franke said:
Even grad transfers would still have to enter the portal. Their window is usually larger but that doesn't really matter in this scenario.
As I understand the current scenario, the Portal has three exceptions:
1) discontinuation of the sport by the school,
2) head coaching change, and
3) change in financial aid/scholarship status (reduction in or total removal of aid).
It is my understanding that the NCAA has allowed grad students to transfer with immediate eligibility outside the portal under that third exception when the original school does not offer the grad degree desired or the student athlete fails to gain admission to the grad school. Apparently it is unofficially known as the Stanford exception (as almost zero student athletes ever gain admission to Stanford Masters programs and thus they are faced with staying in undergraduate studies or transferring). A related exception is when the original school eliminates the undergraduate degree program in which the student athlete is enrolled. The NCAA deems either scenario to effectuate a reduction in aid. Maybe those maneuvers are simply a politically acceptable way to avoid punishing real students seeking real degrees, but the impact is there and accessible if needed.
the Portal Rule does cover graduate transfers……but reality seems to have created a work around.