Scholarship Strategies if your Coach resigns or is fired

So, your NCAA DI coach was fired or resigned – how does this affect your athletic scholarship?  There is a new Division I rule for an athletic scholarship after the departure of a head coach.

In that situation, it often happens that a new coach will cut players from the team or will tell them that “you can continue on the team, but don’t expect to get much playing time” in an effort to coerce them to transfer.

For a student-athlete who may want to stay at the same school on scholarship to finish their degree and graduate from that university, there is a new rule that allows them to stay on scholarship the following year(s) and that scholarship will not count against team limits.

HOWEVER, the downside to this new rule is that for the scholarship to NOT count against team limits, the athlete must give up participation in their sport.

If you are an NCAA Division I student-athlete whose coach has been fired or resigned, and you have not been informed about this new rule, contact us for a consultation to discuss scholarship strategies.

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What You Should Know about NAIA Athletic Scholarships

If your athlete is being recruited by an NAIA college, it’s important to know that there are few standard regulations that are imposed on all NAIA colleges across the country regarding the awarding of athletic scholarships

What does this mean for you?

– Any policies addressing the awarding or cancellation of an NAIA athletic scholarship are determined by each individual college.

– Unlike the NCAA rules, the NAIA rules do not include provisions that prevent a coach from taking an athlete’s scholarship for medical reasons or that require the opportunity for an appeal hearing if a coach wants to cancel an athlete’s scholarship.

– The NAIA financial aid guidelines only speak to the fees and other charges that can be covered by an NAIA college when providing a scholarship.  They do not include such points as a date when an athlete must be informed if their scholarship is not being renewed for the following year, or the conditions under which a coach can cancel an athlete’s scholarship in the middle of the academic year.

Be sure that you ask the coach about his or her scholarship policies (and those of the athletic department) and review written college policies regarding NAIA athletic scholarships when considering an NAIA school.

If you have questions about NAIA athletic scholarships, contact us at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com.

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The Facts About “Guaranteed” Multi-year NCAA DI Scholarships

In 2015, the NCAA Division I “Power 5” Schools implemented a rule that has the effect of “protecting” Division I student-athletes from having their athletic scholarship cancelled or not renewed for any athletics reason.  Quite simply, a coach cannot take away a scholarship for poor athletic performance.

Here are several facts about this rule:
– This new rule was voted in by the universities of the “Power 5” conferences – the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, PAC-12, and SEC, as well as Notre Dame. This rule must be followed by these 65 universities.
– Other Division I schools and conferences can choose to follow this rule, but are not required to do so. So, an athlete receiving an athletic scholarship from a university that is NOT one of the 65 mentioned here might still receive a one-year scholarship which a coach can choose not to renew for the following academic year.
– The “protection” provided by this rule only applies to athletes who signed their National Letter of Intent and scholarship agreement after the new rule was approved in January of this year (at the NCAA Convention), will be enrolling in a Division I university as a freshman or new transfer this Fall, AND who will be receiving an athletic scholarship in their first year of enrollment.
– The rule will NOT apply to athletes who are not receiving an athletic scholarship in their first year of enrollment at their university. (Example: a volleyball player not receiving an athletic scholarship in their freshman year, but promised one in the following three years, will not receive the protection of this new rule.)
– It is still possible for universities to cancel or choose to not renew a scholarship for  reasons that are NOT related to athletic performance.

Cancellation or non-renewal IS possible if an athlete:

  • Is ruled to be ineligible for competition;
  • Provides fraudulent information on an application, letter of intent, or financial aid agreement;
  • Engages in serious misconduct that rises to the level of being disciplined by the university’s regular student disciplinary board;
  • Voluntarily quits their team; or
  • Violates a university policy or rule which is not related to athletic conditions or ability (such as a university policy on class attendance, or an athletic department policy regarding proper conduct on a team trip).

Despite this rule, there will still be some Division I coaches who want to take away the scholarship of an athlete who is not performing as well as the coach anticipated during the recruiting process.
My advice to athletes and parents is to review very carefully any athletic department rules and policies that spell out the non-athletic reasons that can be cited for the cancellation or non-renewal of an athletic scholarship.
If you have questions about the rules regarding athletic scholarships, or about recruiting rules, academic eligibility or transfer requirements, contact Rick Allen at 913-766-1235 or send an e-mail to rick@informedathlete.com.

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