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A16 SPORTS
Thursday 14 december 2023
College athletes who transfer twice can play, for now, after a
judge sets aside NCAA transfer rule
By JOHN RABY athletes to play during the
AP Sports Writer two-week period and also
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — ensures that schools won’t
College athletes who were be punished for allowing it.
denied the chance to play A hearing on the restrain-
immediately after transfer- ing order is scheduled for
ring a second time can Dec. 27, Bailey said.
return to competition for The NCAA didn’t immedi-
now after a federal judge ately indicate whether it
issued a 14-day temporary would appeal the ruling.
restraining order Wednes- NCAA rules allow under-
day against the NCAA. classmen to transfer once
U.S. District Judge John without having to sit out
Preston Bailey in northern a year. But an additional
West Virginia issued the transfer as an undergradu-
order against the NCAA ate generally requires the
from enforcing the trans- NCAA to grant a waiver al-
fer rule. A lawsuit filed by lowing the athlete to com-
West Virginia and six other pete immediately. Without
states alleged the rule’s RaeQuan Battle celebrates after scoring for Montana State against Kansas State during the first it, the athlete would have
waiver process violated half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on , March 17, 2023, in to sit out for a year at the
federal antitrust law. The Greensboro, N.C. new school.
order clears the way for Associated Press Last January, the NCAA im-
plemented stricter guide-
lines for granting those
waivers on a case-by-case
basis. The states involved in
seeking the restraining or-
der were Colorado, Illinois,
New York, North Carolina,
Ohio, Tennessee and West
Virginia. It wasn’t immedi-
ately clear whether any of
the affected players would
try to compete during the
14-day window.
West Virginia basketball
player RaeQuan Battle
transferred this season from
Montana State after previ-
ously playing at Washing-
ton and has been sitting
out.“I’m in the gym every
single day with the team,
with the blood, sweat and
tears with them,” Battle
told the court Wednesday.
“When the ball is thrown up
and that tipoff starts, I’m
not suited up. That’s what
hurts me the most.”
Battle, who grew up on the
Tulalip Indian Reservation
in the state of Washington,
has said his mental health is
a big reason why he came
to West Virginia. Battle
said he has lost “countless
people” to drugs, alcohol
and COVID-19. After Battle
visited West Virginia, he
learned that now-coach
Josh Eilert had lived on
the Pine Ridge Indian Res-
ervation in South Dakota
with his mother following
his parents’ divorce and
felt a connection with the
coach.q
