[OutsiderFan]

Immediate eligibility for transfers opens up a giant can of worms for coaches and the system.  But if the GPA minimum to be eligible for immediate transfer is high enough, say 2.8, it could actually kill two birds with one stone for the NCAA.  It could give players the flexibility to transfer like coaches, but also provide an incentive for them to work harder in the class room so they do have an immediate eligibility after transfer option. And importantly, if coaches know they can get immediately eligible transfers as easily as lose them, coaches may actually start prioritizing academics for their athletes on the same level as they do their sports.  Because, as this Kyle Shanahan anecdote demonstrates, academics are not prioritized like an athlete's chosen sport, by most coaches.

Excerpt from ESPN interview
Take when Shanahan sat out his redshirt season at Texas after transferring from Duke. In December 2000, the Longhorns held a scrimmage for the redshirt players in the midst of bowl practices. In one of Shanahan's classes, the final was scheduled for the day of the scrimmage.

A seemingly meaningless practice or an important final? The decision for the seven teammates Shanahan had in the class was easy: take the final.

"I was the only guy who showed up to the scrimmage," Shanahan said. "They were like, 'Don't you have a final?' I was like, 'Yeah, I'll just take an F. I'm here for football, and there's no way I'm missing a scrimmage to go to this class.' I had a B in the class, and I ended up getting a D-minus because I skipped a final. They thought I was crazy. I wasn't doing it to show off to the coaches. I was doing it because I came to Texas to play football. I'll be all right with my grades, but I came here because that was how my mindset was. That's how it is in coaching, and that's how I expect players to be."

Full article here: http://www.espn.com/blog/san-francisco-4...rs-culture

Pretty sure the "your sport is the priority" mentality is how it is at most universities. This is why I had no problem with Josh Rosen's comments.  The fact is Stanford is a very unique place in the college sports landscape.  Shaw would almost certainly never have a player like Shanahan, because Stanford probably would never admit someone like Shanahan.  Rosen may be more of the Shaw mentality, but the likelihood is he's surrounded by a Shanahan mentality.  Does anyone think Mora prioritizes academics like Shaw? That seems very hard to believe.

[OutsiderFan]

Immediate eligibility for transfers opens up a giant can of worms for coaches and the system.  But if the GPA minimum to be eligible for immediate transfer is high enough, say 2.8, it could actually kill two birds with one stone for the NCAA.  It could give players the flexibility to transfer like coaches, but also provide an incentive for them to work harder in the class room so they do have an immediate eligibility after transfer option. And importantly, if coaches know they can get immediately eligible transfers as easily as lose them, coaches may actually start prioritizing academics for their athletes on the same level as they do their sports.  Because, as this Kyle Shanahan anecdote demonstrates, academics are not prioritized like an athlete's chosen sport, by most coaches.

Excerpt from ESPN interview
Take when Shanahan sat out his redshirt season at Texas after transferring from Duke. In December 2000, the Longhorns held a scrimmage for the redshirt players in the midst of bowl practices. In one of Shanahan's classes, the final was scheduled for the day of the scrimmage.

A seemingly meaningless practice or an important final? The decision for the seven teammates Shanahan had in the class was easy: take the final.

"I was the only guy who showed up to the scrimmage," Shanahan said. "They were like, 'Don't you have a final?' I was like, 'Yeah, I'll just take an F. I'm here for football, and there's no way I'm missing a scrimmage to go to this class.' I had a B in the class, and I ended up getting a D-minus because I skipped a final. They thought I was crazy. I wasn't doing it to show off to the coaches. I was doing it because I came to Texas to play football. I'll be all right with my grades, but I came here because that was how my mindset was. That's how it is in coaching, and that's how I expect players to be."

Full article here: http://www.espn.com/blog/san-francisco-4...rs-culture

Pretty sure the "your sport is the priority" mentality is how it is at most universities. This is why I had no problem with Josh Rosen's comments.  The fact is Stanford is a very unique place in the college sports landscape.  Shaw would almost certainly never have a player like Shanahan, because Stanford probably would never admit someone like Shanahan.  Rosen may be more of the Shaw mentality, but the likelihood is he's surrounded by a Shanahan mentality.  Does anyone think Mora prioritizes academics like Shaw? That seems very hard to believe.