Pack gets boost from conference

RMAC now will recognize NCAA transfer rule, making players eligible immediately.

By JOE E. CERVI
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

Christmas came early for the Colorado State University-Pueblo football team.

The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference reversed its longtime stance on an NCAA rule regarding Division II transfers. No longer do student-athletes who transfer between schools in the conference have to sit out a year of competition.

That means at least 10 players on the ThunderWolves' football roster are eligible to play immediately.

"I'm going to sleep a little bit better tonight," ThunderWolves head coach John Wristen said. "I just found out (Tuesday) morning. It's fantastic. What that means is we might have a little bit of depth with guys who know what playing football at this level is all about.

"These guys now can compete for playing time and help some of the younger kids develop. We might not have to rely on so many freshmen right away." Several players who had solid spring workouts are among those immediately eligible. Defensive end Chase Vaughn, a physical player who transferred from Adams State, and teammate Bobby Washington, the Grizzlies former starting quarterback, can play right away.

"Absolutely, having Chase right away is going to help us," Wristen said. "He had a great spring and he knows what football in the RMAC is all about."

Others who no longer have to sit a season include Chance Tadolini (Chadron State) and Justyn Genchi-Martinez, Matt Bujorian, John Cartwright, David Winterboer, Ryan Harr and Josh Vaughn, all from Adams State.

RMAC commissioner J.R. Smith said the NCAA has always allowed Division II student-athletes a one-time exception to the transfer rule, providing the student is in good academic standing at their previous institution, if the previous institution agrees to the release of the student-athlete and if the student-athlete has remaining seasons of competition.

Effectively immediately, the RMAC recognizes the NCAA rule.

"We had our own transfer rule (where students had to sit out a year) in effect for a long time because we had so many kids jumping ship from school to school without penalty," Smith said. "Our schools tend to recruit the same kids and we tried to level the playing field a little bit."

Smith said the conference presidents and athletic directors discussed the subject at their annual meetings May 19-21 but sent word about the change in policy to member schools Tuesday.

"There was an appeals process and our athletic directors advisory committee had heard lots of these appeals. Many of them were legitimate, so they decided that maybe we should just let the student-athletes use the one-time transfer rule if they want to," Smith said. "But they can only do it once. In Division I, you can't do that at all."