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NCAA Division I Transfer Rule Changes Effective August 1, 2019

As of August 1, 2019, these NCAA DI Transfer Rules will go into effect:

Walk-on/Non-Recruited Transfer Exceptions

A student-athlete transferring to a Division I university next Fall as an undergraduate can possibly be immediately eligible if:

  • Their previous four-year college provided athletic scholarships in their sport, but the athlete has not received an athletic scholarship, OR
  • Their previous four-year college did not provide athletic scholarships, and the athlete was not “recruited” by that college.

Student-Athletes in position to benefit from this change will still need to be academically eligible at their new university.

Also, while these changes have received lots of publicity in social media, there is one aspect of this change that has NOT received much publicity at all.

The university that these athletes are transferring from WILL NOT be allowed to object to the athlete being immediately eligible next year at their new university (a condition of the One-Time Transfer Exception which I have shared with many of our clients)!

Graduate Transfer Exception

An athlete transferring as a graduate student to an NCAA Division I university in the sports of baseball, basketball, football, and men’s ice hockey next Fall will have the chance to be immediately eligible (without need for a waiver from the NCAA) as long as:

  • The athlete’s previous four-year college did not provide athletic scholarships, OR
  • The athlete never received athletic scholarships while enrolled at a four-year college.

Do you need assistance?

If you have questions about the NCAA transfer rules and how these changes might possibly affect your student-athlete, schedule a confidential consultation online or call us at 913-766-1235.

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Medical Hardship Waivers – What You Should Know!

We’ve been receiving many calls recently with questions about the rules for a “medical redshirt” or what is officially called a Medical Hardship Waiver.

Many spring sports are quickly approaching the midpoint of their season. For an athlete to qualify for a Medical Hardship Waiver, one of the rules is that the injury or illness must have occurred prior to the first game of the second half of their season. Also, the injury must be medically documented to be “season-ending.”

It’s very important that an athlete see a doctor sooner than later when they are injured or ill.

For example, let’s say that an athlete is injured before the midpoint of their season but doesn’t get to the doctor for an evaluation (x-ray, MRI, etc) until they are two or three weeks PAST the midpoint of the season. Waiting that long to see a doctor may jeopardize their chances that a Medical Hardship Waiver is approved.

Injured or ill athletes who are concerned that their condition might be serious enough to be “season-ending” in nature, should see a doctor as soon as possible rather than waiting to hope the condition improves. Waiting may cost them a chance to receive a Medical Hardship Waiver.

Do you have questions?

For information on how we can help, click NCAA Medical Hardship Waiver Prep & Assistance or call us at 913-766-1235.

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NJCAA Hardship Waiver Rule Changes

The NJCAA recently changed the medical hardship waiver requirements.   The limitation on the maximum number of games or events is now 30% of a student-athlete’s season rather than 20%.

In addition, this rule change can be applied retroactively.  This is great news for current and past junior college athletes who may have just exceeded the limit by one or two games!

The Junior College must apply to the NJCAA on the athlete’s behalf.  However, the athlete will need to provide appropriate documentation to support the application.

During a confidential consultation, Rick Allen can determine if you have potential to qualify for this medical hardship waiver. If so, we can guide and support you through the process. Call us at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com for more information.

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NCAA DI Case Study: 6th Year Extension of Eligibility

An NCAA DI athlete was told by her athletic trainer that she would not qualify for a Medical Hardship Waiver even if she had surgery for her injury. The athletic trainer said it was because of her previous participation history.

The parents of this student-athlete contacted Informed Athlete to discuss.  They wanted to confirm the information given to their daughter and see what options were available.  In fact, the student-athlete IS eligible for a Medical Hardship Waiver.  If approved by the NCAA, this would give her the opportunity for another season of eligibility. The reason is that the applicable NCAA rule was changed last year.

This story isn’t shared to fault the athletic trainer, but to point out that the NCAA rules can change.  Sometimes student-athletes don’t get the most up-to-date information.

In many situations, a consultation with us can clarify what your athlete has been told and options that may be available. Give us a call at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com.

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A Quick Reminder as Spring Sport Seasons Begin!

This time of year, I always like to remind college athletes and parents that any amount of participation in a game or contest against another team will count as a Season of Eligibility used.

The only way to get a season “over again” is if the student-athlete qualifies and is approved for a Medical Hardship Waiver.

A Medical Hardship Waiver is a possibility if your student-athlete incurs an injury or illness that is serious enough to be documented by a physician as “season-ending.”

There are also specific limitations for the number of contests that an athlete can participate in and still qualify for a hardship waiver.

Do you have questions about whether your student-athlete might qualify for a Medical Hardship Waiver?  If so, click Book a Confidential Consultation, call our office at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com.

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College Athletes: Do you qualify for a Medical Hardship Waiver?

If you’re a college athlete who was injured during your Fall season, you may want to consider whether you qualify for a Medical Hardship Waiver.

If you did not compete at all during this season, it can be considered as a “redshirt” season for you, and even if you were injured, your athletic department may tell you that a Medical Hardship Waiver isn’t necessary since you didn’t use one of your 4 seasons of eligibility anyway.

However, if we look ahead and consider the possibility that you might become injured again and miss another season, then 2 seasons with a Medical Hardship Waiver could gain you an extra year of playing eligibility.

In a private, confidential consult, we can discuss the guidelines for obtaining a waiver for Extension of Eligibility and help you to prepare for that possible option. Click here to schedule a confidential consult online, call 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com.

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Medical Hardship Waivers – The Importance of Documentation

While the NCAA, NAIA, and Junior Colleges offer Medical Hardship Waivers for student-athletes who are injured or become ill, the rules and criteria for each organization varies.  However, the most important factor in a Medical Hardship Waiver request is the medical documentation to substantiate the injury. 

The best case scenario for a student-athlete to be granted a medical hardship waiver is that the medical documentation from the actual time of the injury or diagnosis states that “this athlete is not yet released to return to full competition in their sport” or a similar statement.

When no such physician statement is included and it is unclear whether the injury is serious enough to prevent the student-athlete from competing in their sport, it is much less certain that the waiver will be approved.

The documentation can also be very important in the future if the student-athlete happens to become injured again and misses a second season of competition. In that situation, it would be possible for the student-athlete to obtain an extension of their eligibility “clock” and add another year of eligibility. This is possible when a student-athlete has missed not just one, but more than one season of competition due to injury or illness.

We routinely prepare Medical Hardship Waivers when a college athletic department is not experienced with that process or they don’t have the time or manpower to prepare the waiver.

To discuss your athlete’s specific situation and their opportunity for a Medical Hardship Waiver or even an extension of their eligibility “clock”, contact us at 913-766-1235 or e-mail rick@informedathlete.com.

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NCAA Legislative Relief Waivers Help Student-Athletes

An NCAA Legislative Relief Waiver is used to grant relief from the standard rules imposed in a particular situation.

An For example, when a student-athlete transfers a second time between four-year colleges, their options for immediate eligibility are limited.

In most cases the student-athlete will need to serve a “year in residence” and won’t be eligible to compete during their first year when they transfer to a third four-year college.

In this case, a Relief Waiver is an option that, if approved, could be used to grant relief to the student-athlete from needing to serve a year in residence.

Common reasons that a student-athlete needs a waiver as a 4-4-4 transfer include:

  • The athlete moved home to save money and didn’t consider the athletic reasons for their transfer
  • The athlete wants to improve their grades while they consider where they will transfer next for an athletic opportunity.

We routinely draft eligibility waivers for student-athletes so their schools can submit the documents to the NCAA in an effort to gain eligibility, whether as a 4-4-4 transfer or for other transfer situations.

If you are a student-athlete (or a parent) and would like to how an NCAA Legislative Relief Waiver could possibly help in your particular situation, you can schedule a confidential consultation session online or call us directly at 913-766-1235.

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Does your athlete qualify for a Medical Hardship Waiver?

If a student-athlete appears in competition in the early part of their season but is injured or ill to the point that they are not able to complete their season due to “circumstances beyond their control” it’s quite possible that they might qualify to get their season of eligibility “over again” through a Medical Hardship Waiver.

A Medical Hardship Waiver is possible at most every level of college athletics – from junior college, to NAIA, and to each division of the NCAA – but some colleges don’t have a good procedure in place to make sure that the waiver is submitted in a timely manner.

I have seen cases where the head coach of a sport thought it was the responsibility of the sports medicine staff to prepare the medical hardship waiver, while the sports medicine staff thought the responsibility was on the coach to inform the compliance office of an athlete’s need for such a waiver.

Don’t let your athlete lose valuable time and possibly their eligibility status if it’s unclear what office or staff member is responsible for getting the Medical Hardship Waiver prepared and submitted.

If you want to know if your athlete qualifies for a Medical Hardship Waiver, contact us for a confidential consultation to explain the rules and guidelines for a waiver, and to describe how the process should work. Contact us at 913-766-1235, or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com.

To schedule a private consultation or email consultation online, click Waivers & Appeals Consult Options.

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Should you appeal your athletic scholarship reduction or non-renewal?

Since July 1st was the deadline for student-athletes to be informed whether their scholarship would be reduced or not renewed for the upcoming school year, we have been contacted by a number of families about the appeal process.  One of the key questions they have is whether it is “worth it” to pursue the appeal.

Each athlete and family must decide this based on the factors unique to their situation, but here’s a few things to consider:

Is it more important for you to have a chance to compete in your sport, or stay at your school on scholarship?  You might win your appeal, but the coach may be angry with you for appealing and might “take it out” on you.  The coach might even bar you from playing and might not even allow you on the team.  In addition, if you’re not kept on the team, the athletic department may require you to serve as a student worker in the department in exchange for your scholarship.

How close are you to finishing your degree?  If you have only one year left to finish your degree, you’ll likely have to take additional courses to earn your degree if you transfer to another college.  For example, you might end up taking 135 or 140 credit hours for a degree which normally requires 120 credit hours.

What points can you cite to support your case in an appeal hearing? For example, Have you been an excellent student at your school, had a leadership position on your team, or had any misconduct or disciplinary issues?

If you’d like to discuss the appeal, and whether you should pursue that option, contact us for a consultation. I can help you determine whether to pursue an appeal, and if so, we’ll discuss the best strategy, and discuss the strongest points to make during an appeal hearing.

Should you decide to transfer rather than appeal, I can walk you through the transfer process to ensure your transition to a new school is as smooth as possible.

To schedule an appointment, call my office at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com. 

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