"When Meghan McIntyre's final season at NAIA powerhouse Southern Oregon ended this spring, she assumed her basketball career was over. Then a court ruling changed everything. In June, a federal judge approved a temporary eligibility waiver giving non-NCAA athletes a final year of competition to compensate for not having access to NIL benefits. Overnight, McIntyre suddenly had one more year but only at the Division I level.

She had no Division I recruiting history, few contacts and NAIA players can't enter the transfer portal. She emailed dozens of coaches at West Coast mid-majors. Six responded. Only one recruited her: USF's Molly Goodenbour, who had just two returning players.

"I had to hope some coach would give me a chance," she said. "I just had to send a bunch of emails with my clips. I had to do all of that myself, or I wouldn't be playing."

McIntyre's scramble is an example of what many women's college basketball players navigate outside the Power Four conferences. While high-priced NIL deals at the top teams dominate social media, such as Olivia Miles going from Notre Dame to Texas Christian or Ta'Niya Latson joining South Carolina from Florida State, most transfers happen quietly among mid-majors, junior colleges and NAIA programs."

(lost link, srry)