SLATE: What do the new NCAA transfer and redshirt rules mean for Kansas State?

The big news this week came from Indianapolis as the NCAA overhauled its problematic system of rules governing the freedom of players to transfer, as well as giving players another break by allowing them to redshirt in a year in which they play less than a third of the season.

The redshirt rule allows any player to compete in up to four games during what would normally be a redshirt season. The true impact here, to be honest, is to simply do away with the injury waiver process except in exceptional circumstances. But it will allow coaches to, for example, let true freshmen get some live game action during the cupcake portion of the team’s schedule without costing them a year of eligibility.

It should be relatively obvious how that rule change will affect K-State. Less obvious is the transfer rule change. Players will now no longer be required to receive a release from their current school before accepting a scholarship offer elsewhere. The player will notify the school of his or her intent, and their name will then be placed in a transfer database. Once there, other coaches will have permission to contact the player.

Two notable caveats here. The player will still be prevented from competing for their new school for a year, just like they are now. Also, conferences can still impose more stringent regulations internally, so the Big 12 could for example have a rule which prevents players from transferring within the conference without permission.

There are two other small details involved here as well. First, illegal contact by a coach toward a player who is not in the transfer database now becomes a level 2 NCAA violation, which is very serious indeed. Second, the “autonomy” conferences (the Power Five) will consider legislation next week which would add “the player has requested a transfer” to the list of reasons why schools may cancel their scholarships.

These changes are both good for players, and the redshirt change is honestly good for everyone. It’s going to be difficult to determine how the transfer rule change will impact K-State, however. As the school has notably gotten itself into hot water PR-wise over the past few years for blocking transfers, we can at least be assured that won’t be an issue any longer. But will it make it more difficult for K-State to keep players in Manhattan? Or will it actually work in K-State’s favor?

We’ll just have to wait and see.

In other football news, heralded Shawnee tight end and JUCO transfer Lucas Krull has chosen to head to Florida rather than coming to Manhattan, per Luke Stampini of 247. Missouri, the third member of his final three, was apparently eliminated earlier. Particularly galling: this is the second big-time Kansas tight end which Florida has stolen out from under the Wildcats in the last few years.

Basketball

Today is K-State Day at Kauffman Stadium, and the men’s basketball team will be involved in throwing out the first pitch and other pregame festivities. Meanwhile, Jeff Mittie has added former Nebraska and Wayne State player and Nebraska-Omaha director of women’s basketball operations Sadie Murren to his staff in the same position. While Murren will have some recruiting responsibilities, her administrative capabilities were equally important to Mittie as he made his choice.

Yesterday, KSUEMAW told you about the new inductees to the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame, announced Thursday. What nobody’s told you yet this week is that the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame also announced its 2018 inductees on Wednesday, and somehow there’s a Wildcat who rates state-wide honors but not a nod from her own school.

That’s right, Laurie Koehn — the third member of the great triumvirate which kicked off the 21st century for K-State women’s hoops — was once again left out of K-State’s own hall, which does include teammates Nicole Ohlde and Kendra Wecker. But Koehn, along with David Allen and Clarence Scott, will be inducted into the KSHoF on October 7 in Wichita.

We can’t be silent about this: it’s a ridiculous oversight on the part of the school. ESPN named her the nation’s best freshman in 2002, and she ended her career as the NCAA Division I leader in three-pointers. Koehn isn’t even a borderline selection who we’re just adamant about. She’s a slam-dunk, and her absence from K-State’s own hall is baffling — the sort of thing which raises questions as to why.

Then again, David Allen isn’t in the K-State Hall either, although he is in the team’s Ring of Honor. Koehn’s jersey, meanwhile, is not hanging in the rafters at Bramlage alongside Ohlde’s and Wecker’s, so... you know.

Joining Koehn, Allen, and Scott in the Kansas Hall are original Royals owner Ewing Kauffman, former Jayhawk great Paul Pierce, former Wyandotte High School and Missouri star Larry Drew, former MLB stars Adam LaRoche (Fort Scott High) and Mitch Webster (Larned), Wichita State alum and MVC All-Centennial Team honoree Angela Buckner, Wichita native and UCLA tennis great Buff Farrow, former Southwestern College cross country coach Jim Helmer, Benedictine College NAIA All-American Darryl Jones, and long-time St. Mary’s-Colgan High football coach Chuck Smith.

Track & Field

In today’s Sports Extra, Corbin McGuire turns his eye toward Cara Melgares, who’ll be running in the 3000m steeplechase at today’s USA Junior Championships in Bloomington, Ind.

Other

Rafael Garcia at the Wichita Eagle reports that K-State will be closing its Haysville research center due to budget cuts. Boooo.