Big 12 reverses course on Baker Mayfield rule

By the time you’re reading this, the Big 12 might have changed its mind again.

A day after the Big 12 upheld a rule regarding transfers within the conference, the conference amended the rule proposal and held a re-vote. Thursday, the conference voted 7-3 in favor of the new rule and as a result, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield now has two more years of eligibility with the Sooners.

As you likely know, Mayfield transferred to Oklahoma after the 2013 season from Texas Tech, where he was a walk on. Since he transferred within the conference, he lost a year of eligibility while he sat out the 2014 season, meaning 2016 would be Mayfield’s last season with the Sooners without a change in the rules.

Had the rule stayed the same, Mayfield could have gone to the NFL draft after 2016 or, as a graduate transfer, played in 2017 at a non-Big 12 school.

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Perhaps realizing that the conference would look stupid if Mayfield played for another school in 2017, the rule was amended after Wednesday’s vote. Suddenly, a 5-5 tie became a 7-3 win for the new rule.

“I appreciate the Big 12 faculty athletics representatives spending more time studying the important issue of walk-on transfers and am pleased by the result of today’s Big 12 vote — not just because it potentially impacts Baker Mayfield, but because it was the right thing to do,” Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said in a statement.

Amended “Baker Mayfield” rule passed 7-3. Because Mayfield did not have written scholarship offer from Texas Tech, he’ll get back lost year.

— George Schroeder (@GeorgeSchroeder) June 2, 2016

The new stipulation regards a scholarship offer for a walk-on. If a walk-on wants to transfer to another school (where he’ll be on scholarship) he can do so without losing a year of eligibility if the school does not offer him a scholarship. But if his current school offers a scholarship, he’ll lose a year of eligibility by transferring.

Here’s how Mayfield reacted to the change.