The NCAA’s one-time transfer rule has brought with it varying opinions from coaches and administrators amid the changing landscape of college athletics, but one coach in charge of starting a program at Clemson is grateful it’s around.
College sports’ governing body adopted new legislation in April 2021 allowing student-athletes to transfer to another four-year school and be immediately eligible once during their collegiate careers. Previous transfer rules required athletes to sit out a year before being eligible for competition at their new school.
Amy Smith is glad that’s no longer the case. Smith was hired in April as the first-ever coach of Clemson’s women’s gymnastics program, which will begin competing during the 2023-24 academic year. When that time comes, Smith said the transfer rule will help her piece together the kind of roster that can compete immediately.
“I think if this opportunity would have presented itself five years ago, it would’ve been a different story,” Smith recently told The Clemson Insider. “I couldn’t say we’re going to come out of the gates really strong, and I really do feel like we can come out of the gates strong due to the transfer portal.”
Smith has already benefited from the portal by bringing in some gymnasts she’s familiar with. Previously the head coach at Utah State for five seasons, Smith recently inked her inaugural signing class at Clemson, which consisted of six transfers that competed for her last season at USU.
The portal could lead to even more experienced gymnasts who may be searching for a fresh start elsewhere to give Clemson a look. Smith said that’s made her more confident in her program’s potential early as she puts together her first roster.
“Having the foundation of those six (signees), and other programs having teams that have large rosters due to COVID,” Smith said. “That’s kind of a little sliver lining of COVID, too, is kind of seeing really talented gymnasts that aren’t getting to compete on other teams that would come into the portal and be like, ‘Oh man, I could come into Clemson in ‘24 and get out of the gates really strong.’
“Five years ago, the way recruiting was, we were recruiting eighth-graders, so the landscape of coming into this was completely bare. And that’s not the case now.”
Photo courtesy of Clemson Athletics
Congratulations! You did it! You graduated! Now is the time to preserve your diploma in a custom frame. Here at Clemson Variety & Frame, we build all our frames in-house – from the frame to the mats and etchings to the installation – to guarantee the quality. You worked hard for your degree. Trust us to show your diploma in the best light possible.
