Breaking down Colorado football’s academic transfer requirement problems

“I don’t think it is a matter of altering any of the rules and policies. I believe that you can have excellent academics and excellent student-athletes coming together. They are not mutually exclusive.

“On the transfer piece, it is just based upon the degrees we offer. And the way that faculty own the curriculum, they own the degrees so when a student wants to transfer, for example, we do not have physical education here, and we do not have general education, and to be honest, that’s not going to change.

“What we must do is go and recruit those student athletes coming from junior colleges who can play for us and can transfer in the credits. It may take a little bit more work, but I have confidence in our coaches to be able to do that. I mean we have brought in transfers and that has worked. And I think we will continue to bring in transfers, it is just the transfers must have the transfer credits that will transfer.”

You will be hearing a great deal over the next two months about PTD – Progress Toward Degree. This is not a new term, and the rules have been in place for some time. The NCAA requires all student athletes, in order to retain their eligibility, make progress in the classroom:

So far, so good. Not a problem for CU coaches and players, as this is an NCAA guideline everyone uses and lives with on an annual basis.

As Phil DiStefano derisively noted, CU doesn’t have a PE or general studies degree. Most other schools, including most of the AAU schools CU likes to associate itself with, do have general studies and/or integrated studies degrees. As a result, transferring between those schools much easier easy, as they offer many of the same courses.

…the percentage of non-graduate transfers who can successfully find their way through the CU admissions office is painfully low. Adam Munsterteiger of BuffStampede.com reported that CU coaches submitted a list of 11 wide receiver transfer candidates for academic appraisal this past offseason, only four came back with approval for CU with permission to recruit.

The shortest distance between two points is to add an integrated studies degree, making it easier for credits to transfer. The only other Power Five schools with similar academic restrictions are Stanford and Vanderbilt. The Commodores have SEC money but still can’t regularly compete, while Stanford has fallen off of a cliff the past few seasons … do you think that’s because David Shaw forgot how to coach?

When Brian Howell asked Chancellor DiStefano about adding an integrated studies major, noting that Michigan – a respected AAU school – had such a program, DiStefano acted surprised, saying he would look into it.

A second option, which is used by other schools … give student-athletes a chance to “catch up”. Admit the student with the understanding that they don’t have all the requisite credits in their major, but are otherwise in good standing. Then give them a year (at some schools, two) to “catch up” with credits in their major.