Indiana University Athletics
Compliance Question Of The Week
Compliance Question Of The Week
Question:
What are the new consequences for a prospect who decides to take some time off in between high school graduation and enrolling in college for the first time? When does all this go into effect?
Answer:
Back in the good old days (i.e., 2010) we only needed to be concerned if a prospect was delaying their initial collegiate enrollment beyond their 21st birthday, and was continuing to compete in their sport after that age. Now, rule changes which were adopted last year are going into effect on August 1, 2011, and will for the most part trump the previous 21st birthday rule.
Attached above is the language for 2009-22, which is the proposal from last year which changed this legislation moving forward. Starting August 1, 2011 (for all sports other than tennis), prospects will have a one-year grace period beginning after their high school graduation, during which time they can continue to compete in their sport without suffering any penalties upon enrolling at a DI institution. When that one-year period is over, the prospect must enroll in a collegiate institution at the next available opportunity (summer school does not count). Any prospect who continues to delay their enrollment AND compete in their sport will be penalized with the loss of one season of competition, and will not be eligible for competition in their first year, once they do decide to enroll at a DI institution. These penalties are increased for each continued year of delay where the prospect is also competing.
For tennis, the grace period is a shorter 6 months, and they have one extra year to prepare - rule changes don't go into effect until 2012 for this specific sport.
Another piece of newly adopted legislation (Proposal 2010-57) provides some flexibility for those prospects who wish to delay enrollment for up to ONE additional year due to participation in national or international level events (i.e., national team competition, World Championships, Olympic Games). These students receive an exception to take up to two total years after high school to compete without suffering any penalty upon enrolling at IU.
The exact language of the new legislation is available below, but please work with the compliance office as you recruit prospects who will have delayed enrollment issues! And please make absolutely sure (especially with those internationals) that you know WHEN they graduated high school and that it corresponds with their educational system's timeline.
14.2.3.2.1 Sports Other Than Men's Ice Hockey, Skiing and Tennis. In sports other than men's ice hockey, skiing and tennis, a student-athlete who does not enroll in a collegiate institution as a full-time student in a regular academic term during a one-year time period after his or her high school graduation date or the graduation date of his or her class (as determined by the first year of high school enrollment or the international equivalent as specified in the NCAA Guide to International Academic Standards for Athletics Eligibility and based on the prescribed educational path in the student-athlete's country), whichever occurs earlier, shall be subject to the following:
(a) The student-athlete shall be charged with a season of intercollegiate eligibility for each calendar year after the one-year time period (the next opportunity to enroll after one calendar year has elapsed) and prior to full-time collegiate enrollment during which the student-athlete has participated in organized competition per Bylaw 14.02.9.
(b) After the one-year time period, if the student-athlete has engaged in competition per Bylaw 14.02.9, on matriculation at the certifying institution, the student-athlete must fulfill an academic year in residence before being eligible to represent the institution in intercollegiate competition.
14.2.3.2.1.1 Track and Field and Cross Country. A student-athlete who has participated in organized competition after the one-year time period (the next opportunity to enroll after one calendar year has elapsed) and prior to full-time collegiate enrollment during a cross country, indoor track and field or outdoor track and field sport season (as opposed to general road racing events) shall be charged with a season of competition in the sport in which the student has participated for each calendar year after the one-year time period in which he or she participated in organized competition.
14.2.3.2.1.2 Road Racing. A student-athlete who has participated in road racing activities after the one-year time period (the next opportunity to enroll after one calendar year has elapsed) and prior to full-time collegiate enrollment shall be charged with a season of competition in each of the sports of cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field for each calendar year after the one-year time period in which he or she participated in organized competition. 14.2.3.2.2 Tennis. In tennis, a student-athlete who does not enroll in a collegiate institution as a full-time student in a regular academic term within six months (or the first opportunity to enroll after six months have elapsed) after his or her high school graduation date or the graduation date of his or her class (as determined by the first year of high school enrollment or the international equivalent as specified in the NCAA Guide to International Academic Standards for Athletics Eligibility and based on the prescribed educational path in the student-athlete's country), whichever occurs earlier, shall be subject to the following:
(a) The student-athlete shall be charged with a season of intercollegiate eligibility for each calendar year after the six-month period has elapsed (or the next opportunity to enroll) and prior to full-time collegiate enrollment during which the student-athlete has participated in organized competition per Bylaw 14.02.9.
(b) After the six-month period, if the student-athlete has engaged in organized competition per Bylaw 14.02.9, on matriculation at the certifying institution, the student-athlete must fulfill an academic year in residence for each calendar year after the six-month period has elapsed (or the next opportunity to enroll) and prior to full-time collegiate enrollment during which the student-athlete has participated in such competition before being eligible to represent the institution in intercollegiate competition.
14.2.3.2.1.1 Exception -- National/International Competition. For a maximum of one year after a prospective student-athlete's first opportunity to enroll full time in a collegiate institution following the one-year time period after his or her high school graduation date or the graduation date of his or her class, whichever occurs earlier, participation in the following organized national/international competition is exempt from application of Bylaw 14.2.3.2.1:
(a) Official Olympic Games, Pan American Games, World Championships, World Cup, World University Games competition;
(b) Officially recognized competition from which participants may directly qualify for final tryouts for a national team that will participate in the Olympic Games, Pan American Game, World Championships, World Cup or World University Games and final tryout competition from which participants are selected for such teams; or
(c) Official competition involving a national team sponsored by the appropriate national governing body of the U.S. Olympic Committee (or, for student-athletes representing another nation, the equivalent organization of that nation).
Question:
What are the new consequences for a prospect who decides to take some time off in between high school graduation and enrolling in college for the first time? When does all this go into effect?
Answer:
Back in the good old days (i.e., 2010) we only needed to be concerned if a prospect was delaying their initial collegiate enrollment beyond their 21st birthday, and was continuing to compete in their sport after that age. Now, rule changes which were adopted last year are going into effect on August 1, 2011, and will for the most part trump the previous 21st birthday rule.
Attached above is the language for 2009-22, which is the proposal from last year which changed this legislation moving forward. Starting August 1, 2011 (for all sports other than tennis), prospects will have a one-year grace period beginning after their high school graduation, during which time they can continue to compete in their sport without suffering any penalties upon enrolling at a DI institution. When that one-year period is over, the prospect must enroll in a collegiate institution at the next available opportunity (summer school does not count). Any prospect who continues to delay their enrollment AND compete in their sport will be penalized with the loss of one season of competition, and will not be eligible for competition in their first year, once they do decide to enroll at a DI institution. These penalties are increased for each continued year of delay where the prospect is also competing.
For tennis, the grace period is a shorter 6 months, and they have one extra year to prepare - rule changes don't go into effect until 2012 for this specific sport.
Another piece of newly adopted legislation (Proposal 2010-57) provides some flexibility for those prospects who wish to delay enrollment for up to ONE additional year due to participation in national or international level events (i.e., national team competition, World Championships, Olympic Games). These students receive an exception to take up to two total years after high school to compete without suffering any penalty upon enrolling at IU.
The exact language of the new legislation is available below, but please work with the compliance office as you recruit prospects who will have delayed enrollment issues! And please make absolutely sure (especially with those internationals) that you know WHEN they graduated high school and that it corresponds with their educational system's timeline.
14.2.3.2.1 Sports Other Than Men's Ice Hockey, Skiing and Tennis. In sports other than men's ice hockey, skiing and tennis, a student-athlete who does not enroll in a collegiate institution as a full-time student in a regular academic term during a one-year time period after his or her high school graduation date or the graduation date of his or her class (as determined by the first year of high school enrollment or the international equivalent as specified in the NCAA Guide to International Academic Standards for Athletics Eligibility and based on the prescribed educational path in the student-athlete's country), whichever occurs earlier, shall be subject to the following:
(a) The student-athlete shall be charged with a season of intercollegiate eligibility for each calendar year after the one-year time period (the next opportunity to enroll after one calendar year has elapsed) and prior to full-time collegiate enrollment during which the student-athlete has participated in organized competition per Bylaw 14.02.9.
(b) After the one-year time period, if the student-athlete has engaged in competition per Bylaw 14.02.9, on matriculation at the certifying institution, the student-athlete must fulfill an academic year in residence before being eligible to represent the institution in intercollegiate competition.
14.2.3.2.1.1 Track and Field and Cross Country. A student-athlete who has participated in organized competition after the one-year time period (the next opportunity to enroll after one calendar year has elapsed) and prior to full-time collegiate enrollment during a cross country, indoor track and field or outdoor track and field sport season (as opposed to general road racing events) shall be charged with a season of competition in the sport in which the student has participated for each calendar year after the one-year time period in which he or she participated in organized competition.
14.2.3.2.1.2 Road Racing. A student-athlete who has participated in road racing activities after the one-year time period (the next opportunity to enroll after one calendar year has elapsed) and prior to full-time collegiate enrollment shall be charged with a season of competition in each of the sports of cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field for each calendar year after the one-year time period in which he or she participated in organized competition. 14.2.3.2.2 Tennis. In tennis, a student-athlete who does not enroll in a collegiate institution as a full-time student in a regular academic term within six months (or the first opportunity to enroll after six months have elapsed) after his or her high school graduation date or the graduation date of his or her class (as determined by the first year of high school enrollment or the international equivalent as specified in the NCAA Guide to International Academic Standards for Athletics Eligibility and based on the prescribed educational path in the student-athlete's country), whichever occurs earlier, shall be subject to the following:
(a) The student-athlete shall be charged with a season of intercollegiate eligibility for each calendar year after the six-month period has elapsed (or the next opportunity to enroll) and prior to full-time collegiate enrollment during which the student-athlete has participated in organized competition per Bylaw 14.02.9.
(b) After the six-month period, if the student-athlete has engaged in organized competition per Bylaw 14.02.9, on matriculation at the certifying institution, the student-athlete must fulfill an academic year in residence for each calendar year after the six-month period has elapsed (or the next opportunity to enroll) and prior to full-time collegiate enrollment during which the student-athlete has participated in such competition before being eligible to represent the institution in intercollegiate competition.
14.2.3.2.1.1 Exception -- National/International Competition. For a maximum of one year after a prospective student-athlete's first opportunity to enroll full time in a collegiate institution following the one-year time period after his or her high school graduation date or the graduation date of his or her class, whichever occurs earlier, participation in the following organized national/international competition is exempt from application of Bylaw 14.2.3.2.1:
(a) Official Olympic Games, Pan American Games, World Championships, World Cup, World University Games competition;
(b) Officially recognized competition from which participants may directly qualify for final tryouts for a national team that will participate in the Olympic Games, Pan American Game, World Championships, World Cup or World University Games and final tryout competition from which participants are selected for such teams; or
(c) Official competition involving a national team sponsored by the appropriate national governing body of the U.S. Olympic Committee (or, for student-athletes representing another nation, the equivalent organization of that nation).