CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The NCAA and a coalition of states suing the organization announced Thursday a proposed settlement of a lawsuit that would allow athletes to be immediately eligible to play regardless of how many times they transfer and give them an additional year of eligibility.
Under the agreement, a preliminary injunction issued in December by a federal judge in West Virginia that allowed athletes to compete with multiple transfers would be made permanent. Judge John Preston Bailey would still have to sign the pact.
Thursday’s agreement comes a month after the NCAA Division I Council fast-tracked the legislation and was ratified by the Division I Board to comply with Bailey’s preliminary injunction.
Under the agreement, the NCAA would be required to grant an additional year of eligibility to Division I athletes who were previously ineligible under the transfer eligibility rule since the 2019-20 academic year.
“We have leveled the playing field for college athletes so they can better control their destiny,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in a statement. “This long-term change is exactly what we wanted to achieve.”
In a statement, the NCAA said the agreement is “just one of many ways the association is providing greater benefits to student-athletes, increasing flexibility and implementing impactful reforms.”
Athletes would still have to meet academic requirements to remain eligible. The transfer windows, which are sport-specific, remain in effect and require undergraduate athletes to enter their names into the portal at certain times for immediate eligibility at a new school. Graduate students have already been able to transfer and enter the portal outside the windows multiple times while maintaining immediate eligibility.
The agreement would prevent the NCAA from retaliating against member institutions and athletes who challenge the rule or support those who do. This includes ensuring the rights of student athletes to participate during legal proceedings without fear of punishment from the NCAA.
Furthermore, under the agreement, the NCAA would not be allowed to undermine or circumvent its provisions through future actions that could threaten the rights and freedoms of athletes.
Under the agreement, the federal court in the Northern District of West Virginia would retain jurisdiction to enforce the terms and resolve any disputes. The lawsuit was scheduled for a jury trial next year.
The U.S. Department of Justice, which joined the lawsuit in January, was involved in the settlement. In addition to Ohio, other states that secured the agreement were Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.
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