Peach Belt Communications
AUGUSTA – The Peach Belt Conference concluded its annual meetings earlier this week, held virtually for the second year in a row. Among the myriad of topics and discussions pertaining to all areas of league management, the league is announcing the removal of the intra-conference transfer policy and the election of Dr. Bonita Jacobs of the University of North Georgia as 2nd vice-chair on the PBC Executive Committee.
The PBC’s intra-conference transfer policy, established in 2013, mandated that any student-athletes transferring from one PBC school to another must sit out a full year before being allowed to play. Such policies were common in conferences, however due to the changing landscape regarding transfers at the Division I and Division II levels, the PBC Board of Directors re-examined the policy this year and unanimously voted to remove it.
“There has been a shift in the way the NCAA and conferences are approaching transfers,” said PBC commissioner David Brunk. “While those changes are currently only at the Division I level, it is only a matter of time before they make their way to us in Division II. Our Board has decided to get out in front of this and remove our intra-conference transfer policy to allow more flexibility for student-athletes who wish to transfer.”
With the removal of the policy, student-athletes can make use of the NCAA one-time transfer policy which allows them to change schools and begin playing immediately if they meet all other eligibility and admissions standards. Student-athletes will have to be entered into the NCAA transfer portal to make use of the NCAA rule.
Dr. Bonita Jacobs will become the 2nd vice-chair of the PBC Executive Committee starting on July 1. Dr. Jacobs became the president of the University of North Georgia in 2011 and has overseen tremendous growth as the school was consolidated with Gainesville State College in 2013 and now stretches across five campuses and serves nearly 20,000 students.
As a part of the PBC’s Executive Committee, she will serve a two-year term as 2nd vice-chair, then a two-year term as 1st vice-chair and then be named the chair of the PBC Board of Directors for two years starting with the 2025-26 academic year.
Lander University president Dr. Richard Cosentino was elevated to board chair earlier this year and will begin his full two-year term as board chair on July 1. Columbus State University president Dr. Chris Markwood will move up to 1st vice chair.
Announcements on other decisions made at the annual meetings will be released periodically over the summer.