The NCAA was heading in the direction of professional style free agency, but it has since stepped off that train.
A one-time transfer rule that would allow student-athletes in men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, men’s ice hockey and football to transfer freely one time without having to sit out. The NCAA has brought the possibility to light, but announced on Thursday that the potential new legislation for it ‘isn’t appropriate at this time’.
Two players in the two biggest Oklahoma sports—UCLA transfer offensive lineman Chris Murray and North Texas basketball transfer Umoja ‘Mo’ Gibson—were in need of the one-time transfer rule to happen in order to play in 2020-21 for the Sooners. Now, it appears as if both will have to wait until the 2021-22 school year to start playing.
Murray would have been an instant-impact player for offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh. There isn’t a clear direction of where he would have played, but his physicality, technique and athleticism is right up there with some of the best Bedenbaugh has had during his time at Oklahoma.
Gibson was going to be of much more importance. Lon Kruger and the Sooners are in a dying need of another scoring option after Kristian Doolittle exhausted his eligibility. The North Texas transfer would have provided as such and been a likely member of Oklahoma’s starting lineup if immediately eligible.
Instead, Oklahoma can stick with Tyrese Robinson and Marquis Hayes at guard instead of Murray taking a spot. Alondes Williams or Jalen Hill will start instead of Gibson for the basketball team.
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