8 Benefits and Drawbacks of Transferring as a College Athlete
By?Owen Roche
Transferring colleges is easier than ever for a college athlete. Although a simple process, the decision of whether or not to transfer should not be taken lightly and deserves extensive thought. Is transferring the right decision for you?
Here are eight benefits and drawbacks of transferring as a college athlete:?
Benefit #1: Life Changing Experience
Transferring to a new school is going to be a totally new experience that will change an athlete’s life. Oftentimes, athletes will transfer because they are unhappy at their current school, regardless of if it has to do with athletics. The opportunity to transfer could significantly improve their quality of life and wind up being a decision they are incredibly grateful that they made.?
Benefit #2: More Playing Time
Sometimes, athletes will find themselves in a situation where they aren’t playing as much as they hoped or as much as they had been promised. This can be due to a coaching change, a new superstar recruit, or a couple bad performances resulting in them moving down the roster. Transferring can allow athletes to find a place where they can get back to playing as much as they previously had been or expected.?
Benefit #3: Playing at a Higher Level
Not every athlete is a top ranked recruit coming out of high school. If an athlete arrives at a school that isn’t a nationally ranked or recognized team but proves how well they can perform in college competition, transferring can provide them the?opportunity to play at a higher level .?
Benefit #4: Potential Increase in NIL opportunities
Name, image and likeness is one of the hottest topics in college sports right now. By transferring, a player may be able to head to a school that is in a location with a better market for them to?profit off their NIL . This includes both superstar athletes transferring to bigger markets and lesser known athletes heading to areas where they can thrive in the NIL sphere.
Benefit #5: Easier Transfer Process
Since the implementation of the transfer portal in 2018, transferring has never been easier. Rather than needing?approval from a coach ?to transfer to a new school, college athletes can now be placed in the transfer portal at their own discretion and not worry about being denied the chance to play elsewhere.
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Benefit #6: Immediate Eligibility
Recent NCAA rules have granted first-time transfer athletes the ability to?immediately partake ?in competition upon transferring to a new school. This is incredibly beneficial for transfer athletes compared to before April 2021, when all transfer athletes were forced to spend an academic year in residence before participating in games.
Benefit #7: Better Chance at a Championship
There are times when a college athlete would like to win a championship for their school while competing in college. There are also times when athletes find themselves on teams where at the present time, there is little hope to achieve that goal. Transferring allows athletes to have the opportunity to position themselves on teams that have a better chance of winning a championship, regardless of the competition level relative to the original school.?
Benefit #8: Better Mental Health
Athletes can find themselves struggling with their mental health in certain environments, regardless of whether it has to deal with their athletic circumstances. Transferring offers athletes the chance at a fresh start, which can drastically improve their mental health in some situations.?
Now that you know the Benefits, read on to learn the Drawbacks! Continue reading here
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