BU coaches not concerned with U Sports transfer rule

U Sports has announced a rule change allowing student-athletes more flexibility in their athletic careers, in the wake of the NCAA transfer portal’s growing popularity.

Previously, U Sports athletes who competed one season had to sit out for 365 days before suiting up for a new university. The new rule, announced Tuesday, is that first- and second-year players can transfer and play immediately the following season.

“This is an important step forward for U Sports and for our student-athletes. The landscape of post-secondary sport is evolving, and our role is to ensure our policies reflect the needs of those we serve,” U Sports CEO Pierre Arsenault said in a press release.

“By us providing a more responsive system for student-athletes at the start of their academic careers, we are empowering them to find their best program fit — both in the classroom and in competition. We believe this decision puts student-athletes first, which is exactly where they belong.”

It’s worth noting this process isn’t completely akin to the NCAA transfer portal, which started in 2018 and became a massive part of college sports when student-athletes started being allowed to profit off name, image and likeness (NIL) deals. Instead of them freely being able to transfer during a certain window of time, both schools must accept the athlete’s decision to transfer in U Sports.

If not, they are still subject to the previous rule, and the only way they can play without the 365-day wait is by submitting a “compassionate appeal,” citing a valid personal reason for the need to switch schools.

Brandon University men’s volleyball coach Grant Wilson wasn’t surprised. He said coaches have been told for years this decision was coming, but he’s not sure it’ll change the dynamics, at least in volleyball.

“From a coaching standpoint, it doesn’t really faze me. It’s business as usual. You’re going to have players come into your program that really love it and enjoy it and embrace it, and you’re going to have players that struggle to go through some of it,” Wilson said.

“From a personal standpoint, I get it. It’s a massive challenge going from high school to university on a good day, never mind throwing in competitive sport and moving out of your mom and dad’s house. That can be a big adjustment, and sometimes it just doesn’t work.”

BU men’s basketball coach Gil Cheung isn’t quite sure what to expect, but he is on board.

His biggest concern was that the rule change came with a deadline to ensure teams know what to expect come training camp and can do some summer recruiting if necessary.

That deadline for volleyball, basketball and all other sports with second-semester championships is April 15.

“Do the small schools lose kids?” Cheung wonders.

“I think it’s a good thing, it gives kids options. You’re 18, 19 years old, it might not be the right fit academically, or you might have been recruited late, whatever it is. It doesn’t really penalize those kids.”

BU women’s basketball coach Ilarion Bonhomme declined comment, while women’s volleyball coach Kailan Robinson did not respond to requests for comment.

On one hand, the announcement might plant the seed in more athletes’ minds that transferring is an option.

On the other, it could emphasize the importance of teams making sure new players feel welcomed, respected and challenged in the program to ensure they stick around.

“We do our very best to include everybody in everything, try to treat first-years like fifth-years,” Wilson said. “It’s a matter of finding your role, supporting that role, being a good teammate and working hard to always increase or improve your role.

“I have concerns for some athletes with the ‘Grass is always greener’ mentality and they’ll look to take the easy way out to move somewhere else where they think things are better or where they think they’ll get a better opportunity.

“It’s, in my opinion, perhaps a poor message to send to young people, you don’t have to work for something, you can just leave, move on and try to find something better. But that’s out of my control.”

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com

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