Can college basketball players transfer more than once?

How many times can a college basketball player transfer schools? Are there any limits or consequences for transferring multiple times?

There are NCAA rules related to transferring within Division I athletics, but there's not a specific limit on the number of times an athlete can transfer. That said, there are conditions one must meet to be eligible to play after transferring.

According to recent changes in the NCAA transfer policies, athletes in all sports can transfer once and be immediately eligible to compete at their new school, without having to sit out a season, as long as they are transferring from a four-year school to a different four-year school for the first time. In the past, this rule only applied to a few sports, while others required a waiver or an 'academic redshirt' year.

But this ‘one-time transfer’ waiver only applies to the first transfer. So if a player decides to transfer a second time, they'll likely be subject to the previous rules, which require athletes to sit out a season before regaining eligibility, unless a waiver is granted for exceptional circumstances.

Transferring also might impact a player’s academic progress and their corresponding ability to play, since NCAA rules state that players must be maintaining satisfactory progress toward a degree and have a certain percentage of their degree completed by each year of school. For example, by the start of their third year at all schools combined, 40% of their degree has to be completed. This could be difficult if credits don’t transfer over seamlessly.

In conclusion, while there’s no specified limit on transfers, there are a number of hurdles that might make multiple transfers difficult, largely due to strict NCAA rules aimed at ensuring athletes are also students making progress toward a degree.