AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) Intraconference transfers within the SEC became a lot easier on Thursday afternoon when the Southeastern Conference and its commissioner Greg Sankey announced that — effective immediately — all student athletes to transfer within the conference will be granted immediate eligibility at their new school.
Sankey claims that the move is an effort to support athletes within the conference; however, hopes that coaches refrain from improper recruiting.
"This is an important measure to further support student-athletes throughout the Southeastern Conference," Sankey said. "While maintaining the expectation that coaches and others avoid improper recruiting, this change will ensure that student-athletes who enroll at an SEC member institution will enjoy the flexibility afforded to other student-athletes across the nation."
It is also worth noting that, per the conference announcement, In order to gain immediate eligibility, a student-athlete will need to declare intent to transfer by February 1 for Fall sports, May 1 for Winter sports and July 1 for Spring sports. Sankey claims these deadlines are to ensure fair time for all athletes following their respective seasons.
"The SEC has established a deadline for declaring an intention to transfer in Fall sports as February 1 in order to create time windows that are more consistent across Fall, Winter and Spring sports," Sankey said.
On a more local level, this is big news for Auburn fans. Under the new rule, LSU transfer TJ Finley and Vanderbilt transfer Donovan Kaufman will be eligible for Bryan Harsin in the 2021 season; moreover, Arkansas transfer Desi Sill and UGA transfer KD Johnson will be available for Bruce pearl.
