How do college athletes transfer between schools?

As a student-athlete, I'm contemplating transferring to a different college to play my sport. Can someone explain the process of how athletes transfer colleges? Are there specific rules or timelines I should be aware of when considering this?

The process for transferring as a college athlete can be quite complex as different rules apply for specific sports, divisions, and situations.

1. Permission to Contact: Before even starting the transfer process, you need to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal. This is an online process where you formally express your intent to transfer and you allow other coaches from NCAA schools to officially contact you. Student-athletes previously needed permission from their current school to contact another school, but now they simply need to inform their current school's athletics department that they would like to transfer.

2. The 'One-Time Transfer' Rule: In most cases, Division I athletes, for example, are required to sit out one competitive season when they transfer to a new school. This is known as the "residency" requirement. However, as of April 2021, the NCAA has adopted a new 'One-Time Transfer' rule. This rule allows all student-athletes in all sports to transfer one time and be immediately eligible to compete at their next school. Before, this immediate eligibility was only available to athletes in specific sports like volleyball and basketball, among others.

3. Academic Requirements: The NCAA also has certain academic requirements that you must meet in order to be eligible to compete at your new school. A transfer student must be academically and athletically eligible at their previous institution before the move.

4. Financial Aid: Another critical aspect to pay attention to during the transfer process is scholarships and financial aid. Every school has its own policies regarding athletic scholarships for transfer students. Some will honor the existing scholarship agreement you had with your previous school, while others will require you to submit a new aid application.

5. National Letter of Intent (NLI): If you've signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) with your current school, and you decide to transfer before the end of your first year, you may be subject to certain penalties, including having to sit out a year of competition and losing a year of eligibility.

6. Communicate with your Coach: Lastly, it's important to have open communication with your current coach. Discuss your intentions to transfer and see how they can assist in the process. This can potentially smooth out the exit process from your current school.

Please note that the above are general rules and guidelines for the NCAA, different divisions may have their own unique policies and exceptions, so it's essential to check and understand all the regulations that apply in your current division and prospective divisions, and seek guidance from your coaches and athletic department.