Pac-12 schools to prohibit transfers with history of misconduct

— -- The Pac-12 has approved a new policy that restricts transfer students with a history of misconduct from joining a team or receiving athletic aid.

The policy, announced Saturday by the Pac-12's presidents and chancellors, prohibits student-athlete transfers from participating in athletics if they are ineligible to re-enroll at any of their previous universities because of misconduct. The policy applies to issues such as assault, harassment and academic fraud but not academic performance unrelated to misconduct.

"This is an important step to strengthen our student-athlete transfer admission processes and to address the safety of our students," said UCLA chancellor Gene Block, the Pac-12 CEO Group chair.

Under the new policy, student-athletes applying to transfer to Pac-12 schools are required to disclose whether they are eligible for re-enrollment at their previous universities. They will be allowed to appeal if deemed ineligible.

The SEC passed a similar transfer policy last spring to prevent conference schools from accepting transfer students with histories of domestic violence or sexual assault.