What the "new normal" means in regards to transfers is that you can no longer red shirt anyone. You must bring in guys who are physically able to play right away and burn their freshman year up asap. It won't eliminate regular transfer who has to sit a year, but it will eliminate you school ever losing a grad transfer.
Unless dangling the option to transfer is part of the new game.
Let me just propose a What If?, and believe me I have no idea. But what if you have decided as a coach you're going to be the "transfer school" and you think that might be one edge you could have in getting better players.
Completely different situation, for sure, but as an example I know that your BIG basketball schools sit in living rooms and tell kids (and parents) that if you come to us and play for a year or two and you're ready for the NBA, we're going to groom you and help you get there. No need to feel bad and beg, that's what we're all about here and, in fact, we're going to tell you it's time to go.
What if SBU has decided they are going to tell kids (and parents), You come to SBU and give us a year or two, and if you can and want to transfer to a P5 or wherever and can even get a grad degree for free, we'll help you. That's what we're all about here.
Is getting a kid to stay honorably for 4 years and bleed red Wolf an old model? Going or gone the way of the bounce pass and mid-range bank shots? Maybe a revolving door of 1-2 year players is the new frontier and SBU is trying to be on the leading edge of that. SBU was pretty good the last couple of years, and Hartford looked poised to give UVM a run with their new lineup.
Listen, I'm just throwing nonsense at the wall, but why couldn't this scenario above be just as plausible as the other ideas here?