Tag Archive for: NCAA Academic Eligibility

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Don’t Let Your High School Athlete Fall Through the Cracks

Each year, we are contacted by the parents of freshman athletes who arrive on their campus only to be told that they don’t have enough of the NCAA-required 16 core courses on their HS transcript to compete as a freshman.

Unfortunately, this situation is more common than you think.  Problems meeting the eligibility standards can set back and even derail a student-athlete’s entire athletic career.

We can prevent that from happening.

Understanding the academic requirements and confirming that your athlete has satisfied the NCAA-required core courses ahead of time can save a lot of heartache and money.

With a confidential Eligibility Issues Consult, we will answer your questions and explain in detail the academic requirements that a HS athlete must satisfy to be NCAA-eligible.

We can also provide a confidential detailed Freshman Transcript Review in which we will discuss your athlete’s personal situation, answer any questions you have and:

– Compare the courses completed with the courses approved by the NCAA Eligibility Center.

– Determine whether your projected core course GPA will satisfy NCAA “Qualifier” requirements.

– Provide a written assessment of the subjects that need to be completed to satisfy initial eligibility requirements.

– Suggest steps and discuss a plan of action that may be available to satisfy eligibility requirements.

Schedule your confidential Freshman Transcript Review online or call us at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com if you have questions about this process.

If your athlete has already started college and needs a Waiver to become eligible for next Spring, you can learn more and sign up for a confidential Waivers and Appeals consultation.

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Medical Hardship Waivers – Important Info to Know

If your student-athlete becomes injured or ill to the point where they won’t be able to continue competing during the season, it is possible to receive a Medical Hardship Waiver to get a season of competition “over again.” This includes:

  • DI & DII Student-athletes who have competed for their team during the season and
  • Division III athletes who have continued practicing with their team after the first game of the season.

There are specific conditions and restrictions that apply for these types of waivers, and they vary between the NCAA, NAIA and JUCO rules. In fact, even within the NCAA, the guidelines and requirements for such a waiver can differ between Division I, Division II, and Division lII.

In very general terms, to qualify for a Medical Hardship Waiver, an athlete can’t participate in more than 30% of the number of games or “dates of competition” in their regular season and must have medical documentation of a “season-ending” injury or illness that’s dated prior to the midpoint of the season.

However, the method of calculation for the “midpoint of the season” may not be the same for NCAA Division I compared to Division II or for a team sport compared with an individual sport.

The most important factor when considering whether your athlete will qualify for a Medical Hardship Waiver is the supporting medical documentation to verify that the injury or illness is “season ending” in its severity.

Medical documentation is especially important if an athlete is hoping to receive a Medical Hardship Waiver for mental health concerns.

I frequently advise our clients who have an athlete who is dealing with a mental health situation that they need to think of the supporting documentation the same as if it were an illness like pneumonia or a physical injury much like a torn ACL.

While this trend is thankfully changing, many student-athletes still don’t want to share with their coach, their athletic department or even a medical professional that they have been dealing with mental health issues.

However, the NCAA has approved medical waivers for student-athletes who have provided appropriate and sufficient medical documentation.

Do You Have Questions or Need Professional Advice?

To discuss your athlete’s specific situation in a confidential consultation to see if they might qualify for a Medical Hardship Waiver (or for other types of Waivers such as for a family illness or a financial hardship), schedule a confidential Waivers & Appeals Consult online, send an email to rick@informedathlete.com or call our office at 913-766-1235.

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NCAA DI Winter Sport Transfer Portal Dates

With many Winter sports approaching the end of the regular season, here are the opening and closing Transfer Portal dates for NCAA Division I Winter sport athletes:

  • Men’s Basketball: March 24-April 22
  • Women’s Basketball: March 25-April 23
  • Bowling: April 2-May 16
  • Fencing: March 18-May 1
  • Men’s Gymnastics: April 15-May 29
  • Women’s Gymnastics: March 31-May 14
  • Men’s Ice Hockey: March 30-May 13
  • Women’s Ice Hockey: March 16-April 29
  • Rifle: Feb. 24-April 9
  • Skiing: March 4-April 17
  • Men’s Swimming/Diving: March 19-May 2
  • Women’s Swimming/Diving: March 12-April 25
  • Indoor Track and Field: March 11-April 24
  • Men’s Wrestling: March 19-May 2

Exceptions:

  • here are exceptions for Division I student-athletes who will be transferring as a postgraduate student and for those who have had their sport discontinued at their school.
  • There is also a 30-day Transfer Window available for Division I student-athletes immediately following their coach being fired, retiring, or leaving to take another job.
  • For DII athletes, the transfer portal deadline is June 15th. DIII athletes have no specific deadline.
  • Keep in mind, however, that you will probably be removed from your current team as soon as you inform them of your plan to transfer.

Do You Have Questions?

Schedule a confidential transfer consultation online for an explanation of the steps, rules and academic requirements to be eligible as a transferring student-athlete, call us at 913-766-1235, or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com

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NCAA Division III Graduate Eligibility

We recently consulted with an athlete who was planning to transfer to an NCAA Division III school for her final season of eligibility in her sport but was told that she has no more eligibility available under the Division III rules for a graduate transfer.

One of the key Division III eligibility rules is that an athlete can only compete in D3 as a graduate student (or to earn a second undergraduate degree) if the athlete previously graduated from a D3 school.

  • There is an Exception for some athletes who graduated from a non-D3 school, but one of the conditions for that Exception is that the athlete will be charged with a “Season of Participation” at their original school even if it was considered a Redshirt season under the rules of the other Division or organization.
  • Refer to our Blog Post of Aug. 27, 2024 – https://informedathlete.com/redshirt-rules-2024-fall-sport-athletes/ – for an explanation of a Season of Participation in D3.

If you have Eligibility questions regarding your student-athlete:

Schedule a confidential Eligibility Consultation online, contact us at rick@informedathlete.com, or call 913-766-1235.


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NCAA DI Basketball & Football Transfer Portal Window Changes

The NCAA Division I Council took action last week to reduce the Transfer Portal Windows for Division I men’s and women’s basketball and football from 45 to 30 days. These changes are effective for the upcoming Portal Windows at the end of those sport seasons for the current year.

For Men’s and Women’s Basketball the new Portal Windows are:

  • Men’s Basketball – March 24 to April 22
  • Women’s Basketball – March 25 to April 23

For Football (both FBS and FCS), there will be two Portal Windows totaling 30 days.

  • The first Window for Football will be for 20 days from December 9 to 28.
  • The second Window will be for 10 days from April 16-25.

There will also continue to be Exceptions to the above Portal dates:

  • When there is a change of Head Coach (30 days after such an announcement)
  • An Exception that began on October 1st for athletes who will be transferring after graduating this year (or semester) from their current four-year university.

Questions About the Transfer Portal Academic Eligibility Rules?

If you have questions about the steps to enter the Transfer Portal, or perhaps more importantly about the academic requirements to be immediately eligible at your next university, schedule a confidential Eligibility Issues consult online, contact us at rick@informedathlete.com or by calling 913-766-1235 to arrange a confidential consultation.

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NCAA Transfer Eligibility Rules That Junior College Athletes Should Know!

If a first-year junior college athlete was a Non-Qualifier for Division I (based on his or her high school academic performance), they are not allowed to take an official visit to a Division I university until they have completed their freshman year at the two-year college.

  • Also, be aware that there are specific academic requirements that must be satisfied by a junior college athlete to be eligible as a transfer to an NCAA university (whether as a 2-4 transfer or a 4-2-4 transfer) and that those requirements differ between NCAA Divisions I, II and III.
  • If your junior college athlete has been told by a coach that all they have to do is to earn their Associates Degree to be eligible, that’s not a complete and accurate answer for what it takes to be eligible at an NCAA university as a transfer from a two-year college.

Do You Need Help Navigating the Transfer Eligibility Rules?

Schedule a confidential Eligibility Consultation online or by sending an email to rick@informedathlete.com or calling 913-766-1235.

During our private phone consultation, we will answer any questions you have and explain the rules and academic requirements that your athlete will need to meet in order to transfer with immediate eligibility to an NCAA university.

We can also provide a Transcript Review Evaluation to determine whether your athlete is on track to satisfy the academic requirements for a successful transfer.

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NCAA Division I Grads Can Enter Transfer Portal October 1st

Current NCAA Division I athletes who plan to transfer after graduating from their current university can enter the Transfer Portal to begin having discussions with coaches at other universities starting October 1st.

However, athletes must be aware that if they do that, the odds are good that they will be immediately removed from their team and barred from using athletic facilities.

Also, the athlete must ensure that they WILL graduate from their current school before transferring elsewhere. Otherwise, their eligibility to compete at their next school may be in jeopardy.

If your athlete is thinking about transferring after earning their undergrad degree, schedule a Transfer Consult online or contact us at rick@informedathlete.com or by calling 913-766-1235 for questions about a potential transfer.

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Don’t Let Your Athlete Withdraw From Classes!

A question that we often receive early in the school year is whether an athlete can withdraw from some or all of their classes without an eligibility “penalty.” Generally, reasons for this include having second thoughts about their college choice, or due to an injury or illness.

If your athlete has already started attending their college classes this Fall as a full-time enrolled student, I hope you’ll keep the following in mind:

  • If your athlete is taking a full-time course load, withdrawing from just one class may not harm their eligibility if they can replace it or have enough courses to still be considered full-time.
  • However, withdrawing from all of their classes will likely negatively impact their eligibility now and possibly in the future at their current college or at a new college that they may transfer to.
  • Dropping a course later in the term to avoid a failing grade that will negatively impact an athlete’s GPA may be OK depending upon their circumstances. However, you should encourage your athlete to finish the semester (or quarter) instead of withdrawing from their courses.
  • If your athlete withdraws from all courses, they’ll lose all their academic credits for this term which will most likely damage future eligibility.

To discuss a potential withdrawal situation and how it could impact your athlete’s eligibility, https://informedathlete.com/services/eligibility-issues-consult/schedule a confidential Eligibility Consult online, e-mail rick@informedathlete.com or call our office at 913-766-1235.

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Confirm Your Eligibility as a Freshman or Transfer Student-Athlete

If you are enrolling as freshman student-athlete or a transfer college athlete MAKE SURE to confirm in writing that you have satisfied ALL of the academic requirements to be eligible for competition in your first year of attendance at your new school.

Compliance Staff members who are responsible for certifying athlete eligibility will most likely be focusing more attention on those incoming athletes who have been actively recruited by the coaching staff as scholarship athletes or as “preferred walk-ons.”

It’s important to do this BEFORE you begin full-time enrollment at the university. Every year after classes have started, we are contacted by college student-athletes who have been told that they are NOT academically eligible for competition. By then, it’s too late to consider other options that may have been possible such as taking additional summer courses, postponing your enrollment or returning to junior college for one more semester.

Do You Have Questions?

If you have questions or concerns about your student-athlete’s eligibility status, schedule a confidential Eligibility Issues Consult online. We will answer any questions you may have and explain the specific academic requirements. We can also review your athlete’s high school or junior college transcript to inform whether they are on track to satisfy the eligibility requirements and discuss options available to remedy if needed.

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Changes to NCAA Transfer Eligibility

There have obviously been many changes to the NCAA transfer rules over the past few years. Many followers of our service remember that under previous transfer rules, athletes in most cases were required to serve a “year in residence” at their new university if the athlete was transferring a 2nd time to a third four-year university.

But under recent rule changes, athletes will have the chance to be immediately eligible at their new four-year university as long as they are meeting the academic requirements to be eligible – regardless of how many times they have previously transferred.

However, if a transferring athlete does not meet academic requirements to be immediately eligible at their new university it will be possible for them to regain their eligibility after one term of full-time attendance at their university.

In that case, the athlete will need to work closely with academic advisors at the new university to make up any deficiency in their academic status before the start of their second term of attendance at the university.

Do You Have Questions?

If you have questions about the academic eligibility requirements for your athlete to be eligible as a transfer student, schedule a confidential transfer consultation online, contact us at 913-766-1235 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com

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