Eligibility

[VictoryLane]

In Division III, if a kid plays two sports for example, and due to the strain on academics of doing so only chooses to play one his freshmen year.  If he stood at the school for five years, would he be allowed to play the other sport his senior year.

For example, a kid plays baseball and football.  Sits out freshmen year to adjust to college, but plays baseball in spring.  Does he have four years of football career left?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

You should talk to the Athletic Department for confirmation, but I think that is correct.  I know of several athletes who have come back for a 5th fall semester to finish up eligibility in a second (or third) sport.

[Bob Maxwell]

Nick Perioli from Oswego is doing that now.  I believe the only requirement is you still need to be a full time student.  undergrad or grad.

[Knightstalker]

At NJCU we had a player who used up his eligibility for basketball, 2 years at an NJ county college and two at NJCU, he then still had 2 years eligibility for football.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

At NJCU we had a player who used up his eligibility for basketball, 2 years at an NJ county college and two at NJCU, he then still had 2 years eligibility for football.

I think the changes made last year, closed that loophole.  Isn't the four in five pretty firm now, not including injury waivers?

[cid]

At NJCU we had a player who used up his eligibility for basketball, 2 years at an NJ county college and two at NJCU, he then still had 2 years eligibility for football.

I think the changes made last year, closed that loophole.  Isn't the four in five pretty firm now, not including injury waivers?

I personally am wondering...if someone graduates from college never playing any sports at all(or has 100 hours done but not yet graduated, but still never played anything), can you go back to a div 3, major in something else or do graduate work; and then play?   I looked all through the NCAA eligibility center and it simply says Div III doesn't use the Center, and elsewhere I've seen comments that in Div III eligibility depends on the individual school, or perhaps conference rules, but all the conferences and school websites I've looked at say nothing on the issue.

[Just Bill]

Depends how many semesters of school that person attended.  Student-athletes get 10 semesters of school to complete 4 year of eligibility. When either of those number expire you're done.

So if that person completed their degree in just 8 semesters of school, they could come back 2, 5, 10 or 50 years later and have 2 semesters (1 season) of eligibility left.  However, it only takes one class to count as a semester.  Once you've attended classes in 10 different semesters, you're done.

Here's a hypothetical for "Joe":
2002-03:  Joe attends college, doesn't play a sport (2 semesters spent)
2003-04:  Joe leaves school to work a job, does not attend school at all
2004-05:  Joe works his job, but takes one night class in each semester at night (2 semesters spent, 4 total)
2005-06:  Joe enrolls at a different college full time and plays basketball (2 semesters spent for a total of 6, 1 season played)
2006-07:  Joe attends college and plays basketball (2 semesters spent for a total of 8, 2 seasons played)
2007-08:  Joe quits school and works full time
2008-09:  Joe takes a one college class to help hime move up the pay scale at work (1 semester spent for a total of 9)
2009-10:  Joe goes back to school full time and wants to play basketball, but can he?  He can, but he'd only be eligible for the first semester, because that would be his 10th semester of college.

[Jonny Utah]

Depends how many semesters of school that person attended.  Student-athletes get 10 semesters of school to complete 4 year of eligibility. When either of those number expire you're done.

So if that person completed their degree in just 8 semesters of school, they could come back 2, 5, 10 or 50 years later and have 2 semesters (1 season) of eligibility left.  However, it only takes one class to count as a semester.  Once you've attended classes in 10 different semesters, you're done.

Here's a hypothetical for "Joe":
2002-03:  Joe attends college, doesn't play a sport (2 semesters spent)
2003-04:  Joe leaves school to work a job, does not attend school at all
2004-05:  Joe works his job, but takes one night class in each semester at night (2 semesters spent, 4 total)
2005-06:  Joe enrolls at a different college full time and plays basketball (2 semesters spent for a total of 6, 1 season played)
2006-07:  Joe attends college and plays basketball (2 semesters spent for a total of 8, 2 seasons played)
2007-08:  Joe quits school and works full time
2008-09:  Joe takes a one college class to help hime move up the pay scale at work (1 semester spent for a total of 9)
2009-10:  Joe goes back to school full time and wants to play basketball, but can he?  He can, but he'd only be eligible for the first semester, because that would be his 10th semester of college.

I thought you had once you started your first semeseter, you had 5 years (10 semesters) to complete your eligiblity.

[Just Bill]

That's true if you remain in school, but if you are completely out of school and not taking classes your "10-semester clock" stops ticking.  That's how the 57-year old from Sul Ross State (his name escapes me) can come back and play football almost 30 years after he started school.

[ADL70]

Are you sure he wasn't grandfathered in?   

Sorry couldn't resist. 

[cid]

Depends how many semesters of school that person attended.  Student-athletes get 10 semesters of school to complete 4 year of eligibility. When either of those number expire you're done.

So if that person completed their degree in just 8 semesters of school, they could come back 2, 5, 10 or 50 years later and have 2 semesters (1 season) of eligibility left.  However, it only takes one class to count as a semester.  Once you've attended classes in 10 different semesters, you're done.

Here's a hypothetical for "Joe":
2002-03:  Joe attends college, doesn't play a sport (2 semesters spent)
2003-04:  Joe leaves school to work a job, does not attend school at all
2004-05:  Joe works his job, but takes one night class in each semester at night (2 semesters spent, 4 total)
2005-06:  Joe enrolls at a different college full time and plays basketball (2 semesters spent for a total of 6, 1 season played)
2006-07:  Joe attends college and plays basketball (2 semesters spent for a total of 8, 2 seasons played)
2007-08:  Joe quits school and works full time
2008-09:  Joe takes a one college class to help hime move up the pay scale at work (1 semester spent for a total of 9)
2009-10:  Joe goes back to school full time and wants to play basketball, but can he?  He can, but he'd only be eligible for the first semester, because that would be his 10th semester of college.

Is there any chance semesters attended at an NCAA school don't count at an NAIA school and vice-versa?

[Gregory Sager]

No. Academic semesters are academic semesters in terms of eligibility, regardless of the affiliation of a particular institution of higher learning.

[cid]

If summer school isn't counted I should have 2...do they count?

[Just Bill]

Summer school is typically counted as part of the spring semester. So if you took classes in the spring semester, and then took another one in the following summer that would only be 1 semester charged against you.

But, if you didn't take anything in the spring semester and then took summer classes that would also count for 1 semester.

[cid]

I was looking around NAIA websites and I stumbled across a guide that says the following:

10. YOU MUST be within your first 10 semesters, 12 trimesters, or 15 quarters of attendance as a regularly enrolled student.  Beginning August 1, 2004, a term of attendance is any semester, trimester, or quarter in which you enroll for 12 or more institutional credit hours and attend any class. Summer sessions are not included, but night school, extension or correspondence courses are applicable to this ruling.

Now, I attended 7 full time semesters, one summer and 1 semester of part time(3 hours).  If this information is correct then I presume it will mean that the summer wont count and the part time semester I attended won't either(it says "a term of attendance is any semester...in which your enroll for 12 or more...".   Anyone can vouch for my interpretation?   Since I never played that should mean I get 3 semesters of eligibility left in NAIA, or enough for 2 seasons.

Link to whole document:  http://graphics.fansonly.com/schools/naia/member-services/marketing/College%20Bound%20StudentAthlete%20Sheetupdated.pdf