Can I transfer from a NCAA D3 Basketball Program? How does this work?

As a college basketball player at a D3 school, sometimes you come to the realization the the school you picked isn’t the situation you thought is was going to be. Now you’re thinking about making a move. But what do you? If you decide to transfer from a NCAA D3 basketball program, you need to make sure you’re fully educated on the processes involved. This with make sure your participation in college basketball continues smoothly

Learn, Learn, Learn. Learn as much as you can so you can protect your eligibility and make sure you graduate on time. Yes, your Coaches, Athletics Staff, Admissions and staff at the NCAA can give you advice, but you always need to understand the process of things yourself, especially how transfer rules apply to you before you decide to make a move to a new school.

Transferring to another school involves important and sometimes difficult decisions and choices that you will have to make. Make understanding the rules, the options and the potential consequences of your decision a paramount priority. This article is primarily written to help student athletes who are looking to transfer form a 4 year to another 4 year school.

When should I start the process to transfer from an NCAA D3 ?

Once you have given it some serious thought and you know what you want to do 100%, you should start initiating moves to transfer. The first thing you should do is speak with your Coach and get as much advice as possible. Remember, they have probably been through the transfer process with previous student athletes and can offer guidance and knowledge.

Are you eligible to Transfer from a NCAA D3?

You need to know if you are eligible or not to even transfer in the first place. Lets take a look at the following conditions which can affect your transfer status. Simply defined: a transfer student is an person who transfers from a collegiate institution after having met any one of the following conditions at that school they are currently attending:

• The student athlete was officially registered and enrolled in a minimum, full-time program of studies in any quarter or semester of an academic year, as certified by the registrar or admissions office and attended class

• The student athlete attended a class or classes in any quarter or semester in which the student was enrolled in a minimum full-time program of studies, even if the enrollment was on a provisional basis and the student was later determined by the institution not to be admissible

• The student athlete is or was enrolled in an institution in a minimum full-time program of studies in a night school that is considered to have regular terms (semesters or quarters) the same as the institution’s day school, and the student is or was considered by the institution to be a regularly matriculated student

• The student athlete attended a branch school that does not conduct an intercollegiate athletics program, but the student had been enrolled in another collegiate institution before attendance at the branch school

• The student attended a branch school that conducted an intercollegiate athletics program and transfers to an institution other than the parent institution

• The student reported for a regular squad practice (including practice or conditioning activities that occurred before certification), announced by the institution through any member of its athletics department staff, before the beginning of any quarter or semester, as certified by the athletics director. Participation only in picture-day activities would not constitute “regular practice”

• The student participated in practice or competed in a given sport even though the student was enrolled in less than a minimum full-time program of studies.

What are the conditions that I wouldn’t be considered a Transfer?

A student athlete is not considered a transfer under the following enrollment conditions:

• The student athlete has been enrolled in or attended classes only in a summer school, extension course or night school, unless the night school is considered by the institution to be a regular term (semester or quarter) the same as its day school, the student is enrolled for a minimum full-time load in this regular night term, and the student is considered by the institution to be a regularly enrolled student.
• Second Campus of Institution. The student athlete is in residence at an institution’s campus that is not in the same city as the institution’s main campus, provided the campus at which the student is in residence does not conduct an intercollegiate athletics program, classes on the campus are taught by the same instructors who teach classes on the main campus, the credits received by all class enrollees are considered as regular credits by the institution’s main campus, and the degrees awarded to all students come from the institution’s main campus.
• Academic Exchange Program. The student participates in a regular academic exchange program between two four-year institutions that requires a participant to complete a specified period of time at each institution, and the program provides for the student-athlete to receive at least two baccalaureate or equivalent degrees at the conclusion of this joint academic program.

You Can Self Release

As a Division 3 student athlete, if you being recruited by another NCAA Division 3 school, you have the opportunity to release yourself. To do this you must complete a self-release form and send it to the other D3 school. This release form allows you the student athlete, to be recruited by that school for 30 days. If at the end of 30 days, you decide not to transfer, the school has to stop contact with you. If you remain undecided, you can send a second self-release for another 30 days to continue the recruitment. However, be aware that if you do this for a 2nd time, the recruiting school must now inform your current school that they received a release from you.

NOTE: In the first 30 days, the recruiting school is not allowed to tell your current school that they are recruiting you, unless you waive your privacy rights.

You Need to Get a Permission to Contact Form

If you want to leave your current basketball program and go to another school you must get a Permission to contact from the school. The school has seven business days to make a decision and 15 business days to finish the appeal. CLICK HERE to see get the most updated Permission to Contact Form.

What Are NCAA Compliance Forms?

The compliance forms are a set of form that can be found HERE. These are a group of forms that you the transferring student athlete, need to read over and fill out. Basically they overlook the guidelines regarding ethical conduct, amateurism, financial aid, academic requirements and other eligibility specifications that you need.

NOTE: Be aware that when you start to complete the forms the information will be lost if you son’t save your completed file as a separate file.

I am wanting to transfer from D3 to D2/D1 School?

If you are looking to transfer from a NCAA D3 school to a D2 or D1 school must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. If you are a D3 student athlete looking to go to a different D3 school, you don’t need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center, You can self-release yourself and then go ahead and contact the school

NOTE: The self release for and the permission to contact form are the same form.

Can I play immediately after transferring?

In the below paragraphs you can find all the relevant information I have sourced from the official terms of transfer for an NCAA D3 student athlete. You should find all you need to know to make the right decision for your (to transfer or not to transfer) …

Residence Requirement: The general principle for a student athlete who transfers (see Bylaw 14.5.2) to a member institution from any collegiate institution is required to complete an academic year of residence at the certifying institution before being eligible to compete for or to receive travel expenses from the member institution, unless the student athlete satisfies the applicable transfer requirements or receives an exception or waiver.

As a student athlete who transfers to the certifying institution, to be immediately eligible to play you must meet any of the following terms:

• The student athlete has never practiced nor competed in intercollegiate athletics
• The student athlete transfers from a four-year collegiate institution and would have been academically and athletically eligible, at the time of transfer to the certifying institution (see Bylaw 14.5.2), had they remained at the previous school
• The student athlete transfers from a four-year collegiate institution that did not sponsor the student-athlete’s sport and while at that institution, the student-athlete: (1) Successfully completed at least 24-semester or 36-quarter hours of transferable-degree credit; and (2) Completed at least two full-time semesters or three full-time quarters.

NOTE: For 2-Year College Transfers – a student athlete who transfers to a NCAA D3 from a two-year college or from a branch school that conducts an intercollegiate athletics program must complete an academic year of residence (see Bylaw 14.02.10) UNLESS the student athlete qualifies for a transfer exception found in Bylaw 14.5.4.1.

How do I get an exception or waiver?

A student athlete who transfers to the certifying institution shall be immediately eligible if:

• The student has never practiced nor competed in intercollegiate athletics

• The student transfers from a two-year college or from a branch school that conducts an intercollegiate athletics program without having been enrolled full time at a four-year collegiate institution and would have been academically and athletically eligible had they remained at that institution. A student-athlete who has exhausted their athletics eligibility at the two-year college may use this transfer exception if the student-athlete was otherwise academically or athletically eligible for competition at the two-year college
• The student transfers from a four-year institution to a two-year college, and then to the certifying institution and
• The student would have been athletically and academically eligible, at the time of transfer from the previous four year institution (see Bylaw 14.5.2), had they remained at the previous four-year institution or
• The student-athlete successfully completed at least 24-semester or 36-quarter hours of transferable-degree credit at the two-year college and spent at least two full-time semesters or three full-time quarters of attendance at the two year college.

NOTE: Student athletes who graduated from an DI or DII school that have eligibility remaining and wish to transfer to compete at a D3 institution are not immediately eligible and must complete a stringent waiver process. NCAA D1 transfer rules still require you to enter the transfer portal prior to contacting a D3 school while NCAA Division 2 transfer rules don’t include this requirement.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL NCAA DIVISION 3 MANUAL WHICH COVERS IN GREAT DETAIL EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW, THE BYLAWS IN DETAIL AND MORE!

What academic information do I needed to transfer from a NCAA D3?

If you are transferring from a four-year college will need to gather together the same academic information as a transfer from a junior college. Remember, if you are trying to be recruited as a transfer, this does take additional time as they have to evaluate your transfer eligibility, get admitted into the school and, certify you to be able to play basketball. Please be patient with the process.

To keep this process moving, make sure you have the following ready:

• Official transcripts
• Unofficial transcripts
• Current schedule
• High school information
• Any information about your athletic eligibility
• Any medical information
• Scholarship or waiver information

TIP: Contact the compliance officer at your current and transfer school and ask them to clarify everything you need. They may provide you with additional requests or information that you might not have or missed.