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Big East eliminates rule that prohibits athletes from transferring from one conference school to another

The old conference rule said men's and women's basketball players could not transfer from one Big East team to another. That was changed in a unanimous vote by the league's Board of Directors

Coach Jay Wright of Villanova, shown during a Feb. 10 game against Marquette at Finneran Pavilion, called the Big East's decision to eliminate the rule prohibiting transfers between one league school and another "necessary and timely."
Coach Jay Wright of Villanova, shown during a Feb. 10 game against Marquette at Finneran Pavilion, called the Big East's decision to eliminate the rule prohibiting transfers between one league school and another "necessary and timely."Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer

The Big East Conference announced Thursday that it has eliminated its intraconference transfer policy, and will allow student-athletes to transfer from one league institution to another.

The conference said its Board of Directors unanimously approved the decision.

“It’s a rule that simply keeps us consistent with new NCAA legislation,” Villanova basketball head coach Jay Wright said in a statement. “It’s necessary and timely.”

The old Big East policy did not permit the transfer of players on men’s and women’s basketball teams within the conference. The conference allowed athletes in all other sports to transfer from one team to another within the Big East but they had to sit out a season.

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors ratified legislation in April that allowed all D-I student-athletes a one-time opportunity to transfer and compete immediately in the 2021-22 academic year.

Last March, the Atlantic Coast Conference eliminated its rule that said players who transfer from one team to another within the league had to sit out a year. Southeastern Conference presidents were scheduled to vote Thursday on a similar regulation.

When the NCAA adopted the transfer portal in October 2018, coaches could no longer prohibit their players from transferring, but conferences could continue to legislate against it.