In this April 13, 2019, photo, Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson throws during the Michigan’s annual
spring NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich. A string of recent high-profile transfers gave the
college football world the impression it was getting easier for players to switch schools and compete
right away. Patterson to Michigan, Justin Field to Ohio State and Tate Martell to Miami seemed to usher
in a new era of free agency, but waiver approvals are still far from a sure thing. That is prompting
athletes, coaches and others to complain about a process that can be somewhat mysterious.