Our inter-SEC transfer nightmare is over.
The SEC said Friday it’s approving Maurice Smith’s transfer waiver. The defensive back is now immediately eligible to complete his transfer to Georgia. He graduated from Alabama this summer and can play at Georgia in 2016.
Graduate transfers are eligible immediately provided they transfer to a school that offers a graduate program that isn’t offered at their current school. Because of an SEC rule, Smith had to get a waiver from the conference after he was released by Alabama.
If you’re a regular reader of this site or a fan of college football, you know it wasn’t simple. Smith’s transfer process from Alabama was a drawn-out and dramatic affair before the Tide released him from his scholarship Wednesday.
The release was the right, and only move. As more and more attention is paid to the rights disparity in college athletics between the players and the people who coach them and the schools they attend, it makes little sense to restrict a player’s right to transfer if he no longer wants to be a part of a certain program.
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And especially in a case like Smith’s because he had completed his college coursework. Just look at this quote from SEC commissioner Greg Sankey in the conference’s release.
“The standard for granting waivers has been clear and compelling evidence that there is reason for allowing an exception to SEC rules,” Sankey said. “I found, among other contributing factors, that a student-athlete who graduates in three years and exhibits a strong commitment to his or her academic future provides compelling motivation to help them achieve their goals on and off the field.
“An institution has an obligation to provide opportunities for graduate student-athletes to earn a graduate degree. Similarly, student-athletes have accountability to the universities that are providing the educational opportunities they enjoy. Maurice has clearly and passionately stated his desire for a graduate degree in Public Health. The conditions of the waiver allow him to achieve that goal and provide the institution with greater incentive to make his educational interest a priority.”
The nature of the process made Alabama look petty and it wasn’t too hard to see this within the prism of Alabama head coach Nick Saban wanting to prevent his former defensive coordinator and new coach Kirby Smart from receiving an immediate impact transfer from the Crimson Tide program.
A possible starter at Alabama in 2016, Smith will likely compete for a starting job with the Bulldogs.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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