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Use of Non-Term Credits – Reliance on Transcript
For the 2021 Convention, the membership passed a bylaw on how to apply inter-term credit earned for eligibility purposes. While this bylaw application is listed under Article V, Section B, Item 10: Definition for Inter-Term, the guidance on how to evaluate inter-term credits covers all non-term credits such as summer courses or online, non-traditional courses. […]
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Participation Prior to Enrollment in the Fall
Approved Ruling: When an institution has scheduled an intercollegiate contest prior to the opening of school in the fall, a student shall be allowed to represent the institution although the student is not officially identified at the time of participation. The NAIA Official Eligibility Certificate must be filed with the eligibility chair with the column […]
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Prospective Student-Athletes: Tryouts, Camps/Clinics, & Practice During Academic Term
Tryouts Approved Ruling: Tryouts of prospective students, in accordance with NAIA Bylaws, shall not constitute practice per Article I, Section H, Item 6, although institutional team members may be involved. Such activity if conducted outside of the team’s 24-week season will not trigger the 24-week season. Tryouts may occur at any point throughout the calendar […]
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Summer Activities with Prospective Student-Athletes
Who is considered a prospective student? Article V, Section B, Item 16: A prospective student is any individual, regardless of age or stated commitment to a school, who has never identified with your institution or whose most recent collegiate identification is with another institution. All incoming freshmen and transfers are considered prospective students until the […]
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Summer Participation & Seasons of Competition
Article V, Section B, Item 19 Note 4: Unless specified elsewhere in the NAIA Bylaws (i.e. Article V, Section F, Item 9) no student shall be charged more than one season of competition during any 12-month period. Participation in elite-level competition after May 15 shall be charged within the 12-month period that includes the subsequent […]
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Unattached Criteria – As of 2021-2022
Unattached Criteria no longer appicible as of May 1, 2021 The new bylaw amendment that passed in October 2020 removed the blanket exception to the seasons of competition (SOC) ruling, commonly known as the “unattached criteria”. As of May 1, 2021, there will no longer be a way for a student-athlete to get a “free […]
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20% Season of Competition Rule
Effective: August 1, 2021 a. Participation in more than 20% of the maximum allowable number of intercollegiate contests or dates (excluding scrimmages) at an NAIA institution, whether in a varsity, junior varsity or freshman program, during the 24-week season. Any participation in NAIA-approved postseason shall result in a season of competition. The NAIA shall count […]
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Medical Hardship Update – As of 2021-2022
The new 20% Season of Competition bylaw that went into effect August 1, 2021 instituted a minimum number of intercollegiate contests a student must participate in before they would be charged a season of competition. This change has made the current medical hardship process for NAIA athletes non-applicible. Note that the contest limits under the […]
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Outside Competitive Experience Update – As of 2021-2022
Elite-Level Criteria & Chargeable Outside Competitive Experience Effective May 1, 2022 as applied to eligibility decisions for NAIA competition in August 2022 or beyond. Applied to eligibility decisions for NAIA competition in August 2022 and beyond. This means that this criteria is not retroactive. If a student was charged for a league prior to May […]
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Concurrent Enrollment
Bylaw: Article V, Section B, Item 21 “Term of Attendance: A term of attendance is any quarter, semester or trimester (excluding summer sessions) in which the student becomes identified at a single institution. The word “term” as used throughout the bylaws refers to quarter, semester or trimester, whichever applies as the official unit of class […]