enrolling in a MAC institution and then transferred immediately to a second MAC institution were also subject to the same consequence.
The decision was made unanimously by the MAC Council of Presidents and followed recommendations from the Council of Directors of Athletics. Feedback from the Faculty Athletic Representatives and Council of Student-Athletes also led to the vote on the policy.
“Over a decade ago our student-athletes played an integral role in crafting a revision of the Conference’s intraconference transfer policy,” MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said in a statement released Thursday afternoon. “With continued student-athlete feedback, the membership will eliminate the policy and be governed solely by NCAA transfer regulations that continue to evolve. The elimination of this policy is effective immediately, and aligns with our beliefs in providing opportunity and choice for Mid-American Conference student-athletes.”
The news comes after the ACC eliminated its intraconference transfer policy in March. With the NCAA considering allowing all collegiate athletes to transfer without penalty, individual conferences are making the change preemptively.
This new policy will already affect the Bulls: UB sophomore guard Savion Gallion entered the transfer portal last week, and can now switch to another MAC school without losing a year of eligibility.
Anthony DeCicco is the senior sports editor and can be reached at anthony.decicco@ubspectrum.com
Anthony DeCicco is the Editor-in-Chief of The Spectrum. His words have appeared in outlets such as SLAM Magazine andSyracuse.com. In 2020, he was awarded First Prize for Sports Column Writing at the Society of Professional Journalists' Region 1 Mark of Excellence Awards. In his free time, he can be found watching ‘90s Knicks games and reading NFL Mock Drafts at 3 a.m.
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
