It has become one of the most polarizing issues in college football and basketball, to some a form of "free agency" that is robbing schools of the players they develop, to others a chance to do what a college student is supposed to do — earn a degree, or two, while playing his sport.
There have been calls, notably from the National Association of Basketball Coaches, for the NCAA to close this "loophole" in the transfer rules that has been in place since 2006. At issue is the fifth-year transfer rule, which allows students who have graduated but still have a year of eligibility remaining to transfer to another school and play immediately, provided they are taking graduate courses not available at their original school.