Amid the relentless churn of the NCAA transfer portal, Drew Pyne has made an anomalous decision.
Pyne is a former quarterback at Notre Dame and most recently Arizona State who entered the NCAA transfer portal on Dec. 1. He told ESPN on Wednesday that he's enrolling back at Notre Dame for a semester this spring in order to get a degree from the school, where he attended from 2020 to 2022 and left one semester short of graduation.
Pyne said he needs 15 credits to get his degree in American Studies and a minor in business economics. The decision is notable because it's a rare academic decision made in college athletics. Pyne won't play football at Notre Dame this semester and will finish his degree as a conventional student.
"I've decided to return to Notre Dame to earn my degree and finish what I started," Pyne told ESPN. "It means I will fulfill a lifelong dream, and be part of that community forever, which was always very important to me."
Pyne will then finish his football career after this semester at a destination that's not yet determined. He plans to enroll at a new school in June.
Pyne, who battled injuries at ASU and played in just two games this year, expects to have three years of eligibility remaining after his transfer. By procuring his degree, he's also able to transfer and be eligible immediately without a waiver, as this would mark the second football transfer of his career.
He also prioritized the value of a Notre Dame degree. He told ESPN on Wednesday that he's met with academic and athletic officials at the school and is appreciative of how welcoming they've been.
"We are thrilled with Drew's decision to return to Notre Dame to complete his degree," Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick told ESPN. "Drew has always been a great fit with the values of Notre Dame so we are especially pleased that his degree will come from here."
Pyne went 8-2 as starting quarterback at Notre Dame, including a 4-1 record against top 25 teams.
Pyne is a former ESPN 300 recruit from the Class of 2020 who played well for Notre Dame in 2022. He completed 64.6% of his passes and set a school record with 15 consecutive completions against BYU.
He entered summer camp as the front-runner to be Arizona State's starter last summer, but injuries derailed that opportunity during camp. He lost his only start at ASU this season, which came against USC on Sept. 23. He got injured in camp and then again in that game on Sept. 23, which was the last time he played for the Sun Devils.
Against the Trojans, Pyne threw for 221 yards and completed 21 of 36 passes, including a pair of touchdowns.
There could be another former fellow Irish quarterback on campus not playing football, as Tyler Buchner entered the transfer portal for men's lacrosse. Inside Lacrosse reported that Buchner plans to enroll at Notre Dame and join the team for the 2024 season.