Muschamp’s prediction for proposed NCAA transfer rule: ‘Tampering’ at the least
The reactions from college coaches over a proposed ‘one-time transfer exception’ have trended toward the alarmist side, to say the least.
One anonymous coach told Stadium’s Jeff Goodman it would be the “death of college basketball.” Alabama coach Nick Saban told ESPN he wondered if it was good for college football.
South Carolina football’s Will Muschamp predicted this: Tampering and more.
“I’ve been in this league for 20 years,” Muschamp said this week. “Tampering will be a nice word for what’ll happen, so people will be recruiting them off your campus.”
That said, he admitted he’d be OK with that exception in one situation.
“I think if a head coach leaves, I think that a player should have the ability to transfer,” Muschamp said. “I don’t have any problem with that, but I would not be for just a one-time transfer.”
The change, first floated by the Big Ten and now supported by the ACC, would allow student-athletes one transfer to another college without having to sit out a year. It would all but roll back a longstanding rule that has, in some ways, defined how college rosters are built and maintained.
For a player to be eligible at a new school under the proposal, he or she must receive an official release from the original school, leave in good academic standing and not be facing any kind of suspension.
South Carolina’s football program hasn’t been shy about working the transfer or grad transfer market, adding the likes of Jamel Cook, Josh Belk, Tavien Feaster, J.T. Ibe and Nick Harvey, to name a few.
Other Gamecocks coaches were also asked their thoughts about the proposed rule change.
Women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley: “It’s bittersweet. It’s bitter in that you’re going to have coaches that are recruiting your current roster, the ones that, playing time or a bad week or a bad day or a bad game, you’re going to have coaches just in their parents’ ear, or their ears or their social media accounts saying, ‘Look, you won’t have those days over here.’
“And then you have players being able to move freely. With the current rate of how we’ve been handled with waivers to play right away, it hurt us. But now somebody else is going to reap the benefit of a change. And I think players need to get their freedom of movement, but I just don’t think we get the totality of what it’s going to do and the integrity that can be compromised with this rule change. So I’m indifferent. I want it for the players, but I don’t want it for the profession.”
Athletic director Ray Tanner (on his monthly 107.5 FM radio appearance): “Do I think it will happen? As I sit here, I think that it probably will. I think there there’s a lot of unintended consequences with this. ... What happens with the one-time transfer rule, if it was done in the right context, I’m all for it. I think it will be very difficult to get there. Who does it benefit? It’s going to benefit the Power 5. ... I don’t know that’s where we need to go.”
The State’s Greg Hadley contributed to this story.
