The DI Cabinet this week finalized the penalty process for cases in which schools circumvent transfer rules and add a transfer student-athlete who did not enter the Transfer Portal to their roster, sign them to a revenue sharing agreement or permit them to practice or compete. The Cabinet met Tuesday and Wednesday.
On April 1, the Cabinet adopted a recommendation from the Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee to automatically penalize schools for circumventing transfer rules and adding to rosters or playing "ghost transfers." The penalties — which apply to all sports, include a suspension of the team's head coach for 50% of the season and a fine equivalent to 20% of that sport's annual budget — are triggered automatically and expected to be self-applied by the schools.
If a school does not notify the NCAA within 15 days of its intent to self-apply those penalties, the enforcement staff will provide written notice of the potential violation to the school, along with a date by which the school must provide evidence demonstrating that a violation did not occur. Consequences for failing to self-impose the legislated penalties include an additional 10% suspension for the head coach and an additional 5% fine.
The Cabinet also determined that the NCAA national office may provide notice to the membership when a school self-imposes penalties or fails to impose penalties and the legislated process for appealing should be available following the Committee on Infractions' decision to apply the additional penalties.
Notification-of-transfer windows
The Cabinet also approved recommendations by sport oversight committees to amend the notification-of-transfer windows for those sports. Those changes include:
- Men's and women's golf: Two notification-of-transfer windows: a 15-day period beginning the day after the respective championships conclude and Dec. 1-15.
- Softball: Two notification-of-transfer windows: a 15-day window the day after the championship concludes and Dec. 1-15.
Foreign tours
At the recommendation of the Men's and Women's Basketball Oversight Committees, the Cabinet approved a change allowing teams to complete a foreign tour annually, rather than once every four years, and expanded the proposed rule change to apply in all sports. The change is effective immediately.
