According to Sam Khan Jr. of The Athletic, the NCAA Football Oversight Committee recently proposed a series of harsh penalties aimed at deterring teams from trying to circumvent the transfer portal this spring and summer.
On Wednesday, the committee recommended that if an FBS school adds a transfer who has not yet entered the portal and did not enter during the designated winter window, the program would be subject to multiple penalties, including the following:
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The school’s head coach will be suspended for six games, including a ban on all football activities and administrative duties.
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20% of the football budget was fined.
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Five spots will be lost for the following season regardless of whether the head coach at the time of the violation is still employed by the school.
The rule was brought in because the sport’s new single-window transfer period opens and closes in January. Last season, there was a second portal window in the spring, which was an opportunity for players who didn’t like where they were on the depth chart or wanted/need to find a new position.
Last summer, however, two high-profile names bypassed the portal, decommitting from their previous school and enrolling at another, including defensive back Xavier Lucas and quarterback Jake Retzlaff. The NCAA’s new proposal is to prevent that from happening this time around.
What this means for LSU football
With the transfer portal window closing, this rule should essentially prevent any player movement this offseason. These penalties, if approved, would be so severe that it would not be worthwhile for a team to sign a player who has dropped out of college, regardless of the ability of the player seeking a new home.
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This rule is a double-edged sword for LSU football. On the one hand, that means the depth Lane Kiffin and his staff have built throughout the roster will remain intact next season. On the other hand, it also means the staff can’t make any new additions in the offseason.
Ultimately, LSU’s roster will be protected by this new rule, which is a good thing for the game itself. Sure, it might be easy to think of how LSU could benefit from Kiffin’s private recruitment this summer, but something needs to be done about the issues rampant in today’s game. These penalties would be an important step in addressing these issues.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: What new NCAA penalty proposals mean for LSU football
