Clayton Phillips has officially transferred to the Penn State hockey program from the University of Minnesota and has been granted immediate eligibility, Penn State announced on Wednesday.
“I choose Penn State because of the combination of athletics and academics,” Phillips said. “Penn State provides every opportunity you need to succeed as a student-athlete in both the classroom and on the ice.”
“Clayton is an elite skating defenseman who will add depth and experience to our roster with his previous NCAA participation,” Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky said. “He moves pucks extremely well and likes to get up in the play, making him a great addition to our back end.”
We reported last month that Phillips had enrolled at Penn State, and we reported in July that the Penguins were working to get Phillips immediate eligibility to play after the transfer.
NCAA rules dictate that players must sit out one year before playing for another Division I school after a transfer, but can be granted a one-time transfer exception. To obtain the exception, the player would have to be academically eligible at his previous school and have the previous school state in writing that they do not object to the player being granted the exception.
Minnesota did not object to Phillips being granted the exception, so he will play for Penn State in the fall. He has two years of NCAA eligibility remaining.
