One of the biggest topics heading into the 2018 SEC Spring Meetings is the status of graduate transfers that desire to transfer from one league program to another.

The reason that’s such a hot topic is the fact that Alabama offensive lineman Brandon Kennedy has announced his departure from the school. Kennedy plans to utilize the graduate transfer rule to become eligible immediately at his next school. He’ll have two years left to play at his next stop.

According to Matt Zenitz of AL.com, Alabama is denying Kennedy permission to seek a transfer to Auburn or Tennessee.

Auburn has been quiet regarding that issue but both Jeremy Pruitt and Phillip Fulmer, without specifically addressing Kennedy, have stated their beliefs that a player should be permitted to transfer to his school of choice if he earns his undergraduate degree, as Kennedy has done in three years in Tuscaloosa.

Nick Saban was asked directly about his thoughts on the SEC’s graduate transfer rules, and he specifically brought up Kennedy. According to the Alabama coach, it’s not on him to block transfers, that’s an SEC rule.

Here’s what Saban had to say when asked about it in Destin.

“Then we should change the rule. I don’t think it should be on me, I think we should change the rule,” Saban said. “If we agree in the SEC at these meetings that we are going to have free agency in our league and everybody can go wherever they want to go when they graduate, if that’s what’s best for the game — then I think that’s what we should do. Then Brandon Kennedy can go wherever he wants to go.

“But if we don’t do that, why is it on me? Because we have a conference rule that says he can’t do it. And he can do it, but he’s supposed to sit out a year. So why is it on me? It’s not even my decision, it’s a conference rule. I always give people releases — and he has a release to go wherever he wants to go, but the conference rule says he can’t go to the conference. So… why is that on me?

“The Maurice Smith thing wasn’t on me either.”

That’s an interesting thing to say, considering players have made the move before and Tennessee’s leaders are publicly issuing their support for such a move. By the end of the week, the league will likely come to a determination on this case, but it appears Saban is attempting to deflect blame away from him and onto the league. If that is indeed accurate, the league can change the rule if enough SEC members agree with Tennessee on the issue.