The ACC eliminated its intraconference transfer rule on Monday in a unanimous decision by its board of directors.

The intraconference transfer rule, created in 1996, required student-athletes without a degree to sit out one year if they were transferring from one ACC school to another. The move does not come as a surprise, considering pending NCAA legislation that would grant student-athletes a one-time transfer with immediate eligibility in all sports.

In January, the NCAA Division I council delayed a vote that would loosen those restrictions but said it remains committed to making changes.

"The time has come for all student-athletes to have the opportunity to transfer and be permitted to compete immediately," ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement Monday. "This decision is in the best interest of our student-athletes as it allows greater flexibility during their collegiate career."