Tag Archive for: NCAA rules

The NCAA Division I Council recently approved and adopted revisions to rules specific to the sport of men’s wrestling which “…are intended to help all men’s wrestling student-athletes achieve an academic foundation during their initial year of college, while also helping to provide financial and well-being support.”

These changes impact the NCAA Division I rules for men’s wrestling regarding scholarships, the use of a season of competition and participation in outside competition.

Changes to competition rules effective with this current 2022-23 academic year:

NCAA DI Men’s wrestling student-athletes who are in their first year of college enrollment:

  • Will be allowed to compete in up to 5 dates of competition for their university without being charged with the use of a season of competition.
  • Will not be allowed to compete as an “unattached” wrestler or as a member of an outside amateur team during their first full-time term of college enrollment.
  • Will also be required to have a GPA of at least 2.000 at the beginning of each term of enrollment to be eligible for competition during that term. This rule applies regardless of whether the athlete will be representing their university in competition or will be participating in outside competition.

Each wrestler’s GPA requirement can be satisfied by having a cumulative GPA of at least 2.000 at the start of each academic term or by having earned a GPA of at least 2.000 during the preceding academic term.

Change to scholarship rules for those enrolling in Fall 2023:

  • High school seniors or junior college recruits who will have an opportunity to sign a National Letter of Intent with an NCAA Division I wrestling program will be interested to know that there is now a 20% minimum scholarship equivalency required for those first enrolling at a four-year institution on or after August 1, 2023. Wrestling becomes the second Division I equivalency sport to require a minimum scholarship value (after baseball).
  • For any Division I institutions that award athletic scholarships based solely on demonstrated financial need, their wrestling program will not be required to provide a scholarship value that is at least 20% of a full scholarship.

Need Advice?

Schedule a confidential Scholarship Strategies Consult online or by calling 913-766-1235 if you have questions about these new rules.

Like many organizations, the National Association for Athletic Compliance (NAAC) has an online chat room where members can share ideas and information, and ask their peers for assistance with questions. As a past President and member of NAAC, I keep up with those discussions to stay current with issues and discussions.

Recently, the following post appeared in the chat room:

“I am new to compliance and was wondering if there were any resources anyone can point me to so that I can learn/study compliance outside of the Manual or LSDBi.”

This was posted by the primary compliance contact for an NCAA Division II program!

I don’t mean to speak negative of this person. Rather, my concern is with the Division II school that would hire an inexperienced person for the primary compliance position.

If an athlete or family in your circle of friends isn’t confident in the information they are receiving from their compliance office, or if they aren’t comfortable posing their questions to their coach or compliance office, encourage them to contact us at 913-766-1235 or rick@informedathlete.com with their questions.

Last week at the annual NCAA Convention in Indianapolis, proposed rule changes were voted on by Division I, II, and III representatives.

Here’s a brief summary of some of the rule changes most important to student-athletes and their families.

**NCAA Division I “Power Five” universities will be required, effective August 1, 2018, to provide student-athletes with medical care for athletically-related injuries for at least two years after an athlete graduates or leaves their university.  Each university will have the discretion to determine whether an injury is athletically-related, how it will provide the medical care, and to establish policies for implementing the medical care.

**NCAA Division I universities that are not in the “Power Five” group will have the option to follow the same rule but will not be required to do so.

**“Power Five” universities also voted to allow men’s ice hockey athletes who have not yet attended college to be represented by an agent if they are drafted by a professional ice hockey team.  This rule change is effective immediately.

Hockey athletes using an agent will be required to pay the agent the going rate for their services and to terminate the agreement with the agent prior to full-time collegiate enrollment if the athlete does not sign a contract with the professional team.  This same rule was approved for high school baseball recruits drafted by a professional team two years ago.

**Rule changes regarding recruiting by NCAA Division I coaches were approved at the committee level to move forward through the NCAA legislative process but won’t be voted on until April 2018 at the earliest.

These proposals will restrict recruits in all sports other than basketball and football from making unofficial visits prior to Sept. 1 of their junior year of high school BUT at the same time will allow Division I programs to provide official visits to recruits as early as Sept. 1 of their junior year.

**NCAA Division II proposals were limited to the starting dates for football and volleyball seasons, revising the penalties for sports gambling by athletes and coaches, and allowing universities in Mexico to apply for membership in the NCAA.

**Students who graduate from an NCAA Division III college will be allowed to compete as a graduate student (or one seeking a second undergraduate degree) at a different Division III college, as long as the student has eligibility remaining.

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