Accelerated debate

Florida coach Urban Meyer spoke out against the NCAA's new graduate-transfer rule in May, calling it a loophole that needed to be — and eventually would be — closed. He's more approving now, especially since cornerback Ryan Smith used the rule to leave Utah and enroll at Florida.

"I like it this year. I won't like it next year," Meyer said.

Cal coach Jeff Tedford and Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson might agree; they also accepted transfers under the new legislation. Others, though, have questioned and criticized the rule that allows athletes who graduate and have eligibility remaining to transfer without the penalty of sitting out a season.

"It's a bad rule because anything that encourages disloyalty is an awful thing," Duke coach Ted Roof said. "It's awful for college football, and it's the wrong message to send to young men — that it's OK to do that sort of thing."

Not surprisingly, Tedford supports the rule.

"If we had a fifth-year guy who wasn't completely happy, I would be OK with him transferring," he said.