Is NCAA “free agency” an emerging trend?
Free agency in professional sports can re-shape the entire landscape and competitive balance in a league in the span of a couple of months of whirlwind negotiations. Teams have constantly rotating rosters due to the tendency among each sport’s best to leave for the biggest offer possible when they have the ability to do so.
Free agency in collegiate sports– specifically among NCAA Division I member schools– is also happening, it’s just perhaps less publicized and obvious than it’s professional counterpart.
There are plenty of cases of players jumping from one program to another, not always necessarily due to discontent with the former program, but just as often anymore to make a splash in a program that desperately needs their services.
One of the highest-profile cases in recent history is this past season’s Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Russell Wilson. After wasting away on the bench at North Carolina State, Wilson move to Madison, and in the process made the Badgers one of the nation’s most promising teams of the early 2011 football season. Wilson was able to make this transfer– without losing eligibility– because he had a year of eligibility remaining and was attending graduate school.
Coaches are already starting to catch on to the fact that graduate school can be used as a cute little way to circumvent existing NCAA bylaws which requires that any transfer student-athlete be required to sit out a year at their new institution before competing.
These student-athletes only need to enroll in a graduate program that is not offered at their previous institution, and, poof, they’re instantly eligible.
In this scenario, there is absolutely nothing stopping a student-athlete who redshirts at one school during his freshman year (or due to injury) and plays for that school for three years (graduating as a “4th year senior”) to make a jump to an entirely new program for his graduate work?
In this case, he is a free agent.
Nothing more, nothing less.
These free agent players are experienced and solid, while maybe not NBA worthy– just the type of player that any coach would love to have guiding younger players on the intricacies of the college game while also adding some much needed production and maturity to the roster.
Opinions are very mixed about the long-term impact that this type of movement will have on the landscape of collegiate sports, but there is no doubt that it is being noticed and is happening at a blinding rate.
Does the NCAA notice?
It’s doubtful, and it could be at their own peril.
2 Rants to “Is NCAA “free agency” an emerging trend?”
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I think it’s an absolutely fantastic rule that more players could take advantage of. Same with just switching to another sport like several people have done at the same school. It allows players to make the most of their time in college and rewards them for getting work done in the classroom.
I don’t necessarily disagree Luke. I just think that the NCAA will shut it down in due time if they think it’s anti-competition. That’s their habit anyway.