Transcript NCAA Division II Four Year College Transfers

2014-15 Rules Education

To understand and interpret four-year college
transfer legislation.

To address recent and relevant staff and
official interpretations.

To apply legislation to real-life scenarios.

To identify potential waivers as they relate to
four-year college transfers.
 Throughout
the presentation, keep an eye
out for light bulbs.
 These
symbols denote helpful hints to
assist you in the recruitment of four-year
college transfers.
 Prior
to being eligible for competition, a
four-year college transfer student-athlete
must serve one full academic year in
residence at the certifying institution.
NCAA Bylaw 14.5.5.1
 Exceptions
only available to studentathletes who do not have an unfulfilled
residence requirement.
◦ Exceptions only available to student-athletes who
want to transfer during the first year of enrollment
if they were a qualifier.
Bylaws 14.5.5.1 and 14.5.5.3
 Staff
interpretation [Reference: 7/24/14,
Item No. 2]:
◦ Student-athlete who is a qualifier and serving year
in residence during initial year of enrollment due to
an organized competition violation who chooses to
transfer prior to serving year in residence is not
eligible for one-time transfer exception.
 Staff
interpretation [Reference: 8/6/14,
Item No. a]:
◦ Partial qualifier or nonqualifier who received a
fully approved initial-eligibility waiver to permit
athletically related financial aid, practice and
competition in initial year of full-time enrollment is
considered a qualifier for purposes of application of
two-year and four-year college transfer
requirements.

Four-year college transfer who attended
institution for at least one academic year
is eligible for financial aid and practice.
◦ Not dependent on qualification status for initial
eligibility (e.g., qualifier, nonqualifier).
Bylaw 14.5.5.1.1

Four-year college transfer who attended
institution for less than one full academic
year and is partial qualifier or nonqualifier
is not eligible for competition during first
academic year of attendance at certifying
institution.
◦ See Bylaw 14 rules for partial qualifiers and
nonqualifiers to determine eligibility for practice and
financial aid.
Bylaw 14.5.5.1.2
 To
be eligible for competition, a studentathlete must complete six hours of
academic credit the preceding regular
academic term of full-time enrollment.
These credits must be degree applicable.
These six hours must be transferable hours as
certified by the certifying institution.
Bylaw 14.4.3.1.1
 NCAA Proposal
No. 2014-16 will require
student-athletes to earn nine hours of
academic credit the preceding regular
academic term of full-time enrollment,
effective fall 2016.
Bylaw 14.4.3.1.1
Multiple conditions must be satisfied for a
student-athlete to use this exception:
1.
Student-athlete has not previously
transferred from another four-year
institution.
Bylaw 14.5.5.3.9-(a)
2.
Student-athlete must be in good academic
standing and meeting progress-towarddegree requirements at previous institution.
Good academic standing is defined by the
academic authorities of the previous institution.
Bylaw 14.5.5.3.9-(b)
3.
If student-athlete is transferring from an
NCAA or NAIA member institution,
previous institution must support the
transfer.
 The previous institution must certify this
support in writing.
Bylaw 14.5.5.3.9-(c)

If request to transfer is denied, previous institution
must provide student-athlete with a hearing when
requested by student-athlete.

Student-athlete must be informed of opportunity for a
hearing in writing within 14 consecutive calendar
days of receipt of request for a release.

Hearing must be conducted by an entity outside of
athletics department.

Note Proposal No. 2015-3.
Bylaw 14.5.5.3.9-(c)
4.
Additional requirement only for those studentathletes who only have one season remaining
or two semesters/three quarters or fewer left to
complete his or her eligibility and has not earned
a baccalaureate degree:
 Must have an average of 12 credit hours of
transferrable degree credit for each full-time term
attended and a 2.000 GPA in those credits.
Bylaw 14.5.5.3.9-(d)
 Student-athlete
is not subject to year in
residence, provided the previous
institution discontinued or has publicly
announced its plans to discontinue the
student-athlete’s sport.
Bylaw 14.5.5.3.5-(a)
student-athlete’s previous institution
did not sponsor the student-athlete’s
sport, student-athlete is not subject to
year in residence.
 If
◦ Please note that to use this exception, studentathlete must not have previously transferred from
an institution that sponsored the sport.
Bylaw 14.5.5.3.5-(b)

Student-athlete is not subject to year in residence if:
◦ For a (consecutive) two-year period prior to student-athlete’s
participation in countable athletically related activities at
certifying institution:
 Student-athlete has not competed and has not participated
in other countable athletically related activities in involved
sport beyond a 14 consecutive calendar-day period; and
 Student-athlete has not participated in organized amateur
competition while enrolled full time.
Bylaw 14.5.5.3.6
 Official
interpretation [Reference: 7/7/14,
Item No. 15]:
◦ Participation on a previous institution’s club team
triggers intercollegiate competition or noncollegiate
amateur competition and must be counted when
determining whether student-athlete may use twoyear nonparticipation exception.

Student-athlete is not subject to year in residence if:
◦ Student-athlete enrolls at a second four-year institution;
◦ Student-athlete does not compete and does not participate in
other countable athletically related activities in involved
sport beyond a 14 consecutive calendar-day period; and
◦ Student-athlete returns to the original institution.

May use this exception even if with an unfulfilled
residency requirement at second institution.
Bylaw 14.5.5.3.7

Student-athlete is not subject to year in
residence if:
◦ Student-athlete was not recruited by certifying
institution;
◦ Student-athlete is not receiving any athletically related
financial aid; and
◦ Student-athlete has not participated in countable
athletically related activities beyond a 14 consecutive
calendar-day period at any previous institution.
Bylaw 14.5.5.3.8

Educational exchange exception (Bylaw
14.5.5.3.1).

Exchange student exception (Bylaw 14.5.5.3.2).

Discontinued academic program exception
(Bylaw 14.5.5.3.3).

Military service, religious mission exception
(Bylaw 14.5.5.3.4).

Student who transfers and enrolls in graduate
program, professional school, or second
baccalaureate or equivalent degree program at
an institution other than the institution
previously attended as an undergraduate may
participate in intercollegiate athletics, provided
student has eligibility remaining.
◦ Graduation is the golden ticket!
Bylaw 14.1.8.1
 Staff
interpretation [Reference: 10/8/14,
Item No. a]:
◦ Student-athlete may use the exception on more than
one occasion provided student-athlete has eligibility
remaining and regardless of whether student-athlete
previously transferred as an undergraduate student.
 Transfer
student-athlete from collegiate
institution outside of United States is
subject to residence requirement.
◦ All international institutions are by default fouryear collegiate institutions for purposes of the
transfer legislation.
When recruiting an international student-athlete, be
mindful of the student’s participation in outside
competition as teams may trigger use of a season.
Bylaw 14.5.1.4

Student-athlete who transfers while disqualified
or suspended from previous institution for
disciplinary, as opposed to academic, reasons
must complete one calendar year of residence at
the certifying institution.
◦ Not eligible for exceptions or NCAA waivers.
When recruiting a four-year college transfer, include
questions about any disciplinary matters a studentathlete may have on the transfer tracer.
Bylaw 14.5.1.1
 Staff
interpretation [Reference: 10/25/13,
Item No. b]:
◦ Graduate student who transfers while disqualified
or suspended from previous institution must
complete year in residence at certifying institution.

Student-athlete must not have competed
during the segment that concludes with the
NCAA championship at the previous four-year
institution.
Bylaw 14.5.5.4

Dan plans to transfer to Sinise University (Division II) for
the 2014-15 academic year.

Dan has six semesters of eligibility remaining at his
current institution, Patriot University (Division II). Dan
did not attend an institution prior to attending Patriot.

Dan is in good academic standing and meeting progresstoward-degree requirements at Patriot and passed six
hours of transferrable credit during the 2014 spring
semester.

Patriot supports the transfer.

Is Dan eligible to use a transfer exception?

Bubba recently graduated from Johnson State University
(Division II) where he was a men’s water polo studentathlete.

Bubba intends to enroll in graduate school at Alabama
Coast University (Division II) in the 2014 fall semester.

Bubba previously used the one-time transfer exception.

Bubba has two years of eligibility remaining.

Is Bubba eligible to use a transfer exception?

Jenny initially attended Parkland State University (Division II)
for the 2010-11 academic year. Jenny competed, but did not
receive athletics aid.

Jenny transferred to Lakeview University (Division II) and
used the one-time transfer exception to compete in the 201112 academic year. Jenny did not receive athletics aid at
Lakeview.

Jenny practiced with the women’s basketball team at
Lakeview during the 2012 fall semester, but did not compete.

After a falling out with the coaching staff, Jenny decided to
leave the team. Her last day with the team, during which she
practiced with the team, was October 21, 2012.

Jenny finished the semester in good academic standing,
meeting progress-toward-degree requirements and passed six
hours of transferrable degree credit.

Jenny took a year off of school.

During the 2014 spring semester, Jenny enrolled at Eastern
State University (Division II), which did not recruit Jenny.

In fall 2014, Jenny decides she would like to start playing
basketball again. She will not receive athletics aid.

Does Jenny need to use a transfer exception to be eligible
to compete in fall 2014?

Forrest was a student-athlete at Kennedy University
(Division I) in the second semester of his sophomore
year (four semesters of enrollment).

Forrest was dismissed from the team February 2, 2014,
following a fight with a fellow teammate.

Although not happy about the situation, the athletics
department granted Forrest a full release and supports
the transfer.

Following the release, Forrest was involved in another
fight and suspended from the institution as a result of
the fight.

Despite his suspension, Forrest is leaving Kennedy in
good academic standing and meeting progress-towarddegree requirements.

Forrest wants to transfer to TBD University in the 2014
fall semester.

Is Forrest eligible for a transfer exception?

If a student-athlete does not meet a four-year
college transfer exception, consider if
legislative relief is appropriate.

Call 317-917-6144 with questions.

Guidelines can be found on www.ncaa.org.

Case precedent can be found in RSRO.