Rules pertaining to transfers and alcohol sales are among the lead issues that will be discussed during this week's SEC Spring Meetings.
The NCAA's Transfer Working Group has been working on changes to a series of rules for over a year and last month issued "strong support" for proposals to stop schools from restricting where athletes can transfer and to allow athletes who sign National Letters of Intent to transfer and play immediately should their head coach leave.
The proposed change from the current permission to transfer model to a notification of transfer system will be voted upon by the NCAA Division I Council next month and will surely draw the attention of coaches in Destin this week.
That's not the only facet of transfer rules that will be addressed though.
There is a proposal that would allow for transfers within the league should the athlete's original school receive a postseason ban, which would impact Florida receiver Van Jefferson, who transferred from Ole Miss.
There have been ongoing discussions by the Transfer Working Group about allowing all athletes the ability to transfer and play immediately as long as they meet a certain GPA threshold. However, last month's report from the Commission on College Basketball recommended the NCAA maintain its year in residence restriction.
A proposal that was tabled last month calls for graduate transfers in men's basketball to count against a team's scholarship limit (13) for the duration of the graduate program they enroll in, rather than one year as they do currently. That proposal will be among the many issues basketball coaches discuss this week, including a variety of experimental rules the NCAA is seeking feedback on for the 2019-20 season.
Alcohol sales have been a topic for several years and the SEC's prohibition on sales to general seating areas will be debated again. LSU has long pushed for restrictions on alcohol sales to end. The SEC currently allows schools to sell alcohol in "premium" seating areas only.
There is also a reported proposal to expand the league's serious misconduct policy to encompass incoming signees. At last year's SEC Media Days, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said he wanted the league to "re-engage" its review of the policy, which prohibits athletes who've been convicted, pleaded guilty or no contest to a felony involving sexual assault, domestic violence or other forms of sexual violence or faced discipline at previous colleges for such interpersonal violence to transfer to an SEC school.
The SEC was the first league to pass such a policy, which currently pertains only to transfers, in June 2015 and the Big XII, Pac-12 and Indiana University implemented similar legislation since. The Big XII and Indiana's policies encompass incoming signees.
James Crepea is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @JamesCrepea.
from Auburn Sports Impact http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2018/05/transfer_rules_lead_issues_to.html
