A question about NCAA policies regarding taking a year...
Former Member
between high school and college as an athlete....If a swimmer was approached by a coach with the suggestion of waiting a year before going to college to try to make Olympic trials/improve swimming for better chances at going to a better college/swim program would this be a good thing? Have you ever heard of such a thing? I don't know anything about it and am trying to research it. Thanks.
My recollection is the clock starts ticking when an athlete graduates from high school. The athlete must start college within one year or else they lose eligibility. The rules for this might vary for Divisions I, II and III, so definitely check out the exact wording in the rulebook.
ncaa.org/.../ncaahome
edit: here's the exact rule from the DI rule book I was thinking of:
14.2.3.2 Delayed Enrollment—Tennis, Swimming and Diving and Women’s Volleyball. A studentathlete
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: (Adopted: 1/9/96 effective
8/1/97, Revised: 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04 for competition occurring on or after 8/1/04, 1/17/09 effective 8/1/10,
for student-athletes initially enrolling full time in a collegiate institution on or after 8/1/10, 4/20/09)
(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 events per
Bylaw 14.2.3.5.3. (Revised: 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04 for competition occurring on or after 8/1/04, 1/17/09
effective 8/1/10, for student-athletes initially enrolling full time in a collegiate institution on or after 8/1/10)
(b) After the one-year time period, if the student-athlete has engaged in organized events per Bylaw 14.2.3.5.3,
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. (Revised: 4/29/04
effective 8/1/04 for competition occurring on or after 8/1/04, 1/17/09 effective 8/1/10, for student-athletes
initially enrolling full time in a collegiate institution on or after 8/1/10)
Let's say an athlete graduates HS in June, 2010. If they wait out a year and don't start college until September, 2011 then they will lose a year of NCAA eligibility. That's my understanding based on the wording of the rule.
My recollection is the clock starts ticking when an athlete graduates from high school. The athlete must start college within one year or else they lose eligibility. The rules for this might vary for Divisions I, II and III, so definitely check out the exact wording in the rulebook.
ncaa.org/.../ncaahome
edit: here's the exact rule from the DI rule book I was thinking of:
14.2.3.2 Delayed Enrollment—Tennis, Swimming and Diving and Women’s Volleyball. A studentathlete
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: (Adopted: 1/9/96 effective
8/1/97, Revised: 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04 for competition occurring on or after 8/1/04, 1/17/09 effective 8/1/10,
for student-athletes initially enrolling full time in a collegiate institution on or after 8/1/10, 4/20/09)
(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 events per
Bylaw 14.2.3.5.3. (Revised: 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04 for competition occurring on or after 8/1/04, 1/17/09
effective 8/1/10, for student-athletes initially enrolling full time in a collegiate institution on or after 8/1/10)
(b) After the one-year time period, if the student-athlete has engaged in organized events per Bylaw 14.2.3.5.3,
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. (Revised: 4/29/04
effective 8/1/04 for competition occurring on or after 8/1/04, 1/17/09 effective 8/1/10, for student-athletes
initially enrolling full time in a collegiate institution on or after 8/1/10)
Let's say an athlete graduates HS in June, 2010. If they wait out a year and don't start college until September, 2011 then they will lose a year of NCAA eligibility. That's my understanding based on the wording of the rule.
