MBB: University Athletic Association

[Mr. Ypsi]

This appears to be the citation from Page 90 of the NCAA manual:

14.1.8.1.6.7 
Eligibility  After  Completion  of  Degree  Requirements.
A  student-athlete who was eligible during the term in which degree work was completed may continue to practice and compete (through the conclusion of the season) after the final day of that term, only if:
(a) A postseason event (e.g., NCAA championship, NAIA championship, NCCAA championship) in  the  student-athlete's  sport  begins  within  60  days  after  the  end  of  the  term  in  which  the  student-athlete completes degree requirements;
(b) The  student-athlete  completed  his  or  her  degree  requirements  in  fewer  than  four  consecutive years from his or her initial collegiate enrollment and has been charged with a season of participation for that year prior to the completion of degree requirements; or (Revised: 5/18/17)
(c) The student-athlete is continuing enrollment pursuant to Bylaw 14.1.9 (see Bylaw 14.1.8.1.6.6).


I would assume that the full-time enrollment requirement still applies.  That is covered in the following section on Page 90, but I do not see anything there in that section.  It is hard to imagine that the NCAA would let a Division III athlete do nothing more than play basketball, but again, I know knowledge here.

14.1.8.1.7   
Waivers   of   the   Full-Time   Enrollment   Requirement   for   Practice   or   Competition.
Waivers may be granted for the following: (Adopted: 10/20/09)

(a) above would seem to say he would be ineligible for the tourney!  Where's Pat or d-mac?

d-mac, my reading of the above would be that he can complete the season even if not enrolled, but the tourney begins (I would assume) more than 60 days after he graduated.  Would they suddenly lose him for the tourney?

[deiscanton]

This appears to be the citation from Page 90 of the NCAA manual:

14.1.8.1.6.7 
Eligibility  After  Completion  of  Degree  Requirements.
A  student-athlete who was eligible during the term in which degree work was completed may continue to practice and compete (through the conclusion of the season) after the final day of that term, only if:
(a) A postseason event (e.g., NCAA championship, NAIA championship, NCCAA championship) in  the  student-athlete’s  sport  begins  within  60  days  after  the  end  of  the  term  in  which  the  student-athlete completes degree requirements;
(b) The  student-athlete  completed  his  or  her  degree  requirements  in  fewer  than  four  consecutive years from his or her initial collegiate enrollment and has been charged with a season of participation for that year prior to the completion of degree requirements; or (Revised: 5/18/17)
(c) The student-athlete is continuing enrollment pursuant to Bylaw 14.1.9 (see Bylaw 14.1.8.1.6.6).


I would assume that the full-time enrollment requirement still applies.  That is covered in the following section on Page 90, but I do not see anything there in that section.  It is hard to imagine that the NCAA would let a Division III athlete do nothing more than play basketball, but again, I know knowledge here.

14.1.8.1.7   
Waivers   of   the   Full-Time   Enrollment   Requirement   for   Practice   or   Competition.
Waivers may be granted for the following: (Adopted: 10/20/09)

(a) above would seem to say he would be ineligible for the tourney!  Where's Pat or d-mac?

d-mac, my reading of the above would be that he can complete the season even if not enrolled, but the tourney begins (I would assume) more than 60 days after he graduated.  Would they suddenly lose him for the tourney?

The scenarios are to be read as in any one of the three situations, and not subsection a combined with subsection b or subsection c.  The section about tourneys in subsection a covers seniors who compete in spring sports such as baseball, softball, tennis,  outdoor track and field, and lacrosse.  They don't lose their eligibilty even if the graduation ceremony is a few weeks before the spring postseason tournaments.  Therefore, Wash U would still be allowed by the NCAA to have Jake Knupp compete in the NCAA basketball tourney-- he is allowed to compete under the second scenario.

[hopefan]

We had this discussion quite a while back, it seems to me about a lady SLIAC player... what Desi finally said is correct.. if you complete degree requirements in semester 7, you can compete to complete your season in semester 8... Knupp is permitted to do nothing but concentrate on Basketball if so desired, no Graduate courses, no mandatory class hours...and he is eligible for the tourney.... scenario b is to be read on its own merit..

[deiscanton]

We had this discussion quite a while back, it seems to me about a lady SLIAC player... what Desi finally said is correct.. if you complete degree requirements in semester 7, you can compete to complete your season in semester 8... Knupp is permitted to do nothing but concentrate on Basketball if so desired, no Graduate courses, no mandatory class hours...and he is eligible for the tourney.... scenario b is to be read on its own merit..

Hopefan is correct in that statement.  Since Jake Knupp will not be enrolled as a full time Wash U grad student this spring, he cannot compete on any of the Wash U spring varsity teams this year. For example, he cannot be an emergency relief pitcher on the Wash U baseball team.   After the basketball season is over, that is it.

[WUPHF]

But the subsequent exemptions to the full-time enrollment requirement in the NCAA manual do not list graduation during the season.

Letting a student do nothing but.play a sport for over two months when others are in class seems crazy.

[Greek Tragedy]

Crazy stuff. I have a headache trying to figure this out. It does seem strange that the student doesn't even have to be enrolled to play out his season if he graduated early. I would think he's got to be on the books somewhere.

[deiscanton]

Nobody has a problem with senior baseball players, tennis players, outdoor track and field athletes, or lacrosse players competing in the postseason even though the  date of the national title games is after May commencement at most colleges and universities.  The degree in May is conferred upon the graduating senior before the season ends if his team or he is in the hunt for a national championship.

Why should a student be punished mid season in the winter sports for getting his/her degree conferred in January by virtue of completing the degree requirements?  He already is not eligible to start a season in the spring sports by virtue of not being a full time student.  Do you want to punish a student further by forcing him/her to leave a team mid-season because of successful completion of academic studies?  If that were the case, no senior could compete for a college in spring sports by extension.  Technically, the summer sessions would already have started on the date of the national title game in d3baseball.

[deiscanton]

1-on-1 interview with WashU men’s basketball senior guard Jake Knupp. The St. Paul, Minn.-native is averaging 18.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game for the Bears, who are 5-1 and ranked No. 11 in NCAA Division III. Knupp graduated in 3.5 years from WashU and will be attending Medical School.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCtJys8MH-E

Jake Knupp actually said that he was planning to take a gap year first before going on to medical school.  There was nothing in that interview that stated that he was immediately beginning studies at Wash U School of Medicine-- as a matter of fact, in the interview, Jake did not say that he had been admitted to med school yet.  He did say that he was interested in being a pediatrician. 

As you can see, people watching the interview have been trying to make a big deal about eligibility requirements.  I have stated earlier that I do not have a problem with his eligibilty by my reading of the NCAA by-laws-- others disagree.

In general, I do agree in the full-time study requirement of a student-athlete, but I find nothing wrong in the exceptions to this requirement listed in the by-laws.

[WUPHF]

I believe the NCAA requires institutions to certify the start and end dates of the standard academic year.  Every institution offers a summer term, but I have never seen a college or university that expects undergraduate to enroll in the summer term though there are exceptions to everything.

I am not sure the NCAA is punishing a student, but rather they are setting a standard and students choose to compete on a schedule that they choose.

[deiscanton]

I believe the NCAA requires institutions to certify the start and end dates of the standard academic year.  Every institution offers a summer term, but I have never seen a college or university that expects undergraduate to enroll in the summer term though there are exceptions to everything.

I am not sure the NCAA is punishing a student, but rather they are setting a standard and students choose to compete on a schedule that they choose.

I have no problem with the losing of eligibility of Wash U athletes, or any other college athletes, for baseball, softball, outdoor track and field, and men's and women's tennis if those athletes complete degree requirements and choose to graduate in December without continuing on as full-time grad students. 

[WUPHF]

That was not my point.

Basketball has another full term in which to enroll for most schools. Baseball does not.

Anyway...

[deiscanton]

Brandeis men have started out on a 13-0 run.  With 12:34 left in the first half, Wesleyan has yet to score.....

[deiscanton]

After Brandeis took a 15-0 lead about 8 minutes into the game, Wesleyan started to play and roar back to life.  Brandeis leads 32-30 at the half, but Wesleyan finished the half with a 30-17 run.  This game seems typical of the way the entire first semester has gone for the Judges....

[WUPHF]

Washington University defeats Central College, 87-83.

Andrew Sanders had a game finishing with 29 points and 14 rebounds. Just an absolute monster.

The Bears were moving the ball well for much of the first half and then...

24 turnovers overall, but thankfully they out rebounded Central by a 58-26 margin.  That was the difference.

Both teams held the lead in the final minutes until Jack Nolan had the biggest of big time three pointers that gave the Bears a five point lead. Nolan would also get an inbounds pass and would hit a free throw to seal the game.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

For those who think it is crazy for student-athletes to compete in basketball after they have finished their requirements the previous December consider this: they have gone above and beyond, usually, what any other student has done. They have completed their degree in less time than the average (assuming no red shirt season) meaning they focused even more on their studies while also playing a sport and all that it entails.

Let's stop knocking student-athletes for being ... students. There are no problems if a student-athlete played two more months of basketball with little or no classes after busting their rears ends prior to which allowed them to be in that situation. On top of that, they did it while remaining a student-in-good-standing.

The rules are fine. These students deserve what they earned. Let it go.