2023-24 Big West MBB Scores Thread Here's some reasons I got from Reddit:
"D2 has different initial eligibility standards than D1, and those eligibility rules are such that there are players who are ineligible to play in D1 but are eligible in D2. So the waiting period is designed to allow the players who were recruited under the D2 rules to cycle out of the program."
"The rule is in place so that schools won't make knee jerk decisions. This prevents a school being in D2 and getting a good coach who lands some stars from being able to transition to D1 for when those players are seniors."
"The idea is to bring stability and ensure schools are committed to being at a level. They don't want a lot of teams moving up and down divisions. So schools are free to move up, but they have to be committed enough to go through the four year probation period."
"I think it has to do with how many scholarship positions/roster spots are allowed on D2 vs D1 teams. They give 4 years for them to meet those requirements and not have to kick players off the team, but make them ineligible for postseason play."
I have no idea who is writing these things, but they make some sense.