NCAA clarifies transfer rules for Penn State football players
A player exodus is widely expected in the wake of harsh sanctions against Penn State.
July 24th, 2012
09:31 PM ET

NCAA clarifies transfer rules for Penn State football players

The NCAA on Tuesday spelled out how it is relaxing some rules to allow Penn State football players to transfer to other schools after the governing body of college athletics announced unprecedented sanctions Monday.

The Penn State football program, one of the top programs in the NCAA's major-school division, may be crippled by the sanctions announced Monday in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal and subsequent cover-up. The program is losing 20 scholarships a year and cannot play in postseason bowl games for the next four years, which is expected to drive many of its best athletes to other schools.

"The NCAA recognizes that current football student athletes will be negatively impacted by the Penn State sanctions," said Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president for academic and membership affairs. "We want to allow those eligible student athletes as much flexibility as possible while still being mindful of some of the transfer safeguards our membership has put in place."

The biggest change is that players will be able to play for their new teams immediately rather than having to sit out a year. Under normal rules, a player would have to move to a lower division to remain eligible.

As long as players don't practice or play games with Penn State between now and the start of the 2013 season, they can jump schools without penalty, the NCAA said. Incoming freshmen also are released from their national letters of intent so they can play for and receive athletic scholarships from other schools.

Coaches from other schools will be allowed to contact and recruit Penn State players until classes start at Penn State on August 27. For the 2012 season only, schools not facing sanctions of their own will be allowed extra scholarships to make room for players they pick up from Penn State.

Players will be allowed to practice with their new teams this summer while the admission process to the new schools is being completed.

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Filed under: College football • Jerry Sandusky • Penn State • Sports
soundoff (168 Responses)
  1. RobK

    Lot of people living in glass houses here. If one person at your school (town, place of employment, subdivision) did something like this, should they close down the entire school (town, place of employment, subdivision) and punish everyone connected with it? Not just the people that perpetrated the crime? Get real. Someone connected to you or geographically close to you has probably already done what Sandusky did.

    July 25, 2012 at 9:56 am | Report abuse |
    • Brian Hartman

      If it's the people *running* the place, then yes, it should be shut down.

      I have no sympathy for Penn State. The student athletes are able to transfer, so they won't be affected. The football program itself *deserves* to suffer, because it was instrumental in this abuse.

      July 25, 2012 at 10:19 am | Report abuse |
    • CommonSense

      News flash – while the act was only committed by one person, it was covered by and ignored by many including a lot of the higher up positions that govern the way the university works. This is why it was necessary that these penalties be levied.

      July 25, 2012 at 10:35 am | Report abuse |
    • ncanadanow

      It happens every day in businesses, homes, and class rooms; one person doing wrong results in everyone being punished j"to teach a lesson". PSU and its supports need to stop belly aching; for once, you've been treated like everyone else.

      July 25, 2012 at 10:41 am | Report abuse |
  2. Stan

    Not that there's anything wrong with that.

    July 25, 2012 at 10:11 am | Report abuse |
  3. Sam

    If officials tried to conceal immoral behavior – they have to lose their jobs.
    If they tried to conceal a crime – they have to go to jail.
    Students and their parents do not have to pay 10% tuition hike to pay $60 mil fine for the crime commited by one or by few.
    Will NCAA share the fine with the victims? No.
    Will the victims come after Penn State on their own? Yes.
    Students and parents will pay.

    July 25, 2012 at 10:19 am | Report abuse |
  4. independent texan

    So much for the myth that these "student" athletes are interested in the free "education" they get at these colleges. It's all about football for most of them, to be evidenced by the huge exodus we will see as they abandon Penn State - where they can still get a quality free education.

    July 25, 2012 at 10:42 am | Report abuse |
    • What?

      I don't think such a myth exists.

      July 25, 2012 at 10:54 am | Report abuse |
  5. PJ

    Since some of the "current student atheletes" are more upset about their stupid game and Paterno's statue, they should just be booted out of the game altogether and have their scholarships taken back. Future Felons of America go back to where you came from until you figure out that Child Molestation is Wrong. Human Garabage that has no place in higher education at ALL.

    July 25, 2012 at 10:50 am | Report abuse |
  6. mike Lom

    II would like to see Penn State pay the Tuition of a Football Player transferring to another school ( at least the first year).
    This will take the financial burden off the athlete scrambling this late for scholarship at another College

    July 25, 2012 at 10:51 am | Report abuse |
    • michael

      That's a great suggestion.

      July 25, 2012 at 12:02 pm | Report abuse |
    • skipper Sam

      Sorry Fail

      All the schlorship players for Penn State Are Division 1 players for a top 50 team

      Any player who agreed to attend Penn State can still go there and receive a fine education.
      They also will not have any Coach pressure on them to win

      Only the players with realistic Professional Football talent will transfer
      And there are 100 schools who can take them risk free.

      July 25, 2012 at 8:18 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Greywolf1966

    David

    I think many of the Penn State students and athletes are sticking with the school because they recognize antisocial tendencies inside themselves. Many Penn State students are in fact pervs or pedos and support the actions of their coaches.
    ______________________________________________________________________________________________

    Let's try that scenario in a different light shall we?

    I think many of the Catholics and Church Clergy are sticking with the Catholic Church because they recognize antisocial tendencies inside themselves. Many Catholics are in fact pervs or pedos and support the actions of their church.

    Hmmm, that sounds really jacked up. We are blaming everyone associated with a particular group for the actions of a very small minority of it's members. This situation is no different.I am in no way a Penn state fan or even a Paterno fan but seriously folks a little common sense might actually go a long way... assuming it doesn't kill you first.

    July 25, 2012 at 11:23 am | Report abuse |
    • Cherylynne

      Greywolf1966 you need to get over yourself. Your bigotry astounds me. Are you a Penn State alumnist? How long have you and Sandusky been friends? The small minded hatred you display towards others sickens me. Why don't you think of the victims instead of just football you disgusting moron?

      July 25, 2012 at 12:14 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      Oh, for heaven's sake!
      I *think* I get Greywolf's meaning...
      Put simply, according to some, all Penn Staters all Catholics = perverts.
      What he is saying is that, based on the actions of a few within the both of these insti tutions, calling ALL PS'ers and ALL Catholics perverts is just disingenuous and silly.
      This takes away absolutely NOTHING from the victims...they are still victims...but sweeping generalizations are just stupid!

      July 25, 2012 at 1:18 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Driving Athletes to Other Schools

    Hmmmm. So in other words, instead of a university teaching kids to play children's games with a pretty little ball, they are going to have to be professional and actually teach REAL subjects to their students.

    Wow – imagine that. A school actually teaching COURSES about THINGS instead of having recess.

    Why, it's almost like it's a school and not a playground.

    July 25, 2012 at 11:41 am | Report abuse |
    • mikerudolph

      Wow, so I guess you didn't know World Class programs in engineering, liberal arts, business, law, psychology, economics, mathematics and education were REAL areas of study? Just what exactly do you think a university is supposed to teach? Only a few dozen "students" out of nearly 100,000 play football. You're out of your mind.

      July 25, 2012 at 12:22 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Winfrey

    @Journey, Really? That was a joke. Right?

    July 25, 2012 at 11:46 am | Report abuse |
  10. Hugh

    USA Today = McPaper
    CNN = McNews
    Why are either of these in my list of Favorites?

    July 25, 2012 at 11:46 am | Report abuse |
  11. banasy©

    How many times are you going to use this Penn State thing to bash Obama?
    Are you serious?
    When JS started doing this, Obama wasn't even in politics yet...yeesh!

    July 25, 2012 at 11:49 am | Report abuse |
  12. MissB58

    No no no. Obama is guilty of global warming, not the collapse of the morals of the USA. Wow are YOU dumb!!!

    July 25, 2012 at 11:51 am | Report abuse |
  13. Jeff

    Do you think Obama was President in '98 ? You can't fix stupid.

    July 25, 2012 at 11:53 am | Report abuse |
  14. Kaylee

    Why would any athlete want to play for "Pedofile State University?"

    July 25, 2012 at 11:54 am | Report abuse |
  15. Me Too

    Journey: The abuse by Sandusky and the cover up by Penn State started long before Obama came into office. Sheesh ...

    July 25, 2012 at 11:56 am | Report abuse |
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