SEC athletes who have graduated and are looking to transfer are now free to do so within the conference and not have to sit out a year.

The conference's Executive Committee passed a proposal that will allow grad transfers within the league, providing an incremental step forward for former Alabama offensive lineman Brandon Kennedy and those like him to transfer to another SEC school without needing to sit out for a year-in-residence.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said the proposal, which came from Georgia last year and was initially tabled, passed with a "super majority," or more than eight schools in favor.

Alabama coach Nick Saban gave an impassioned defense of enforcing the previous rules, which blocked Kennedy from going to his preferred schools of Auburn and Tennessee as well as the rest of the SEC. Kennedy's latest appeal to Alabama was denied last week.

NCAA rules still permit Alabama to block Kennedy from going to certain schools, but those rules are also under review as the permission to transfer process is expected to change to a notification of transfer model when the NCAA Division I Council meets later this month, though that rule as currently written would not go into effect until October.

"Then we should change the rule," Saban said. "I don't think it should be on me. I think we should change the rule. If we agree at the SEC at these meetings that we're going to have free agency in our league and everyone can go wherever they want to go when they graduate, that's what's best for the game, then that's what we should do.

"Then Brandon Kennedy can go where ever 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 for 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 where ever he wants to go but the conference rule says he can't go in conference. So, why is that on me? The Maurice Smith thing wasn't on me either."

In 2016, Alabama blocked linebacker Maurice Smith from going to Georgia, but Sankey granted a waiver to allow him to play immediately.

Running back David Williams left South Carolina for Arkansas as a grad transfer last year and grad transfer defensive back Nick Harvey left Texas A&M for South Carolina earlier this month.

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said he was not aware he was being blocked from talking to any graduate transfers, but felt the proposal had a chance to pass this week and that "a lot" of the league's coaches supported it.

"(Graduate transfers are) an issue that's getting more and more popular; you see it every year," Malzahn said. "I think the majority of our coaches are open to that, kind of see it in the future being something that you'll see happen I think."

Auburn athletic director Allen Greene was not "on one side of the aisle or the other" on the issue of intra-conference graduate transfers.

"It would be really easy to sit and say because of one situation, whether it's pro-Auburn or not pro-Auburn," Greene said. "The best way to make decisions, in my opinion, is to look at it holistically. My responsibility is to take a step back and try to figure out and help be engaged in discussions that are for the best interest of the big picture."

The SEC also passed a proposal allowing intra-conference transfers for any player if their original institution is subject to a postseason ban, which applies to former Ole Miss wide receiver Van Jefferson, who transferred to Florida.

James Crepea is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @JamesCrepea.