The NCAA has approved a waiver that will allow men’s and women’s basketball programs to pay for unlimited official recruiting visits to help teams deal with roster depletion caused by transfers, according to a memo obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.
The Athletic first reported the approval of a blanket exemption by the men’s and women’s basketball oversight committees.
Currently, men’s basketball programs are allowed 28 official visits in a rolling two-year period. The number of programs for women is 24.
The waiver will cover a two-year period beginning Aug. 1, 2023, and running through July 31, 2025. The NCAA Division I Council in June will consider proposed legislation that would permanently increase the limit on official visits in men’s basketball and feminine.
Last month, the NCAA changed its rules to allow all athletes to be immediately eligible to play, no matter how many times they transfer — as long as they meet academic requirements. The move came after the association fast-tracked legislation to align with a recent court order.
Several states, including West Virginia, sued the NCAA late last year, challenging rules that require college athletes to sit out a season if they transfer more than once.
With what amounts to unlimited and unrestricted transfers, player movement in basketball has increased and forced programs into a difficult situation created by exceptionally high levels of roster turnover.
In some cases, coaches replace almost an entire team. The scholarship limit in Division I for men’s basketball is 13 and 15 for women’s teams.
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