• Gunrock47
    18
    So it looks like the Aggie softball pitcher played so well they couldn't keep her here. Will join the Ducks next year according to her Twitter post. Interestingly, the NCAA softball rankings only have Oregon eight spots ahead of UCD. Ducks ranked No. 60, Davis 68. Wonder if team will tank without her.
  • 69aggie
    386
    YES, THIS COULD BE VERY DEPRESSING FOR THE TEAM. IS THIS A SCHOLARSIP THING? DID WE GIVE HER A FULL? DOES ANYONE IN WSB D1 GET A FULL? IT IS REALLY SORRY TO SEE A D1 PROGRAM LIKE OREGON TAKE ANOTHER D1 PLAYER LIKE THIS. NOT GOOD FOR THE SPORT IMHO.
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.3k
    So how do things like this happen? Do players contact power conference schools and say, "Hey, I'd consider transferring if you would give me a full scholarship? Or, do big, win-at-any-cost programs scout out players they think could move up and then contact them and try to woo them away?
  • 69aggie
    386
    Yes this does indeed suck. We find her recruit her, develop her, support her, and then she leaves us and Oregon takes her away because she’s so good. But, she has to sit a year and maybe get a little fat and never come back to what she was here. Oregon is a tough place for a Yanez type person. In my humble opinion: very bad move for Yanez. Well i hope she does well. Who the hell knows? We just move on to our next star which we will have very soon.
  • 72Aggie
    335
    Ducks' website says she can play immediately.

    https://goducks.com/news/2019/6/24/softball-ducks-sign-standout-lefty-brooke-yanez.aspx

    I try to find comfort in the old line that "we don't want anybody that doesn't want to play for us," and wish her the best, but don't like the idea of a mid-major conference being a feeder program for the bigger conferences.
  • CA Forever
    710
    Exact opposite of Aggie Pride
  • 72Aggie
    335
    That, and other than the Belotti, et al., connection, I really don't care much for Oregon. They seem to have sold their soul to Nike, no score can be run up too high, etc....
  • 69aggie
    386
    D-1 to D-1. How is she “immediately eligible in 2020”?
  • Oldbanduhalum
    618
    Per http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/current/transfer-terms:
    One-time transfer exception: If you transfer from a four-year school, you may be immediately eligible to compete at your new school if you meet ALL the following conditions:

    You are transferring to a Division II or III school, or you are transferring to a Division I school in any sport other than baseball, men's or women's basketball, football (Football Bowl Subdivision) or men’s ice hockey.
  • 69aggie
    386
    OK learned something new today. Still hope that Blue makes a phone call to voice his feelings about this poaching practice. Not good at all.
  • zythe
    111
    It’s up to her honestly.

    If she doesn’t want to be here, let her go.

    It shows her character by doing this.
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.3k
    There's a lot here we do not know so I'm not going to judge her just because I wished she had stayed here and pitched for the Aggies for the next two years. Who knows, she may have been unhappy here but it doesn't sound like it from her twitter post. My guess is that she feels like she can be successful at another level and Oregon is about as gung-ho as it gets college athletics. She obviously believes that she can compete on a bigger stage and, if successful, it could lead to opportunities for her as a pro.

    If Oregon initiated contact with her in an attempt to lure her away, well that would be really crappy but I doubt that that happened. Maybe I'm naive but I'm not sure any program wants to get a reputation as a poacher. My guess is that she put her name out there as being interested in transferring and Oregon jumped on it. Hopefully, it will work out for her.
  • 69aggie
    386
    I did some quick research on this issue. This new softball transfer rule just went into effect Oct 15, 2018. It’s intent was to actually stop “tampering” or poaching players. It’s effect has been to cause “absolute chaos” according to Trisha Ford the head coach at Arizona State (which went to the 2018 WCWS). Ford has lost 7 players since the rule went into effect including AA pitcher Giselle Juarez to OK. That was particularly galling since she is a very charismatic and popular AZ local product recruited by Ford. If there is any satisfaction as it relates to our situation it may be that Oregon, the 2018 PAC-12 softball champion, has been hit as hard as ASU and has lost 6 players to the new transfer rule, including All PAC-12 pitcher Miranda Eilish to Texas. So, you can see what Oregon’s response to our situation will be: “Sorry, we feel your pain but we really aren't that sorry for your pain. Go out and poach for yourself!” Lastly, D1 softball allows for 12 schollies. UCD has a 25 person roster, Oregon 18. So most players are not on full schollie, EXCEPT (big exception here) very good pitchers!! So if Yanez was not on full schollie at Davis, I guess we all would have to say that she actually had little choice but to take the Oregon offer. It’s a whole other deal if we had her on full schollie. I’m afraid that we will never get to know the answer. Anyway, maybe the NCAA should give this rule another look at their next meeting. Any thoughts?
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.3k
    Interesting post. Thanks for looking into this messy rule. I'm not sure how the NCAA thought this rule would discourage poaching now that an athlete in certain sports can can transfer without sitting out. It seems to me that this is just another move by the NCAA that will allow the biggest and wealthiest college athletic programs to enter into a "grabfest" as they ramp up their poaching efforts for the best players they can convince to transfer.
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.3k
    From the Davis Enterprise:

    Yanez took advantage of a new transfer rule for Division I student-athletes. As of this past October, student-athletes were no longer required to seek permission from their current institutions to initiate talks with other programs.

    In 2018 Melyssa Lombardi took over as head coach for the Ducks and watched as the transfer portal drained her bench. Yanez will join Oregon hurler Jordan Nail, who finished this season 18-18 with a 4.12 ERA.

    The new transfer database allows student-athletes to merely add their name to the list to be eligible to talk with other schools.

    According to Softball America, as of May 1, 250 DI student-athletes had put their names in the transfer portal. Yanez is the lone Aggie. There are two Sacramento State players, Alexxiss Dias and Suzy Brookshire. According to the list, Brookshire will transfer to San Jose State.

    https://www.davisenterprise.com/sports/yanez-transfers-to-oregon/
  • 69aggie
    386
    So now this issue is finally being picked up in the main stream media. The Enterprise article was extremely wanting in its coverage or depth but at least it put it out. Best site to really get a handle on this whole thing is the NCAA website under “Transfer Portal. (TP)” But guess what its not about softball. It’s about football. About 400-500 football players are now on the TP. They are mostly all QBs and RBs who really want to get their game “out there” for all to see and up their visibility for the pros. The new waiver rules will allow a transfer without a 1 year sit if they “qualify” i.e. “my coach left the team coaches don't let me play enough my coach disrespected me etc. some very crybaby stuff. .Every one from Nick Sabin and others have condemned this change. The TP will be completely public so every player on a team will know when one of their team mates wants to transfer out. This is not good for a teams cohesiveness or strength. NCAA admits “downsides;” players will object to TP teams mates and will not play for them or will exclude them from social activities. My guess is that this is why Juarez announced on the last day of classes. Aggies not happy with their one time star who they played their hearts out for only to leave for “better pastures’.” Again not a really good move by NCAA. Your thoughts?
  • 69aggie
    386
    I was wrong on two major points in my last post. 1) the new waiver rules are not allowing just “crybaby stuff.” They do require some new documentation and evidence not required before; example: a player who wants to transfer due to an ailing relative must document that with medical evidence and that the institution they are transferring to is within 100 miles of the relative; and more but still some crybaby stuff- see ESPN article above. 2) the new TP rules are NOT open to public view. Only the coaches and the ADs can see them. This is the next controversy that will come out of this whole issue. The NOT Open view is based upon the so-called “blow back” problem. This is the expected hostile retaliation felt by the TP athlete by the administration and their team mates which “must be avoided.” The OPEN position is obvious: truth must and should always come out and the NCAA and colleges are not a secrecy oriented operations. Look what secrets leak our of our own government. And, as to Yanez, what did her team mates feel when they found out, after the fact, that they were playing their hearts out for a TP player? Not real good! Anyway, our old friend Gary Patterson put it this way: “its the beginning of the end”- free agency for college athletes. Anyway sorry for my less than accurate former post. Research before you post. Violated my own rule.
  • sportsfan
    6
    This is how the transfer portal works people: any athlete that wants to transfer must go to compliance and ask to transfer and then let their coaches know or coaches first then compliance. Once they let compliance know, compliance then puts their name on the portal and then the flood gates open with emails and phone calls. Once your name is on the portal coaches can contact the athlete and the athlete can contact the coaches. If you transfer within your same conference in softball then you have to sit out one year, otherwise, your good to go!
  • sportsfan
    6
    Yanez will be just fine at Oregon. Be happy she stayed here 2 years honestly, most players and parents thought she would leave to a better program after last year. They were happy she stayed another year and look at how they did?
  • 69aggie
    386
    Sports fan I don’t know where you get your information but apparently its from the inside based on your post. I don’t believe anyone doubts she will do well at Oregon. The PAC-12 is certainly a stronger conference for her to play in but Oregon is no where near the academic equal of UC Davis (or any UC school for that matter). So “better program” I’m not really clear on that point. Did Oregon fans feel betrayed when their former coach left Oregon for Texas with 6 players and their star pitcher? You bet they were and rightly so. I doubt that Brooke’s Aggie team mates were as you say “happy” that she didn’t leave sooner than she did. So why did she transfer? It must be the scholarship issue. She deserved a “full” and the Aggies probably could not do that at this point. Most mid-majors can’t either. Oregon probably could. Anyway good luck to Brooke. We wish her the very best.
    Thanks
    A Brooke Yanez fan where ever she is.
  • sportsfan
    6
    You are correct as far as the academics between the two schools. Her teammates are proud of her for making this move believe it or not and mine was one of them. Yes, it does suck for the team, BUT they understand her move and wish her the best. You can believe it or not, but that is a fact. Brooke didn't leave in the middle of the season either as the Oregon players did, so they don't feel betrayed. Fans might but teammates do not. When I say "program" I meant " softball program/sports program". From what I understand, she actually did it the right way and left after the season was over. Anyway, we also wish her the best of luck.
  • 69aggie
    386
    Thanks Sportsfan. Your input is much appreciated and coming from a player parent 100% solid. Your post also says a lot about the class and character of the Aggie WSB program for not whining and bitching about Brookes decision but for supporting her. I do believe that the last chapter of the Transfer Portal issue has not yet been written. A lot of folks are still very upset about it; but it will not be Woman’s softball that might bring it down. D1 football and basketball coaches will have the last say on this issue. Many are obviously very unhappy about this new rule. A lot of changes are coming to college sports! Thanks again
  • 72Aggie
    335
    Transferring works both ways. Three soccer players have followed new women's coach Tracy Hamm from San Francisco State to Davis.
    https://ucdavisaggies.com/news/2019/7/9/womens-soccer-aggies-gain-three-transfers-from-san-francisco-state.aspx?path=wsoc
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.3k
    Of course, the big difference here though is that JC athletes must transfer to a 4 year school if they're going to continue their playing careers and their college education.
  • sportsfan
    6
    Yes and remember two players on the WSB at Davis also came from Oregon....it does work both ways for sure. There are many factors that make a player want to leave and some are legitimate reasons while others simply want to follow their coaches which I have mixed feelings about that one. But I always remind my daughter that there are only 4 years of college and they need to be satisfied and happy where they are academically and softball program wise. I know players on the portal who want to be challenged at the next level, why not play with the best of the best and be coached by the best of the best if the opportunity is there. It's a business and coaches will also leave when a better opportunity is presented. The transfer portal has some holes in it definitely that must be worked out and hoping it will in the near future.
  • 69aggie
    386
    Just an update. Oregon is now 17-2 with Brooke as their best pitcher at 8-1, 1.80 era. Oregon with 5 or 6 DI transfers (including its other top pitcher) on its roster is now getting ranking votes. While we are not struggling at 14-10 we are not the team of last year for sure. I understand that the entire “transfer portal” issue will be debated at the next NCAA meeting. I read that to mean it will be expanded not reduced, but what do I know? Not much. . . .
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