It’s ridiculous anytime a college football program, with head coaches and assistants who can leave with very little, if any, penalty, restricts to where one of its players can transfer. What’s allegedly happening in Little Manhattan goes way beyond ridiculous.
Earlier this month, Corey Sutton (pictured. No. 12) decided to transfer from Kansas State. Shortly thereafter, the wide receiver, per the Kansas City Star, submitted a list of 35 potential transfer destinations to the athletic department. None of the nearly three dozen submissions were Big 12 members or teams on K-State’s future football schedules, while some were unnamed teams that compete at the FCS or Div. II levels.
The university’s response? Incredibly, they denied Sutton the right to transfer to all 35 of those schools. Even more incredible? Sutton appealed the initial denial, but it was upheld by the university.
Not surprisingly, Sutton is far from pleased with the turn of events. From the Star’s report, which I’d highly recommend you read in its entirety HERE:When I originally told Coach Snyder I was going to transfer he said, ‘Well, Corey, I feel bad that you want to leave, but I can’t make you stay,’ ” Sutton said. “I dropped all my classes, moved out of Kansas and started looking at my options, then I find out they are denying me my release.
“Coach Snyder told me today that when I signed my letter of intent that was my commitment to him, that I was going to be there for four years. I heard that and told him, ‘Coaches can leave. So why can’t a player leave? You made a commitment to me that you were going to treat me the right way and that’s not what you’re doing.’ ...
"(Snyder) is trying to treat me like I am his kid. Why is he treating a 19-year old like that and trying to change his life like that? I have never heard of anything like this before.
While the player hasn’t heard of anything like this before, it does, sadly, happen all the time at this level of football. And it needs to stop.
At bare minimum, players should be allowed one “free transfer pass.” At any point during a player’s career, he should be allowed to transfer to any institution he wants -- Sutton could move on to any school right now provided he walks on and pays his own way initially -- and be permitted to not only play immediately but allowed to be placed on scholarship. Coaches can leave and get paid while not having to sit out a year; why can’t players leave and not have to sit out a year unless they pay their own way?
And, if this is true, shame on you, Bill Snyder. You have oozed nothing but class during your time with the Wildcats -- and this is just one side of the story -- but, if this is anywhere near how the situation is playing out, you need to do the right thing. You’ve been all about the kids who have played for you; it’s time to be all about the kid who doesn’t want to play for you anymore.