[CTcard]

[quote author=dabigv link=topic=12118.msg118092#msg118092 date=1431368237]
I'm very skeptical that the majority of these transfers have anything to do with education. I think in the case of some of the guys that left Stanford to go to other programs, maybe some of it is interest in a particular graduate program. I think the majority of these graduate transfers are more about where they can get the most playing time.

I wouldn't mind getting rid of the graduate transfer rule, if there were some meaningful penalties or mechanisms put in place to prevent coaches from doing the same thing.

Dabigv, you are correct to be skeptical.  Mandel cites an NCAA study which found that 40% of graduate transfers drop out of school after one semester.  But the coaches and admins are speaking about protecting their interests, not those of the schools or the athletes.
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For anybody other than an athlete, this isn't transferring, it's going to grad school.

In the case of most of the football and basketball players, the primary interest is almost certainly playing time. I am actually surprised only 40% don't continue in grad school - there must be athletes from many other sports in that total.

I also think comparing to coaches is silly. There's all sorts of things coaches don't have to do that the athletes do - like maintaining a certain GPA, going to class, etc. It's a different position with different ground rules. 

Nevertheless, if an athlete graduates from school in four years they have completed their academic tasks and should be entirely free to pursue other opportunities even if for playing time or exposure or whatever else they want.
For most of the things the NCAA gets a lot of grief over, there is at least a conceptual argument for their stance in terms of academic and athletic balance. In this case I don't see such an argument.

[CTcard]

[quote author=dabigv link=topic=12118.msg118092#msg118092 date=1431368237]
I'm very skeptical that the majority of these transfers have anything to do with education. I think in the case of some of the guys that left Stanford to go to other programs, maybe some of it is interest in a particular graduate program. I think the majority of these graduate transfers are more about where they can get the most playing time.

I wouldn't mind getting rid of the graduate transfer rule, if there were some meaningful penalties or mechanisms put in place to prevent coaches from doing the same thing.

Dabigv, you are correct to be skeptical.  Mandel cites an NCAA study which found that 40% of graduate transfers drop out of school after one semester.  But the coaches and admins are speaking about protecting their interests, not those of the schools or the athletes.
[/quote]

For anybody other than an athlete, this isn't transferring, it's going to grad school.

In the case of most of the football and basketball players, the primary interest is almost certainly playing time. I am actually surprised only 40% don't continue in grad school - there must be athletes from many other sports in that total.

I also think comparing to coaches is silly. There's all sorts of things coaches don't have to do that the athletes do - like maintaining a certain GPA, going to class, etc. It's a different position with different ground rules. 

Nevertheless, if an athlete graduates from school in four years they have completed their academic tasks and should be entirely free to pursue other opportunities even if for playing time or exposure or whatever else they want.
For most of the things the NCAA gets a lot of grief over, there is at least a conceptual argument for their stance in terms of academic and athletic balance. In this case I don't see such an argument.