Update On New NCAA Rule - Gr. 12r & Prep Year

Student-athletes who are planning on playing NCAA basketball, please speak to your coaches and parents about this new rule. For further information you can contact Yaw Afful at 647-294-6178.

The NCAA created a rule that requires students to enroll at a college/university within one year of high school graduation.

If the student does not enroll within 1 year following high school graduation, but continues to play their sport, after the 1 year period has elapsed that student will be charged with the loss of 1 of 4 seasons of competition at the NCAA Division I school. That student will also sit out of competition for 1 year upon enrollment at the Division I school.

*The rule is effective August 1, 2011 for athletes first enrolling at a Division I school on or after that date.

In sports other than men's ice hockey and skiing, 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: (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, 4/20/09, 4/29/10 effective 8/1/11; applicable to student-athletes who initially enroll full time in a collegiate institution on or after 8/1/11)

(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. (Revised: 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04 for competition occurring on or after 8/1/04)

(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. (Revised: 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04 for competition occurring on or after 8/1/04)

Student-athletes who are planning on playing NCAA basketball, please speak to your coaches and parents about this new rule. For further information you can contact Yaw Afful at 647-294-6178.


Update From Yaw Afful on November 4th:

Today I had a 20 minute telephone conversation with Ms. Maureen Snow, NCAA International Academic Certification, about the new policy.

They are not getting rid of Gr. 13 or 5th year (Prep school). The NCAA is eliminating reclassifacation and/or Gr. 14 or 6th year.

Therefore, this rule does not affect us in Ontario because we do not reclassify our athletes.

For example, if a student decides in his/her Gr. 12 year that he/she will be returning to school for Gr. 13. This does not mean that he/she is a junior because he has decided to comeback. It means he will be a double senior. Grade 12 - senior year & Gr. 13 - senior year.

Ontario high schools do not allow an athlete to participate in athletics for 6 years.

Spoke to: Maureen Snow
Title: NCAA International Academic Certification
Date: Thursday, November 4, 2010
Time: 11:55 AM (est time)

I encourage all of you to call the NCAA clearinghouse about this rule 1-877-262-1492.

Very informative news!

Yes important new rules update indeed. You can find this rule in the NCAA 2010-2011 Div I Manual.

Can a student still return for a fifth year without losing a year of eligibility. It would seem so (enrol within one year of graduation). I believe however that all students must complete academic requirements within the four years.

How does this affect students are going to the us and reclassifying? Is that the intent of this new legislation?

It doesn't I don't think. The process of reclassification isn't an easy one I've heard. But once you are declare, reclassified, I don't think the NCAA ruling effects you. I could be wrong. But for now, I know it hasn't. They are really trying hard to clamp down on 5th and sometimes 6th year high school players though.

So the change would only affect students who stayed longer than 5 years (ex 5 years high school 1 prep?)

Can anyone confirm a student must have all of their core courses withing 4 years? I had thought you were allowed one core in a possible 5th year.

As I interpret this new rule to be is for example if a player graduates in June 2011 or his graduating class is June 2011( which ever one comes first) he must enroll fulltime at a NCAA Div 1 school by Sept 2012.
If he plays in organized competition as stated in bylaw 14.02.9 before his fulltime enrolment in college, he will lose a season of competition and serve a year of academic residency before he can compete.

I believe that this will complicate things when it come to those students looking for a extra year in prep.

The student is required to complete his core course requirements within eight semesters or 4 years.
There is an exception:
If a prospective
student-athlete graduates from high school within the core-curriculum time limitation, he or she may
use one core course, completed in the year after graduation (summer or academic year), but not later
than the end of the academic year immediately after the high school graduation date of the prospective
student-athlete’s class, to satisfy the core-curriculum or minimum grade-point average requirements
or both.

Anybody else has a take on it?

Can anyone parse this rule into plain English?

From Yaw Afful 647-294-6178:

Today I had a 20 minute telephone conversation with Ms. Maureen Snow, NCAA International Academic Certification, about the new policy.

They are not getting rid of Gr. 13 or 5th year (Prep school). The NCAA is eliminating reclassifacation and/or Gr. 14 or 6th year.

Therefore, this rule does not affect us in Ontario because we do not reclassify our athletes.

For example, if a student decides in his/her Gr. 12 year that he/she will be returning to school for Gr. 13. This does not mean that he/she is a junior because he has decided to comeback. It means he will be a double senior. Grade 12 - senior year & Gr. 13 - senior year.

Ontario high schools do not allow an athlete to participate in athletics for 6 years.

Spoke to: Maureen Snow
Title: NCAA International Academic Certification
Date: Thursday, November 4, 2010
Time: 11:55 AM (est time)

I encourage all of you to call the NCAA clearinghouse about this rule 1-877-262-1492.

Thanks Hooptown GTA! There's a little more clarity to the rule as it pertain to prospective Student-Athletes in Ontario. I know reclassifcation is a big trend in AAU programs in the USA, I guess they are one of NCAA's targets.

So u cant reclassify at all? or u cant be 12 returning and reclassifying?