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 academic year.

The Competitive Experience Rule:

Continuing and prospective student-athletes are charged a season of competition (SOC) for participating in any non-intercollegiate, elite-level competition on or after the first day of the thirteenth month following high school graduation or the equivalent. This regulation, commonly referred to as the Competitive Experience Rule, preserves the competitive balance between student-athletes by charging seasons of competition for athletic participation considered to be of a quality at or above the level of NAIA intercollegiate competition.

Are Continuing Students Charged for Summer Participation?

Continuing Students without a “break”:
A continuously enrolled, full-time student will not be charged an SOC for taking part in elite-level amateur competition during the summer if the student was charged an intercollegiate SOC in the previous or following intercollegiate season.

Continuing Students with a “break” in enrollment:
A continuing student is subject to the competitive experience rule for summer participation when the student has a break in full-time enrollment during the spring term prior to the summer and/or the fall term immediately after the summer. The Faculty Athletics Representative must complete the Outside Competitive Experience Athletics Form and determine whether the summer competition meets the criteria for elite-level competition.

A student in this scenario is charged a season of competition for elite-level summer participation. However, summer participation occurring after May 15th is charged within the 12-month period that includes the subsequent academic year. This means that a student with a break in enrollment is charged a season of competition for summer participation, but this student will not be charged an additional season of competition for taking part in intercollegiate or elite-level competition during the following school year.

Are Transfer Students Charged for Summer Participation?

Transfer Students without a “break” in NAIA enrollment.
A transfer student is not subject to the competitive experience rule for summer participation if the student is enrolled in 12 institutional credit hours at one NAIA member institution and is charged an intercollegiate season of competition, then transfers to another NAIA member institution and enrolls as a full-time student in the following fall term immediately.

[Note: Transfer students require an updated NAIA Eligibility Center Determination if the student did not participate at the first NAIA member institution.]

Transfer Students with a “break” in NAIA enrollment.
A transfer student is subject to the competitive experience rule for summer participation when the student has a break in full-time enrollment during the spring term prior to the summer and/or the fall term immediately after the summer. The faculty athletics representative at the new institution must complete (a) the Transfer Player Eligibility Statement and (b) the Outside Competitive Experience Form to determine whether the summer competition meets the criteria for elite-level competition.

[Note: Transfer students require an updated NAIA Eligibility Center Determination if the student did not participate at the first NAIA member institution.]

Transfer Students from another athletics association.
A transfer student is subject to the competitive experience rule for summer participation regardless of any break in full-time enrollment. A transfer student must register with the NAIA Eligibility Center if the student has not participated in intercollegiate athletics at an NAIA member institution. This student is subject to the competitive experience rule.

Seasons of competition are evaluated on campus for transfer students who previously participated at an NAIA member institution. The faculty athletics representative at the new institution must complete (a) the Transfer Player Eligibility Statement and (b) the Outside Competitive Experience Form to determine whether the summer competition meets the criteria for elite-level competition.

Transfer students from another athletics association will be charged a season of competition for elite-level summer participation. However, summer participation occurring after May 15th is charged within the 12-month period that includes the subsequent academic year. This means that a transfer student from another association is charged a season of competition for summer participation, but this student will not be charged an additional season of competition for taking part in intercollegiate or elite-level competition during the following school year.

Are Incoming Freshmen Charged for Summer Participation?

NAIA identification within 12 months of high school graduation:
Prospective students are not subject to the competitive experience rule until the first day of the thirteenth month following high school graduation. This is considered a student’s post-secondary amateur year. Essentially, a student is not charged a season of competition for taking part in elite-level competition occurring during the summer immediately following high school graduation.

A student’s post-secondary amateur year depends solely on the date of high school graduation. Neither the time of year during which a student graduates from high school (Winter vs. Summer) nor a student’s term of initial collegiate identification (Fall Term vs. Spring Term) impacts the applicability of this twelve-month time period.

[Note: A student is charged a season of competition for participating in intercollegiate competition at any time regardless of the high school graduation date.]

NAIA identification more than 12 months after high school graduation:
An incoming freshman is subject to the competitive experience rule for summer participation occurring more than twelve months after high school graduation.

For example, a student graduating in December/June is charged a season of competition for elite-level summer participation occurring in July of the year following the student’s post-secondary amateur year. It is important to note that this July participation occurred after May 15th, and therefore is charged within the 12-month period that includes the subsequent academic year.

This means a student with more than a twelve-month break after high school graduation is charged a season of competition for summer participation, but the student will not be charged an additional season of competition for taking part in intercollegiate or elite-level competition during the following school year.