Guidelines for
NAIA
Athletic Eligibility
2023-24
This handbook is not a substitution for the NAIA Official Policy and
Handbook. Please use the official NAIA publication for further rules
and policies.
Table of Contents
PlayNAIA - Eligibility Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1
Amateur Rules and Reinstatement Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 4
Competitive Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Campus Visitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. 5
Recruitment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Transfer Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Submission of NAIA Official Eligibility Certificates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Frequency of Play and Scheduling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Participation Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Official Athletic Roster form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1
PlayNAIA - Eligibility Center
In 2009, the NAIA membership approved the concept of a national eligibility
center. Later that year, the Council of Presidents approved a recommendation to
establish a separate legal entity known as the NAIA Eligibility Center, which
began reviewing records and issuing eligibility decisions for all first-time NAIA
student-athletes in 2011.
The NAIA Eligibility Center is responsible for determining the NAIA eligibility of
first-time student-athletes. Any student playing NAIA championship sports for the
first time must meet the eligibility requirements. Students must have their
eligibility determined by the NAIA Eligibility Center, and all NAIA schools are
bound by the center's decisions.
Potential student-athletes must register with the Eligibility Center. All
documentation required below must be sent to the Eligibility Center directly from
their high school or previous college.
Webber cannot send any high school or collegiate transcripts for US students. In
certain cases for international students we may submit their documents along
with a letter from admissions certifying they are copies of the official document.
Please contact the Faculty Athletic Representative in these instances.
U.S. students who qualify(ed) for a waiver of SAT or ACT testing fees or for the
federal free or reduced-priced school lunch program are eligible for a registration
fee waiver. The student must be registered and the student’s high school must
submit the fee waiver confirmation through the NAIA High School Portal. The
primary user of the High School Portal account will need to verify that the student
meets one of the available criteria for a fee waiver to be approved.
Due to new policies enacted by the Department of Education, transfer students
must follow this process as well, as financial aid information can no longer be
shared directly with the NAIA Eligibility Center.
International students, both freshmen and transfer students, must go through
InCred. Please see the following link to the Guide for International Students for
more information. https://play.mynaia.org/colleges-universities/dashboard
For High School Students:
Effective 1 May 2022
An entering freshman student can become eligible by achieving an overall high
school grade point average of 2.300 or higher on a 4.000 scale.
This is considered automatic eligible.
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An entering freshman with 2.0 – 2.29 - An entering freshman student must meet
two of the three entry-level requirements below. Students not meeting at least
two of the three standards shall be denied athletics participation at a member
institution for the first full year of attendance (two semesters) The three entry-
level requirements are as follows:
a. A minimum score of 18 on the ACT or 970 on the SAT (Evidence-Based
Reading and Writing and Math) for tests taken beginning May 2019. EFFECTIVE
DATE May 1, 2019 (for tests taken beginning May 1, 2019) – Remember these
scores must be achieved in a single test, the NAIA does not super score.
b. An overall high school grade point average of 2.000 or higher on a 4.000
scale.
c. Rank in the upper half of the student’s high school class, as it appears on the
final high school transcript after the student’s date of graduation. The class rank
must appear on the student’s transcript, leaving certificate or other academic
document. If the student’s class rank does not appear on the above-mentioned
documents, the rank can be provided to the NAIA Eligibility Center via the NAIA
High School Portal.
EXCEPTION 1: Completion of nine institutional credit hours prior to identification
at any institution of higher education can be used if no class rank appears on the
final official high school transcript. The credit hours must be completed with a
grade of “C” or better (each class must be a C or better). The coursework must
be accepted as institutional credit on the certifying NAIA institution’s official
transcript. The coursework must also be shown as earned prior to the term in
which the student wishes to compete, as indicated on an official transcript. For
CLEP or AP credit not applied to the transcript within a term, official
documentation issued by the testing service noting the date the exam was taken
will suffice.
For purposes of this rule, the NAIA does not recognize a +/- attached to a letter
grade. Consequently, a C+, C, and C- shall count as a C.
Exception 2: As an exception and in accordance with policies found in the
Membership Guide to the NAIA Eligibility Center, a letter from the student’s
principal or headmaster, assistant or vice principal, guidance counselor or
registrar, written on the school’s letterhead and with the school’s official seal,
stating that the student meets the class rank requirement can be accepted. – I
have sample letters for international students.
*International students must also have the school provide proof of
graduation.
If your potential student-athlete was homeschooled or received a GED
please the Faculty Athletic Representative for more information.
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College Transfers:
College transfer students should only send transcripts once having completed all
course work from the current institution. College transfers should send all
completed course work from all previous institutions at the time of registration.
You are responsible for adding your student-athletes to the Short List in
PlayNAIA.
On this screen, you will put their ECID# in the box circled. Then press enter and
scroll down.
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Click Add to Short List. Then check to make sure the Term for Decision is correct
and then click OK.
NOTE: The eligible PlayNAIA determination is only good for the 1
st
term. Once
they received an eligible determination, PlayNAIA will not change, and it is not
valid once the student has completed their 1
st
term. At this point the student must
meet continuing eligibility requirements that we will discuss later.
Amateur Rules and Reinstatement Procedures
These can be found in Article VII of the Official & Policy Handbook of the NAIA.
Please contact the Faculty Athletic Representative in these instances.
Competitive Experience
Participation in any professional-level competition on or after the first day of the
thirteenth month following high school graduation. A student will be charged a
season of competition for participating in at least one professional-level event
within a 12-month period. A team, league or event will be defined as
professional-level competition and result in charging a student a season of
competition if any one of the following is met:
i. Competition on a team or within a league (all sports) shall result in a season of
competition if the team or league self-declares as professional.
ii. Competition on a team or within a league (all sports) shall result in a season of
competition if both of the following are met:
1) The team or league self-declares as semi-professional; and
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2) Team(s) within the league pay or reimburse participants beyond actual
expenses of travel, meals and lodging.
iii. For individual sports, a student’s participation will be evaluated based on the
student’s specific division, series or group/heat within the event. If that division,
series or group/heat within the event is self-declared as professional or semi-
professional, the student’s competition shall result in a season of competition
charged.
The NAIA shall take at face value seasons of competition based on non-
collegiate participation as assessed by another intercollegiate athletic
association, including determination of unattached status. Additional seasons of
competition, based on professional-level participation, will be charged when the
student is not enrolled in a collegiate institution, or is enrolled but does not
represent the institution in intercollegiate competition
Campus Visitations
Individual or group tryouts may be conducted, for the purpose of assisting
in the assessment of athletics promise if tryouts are a part of the general
institutional policy in the evaluation and admission of students with special
talents. Tryouts, where permitted, shall be limited to no more than two days for a
specific student per member institution.
Recruitment
1. Recruitment of an Enrolled Student-Athlete
Recruitment of an Enrolled Student-Athlete
a. If, during the school year or summer vacation period, the athletics
director, faculty athletics representative, senior woman leader, athletic
compliance administrator or coach of a member institution is contacted or
becomes aware of contact by an athlete who enrolled at another NAIA institution,
it shall be the responsibility of the contacted institution (athletics director, faculty
athletics representative, senior woman leader, or athletic compliance
administrator) to notify, in writing, the NAIA institution (athletics director or faculty
athletics representative) where the athlete is presently enrolled within 10 days
following the first contact.
EXCEPTION: If an NAIA student-athlete has a signed release or other
documentation from their current athletics director permitting the student-athlete
to participate in recruiting conversations with other NAIA institutions, written
notification is not required to be provided to the student’s current NAIA institution.
A coach or another representative of a member institution may respond to
a contact by a student athlete only after the enrolled student-athlete’s institution
(athletics director or faculty athletics representative) has been notified as
prescribed above.
b. A coach or another representative of a member institution may initiate
contact with a student whose most recent identification was at a non-NAIA four-
6
year institution, but shall not initiate contact with a student-athlete whose most
recent identification was at an NAIA institution.
Contact may be initiated with a student whose most recent identification
was at an NAIA institution as long as the student has not identified nor has the
student drawn equipment and/or engaged in organized practice with an NAIA
institution within the previous 12 months.
It is permissible to contact a student who is currently enrolled at a two-
year institution once the student completes the academic year in which the
student utilizes his/her first season of competition.
Student at a two-year institution: it is permissible to contact a student who
is currently enrolled at a two-year institution beginning the summer after the
student has utilized their first season of competition.
2. Recruitment of a Non-Enrolled Student
A coach or another representative of a member institution shall not contact
an athlete who has drawn equipment and/ or is engaged in organized pre-school
practice at NAIA institution.
3. Recruitment of a Graduate Student-Athlete As soon as a student completes
his or her undergraduate degree and graduates from a four-year institution, an
NAIA coach or institutional representative may initiate contact with the student.
An NAIA coach or institutional representative can initiate contact the day
following a student’s graduation date or completion of all academic requirements
for his or her undergraduate degree, whichever is later. If an athletic director,
faculty athletics representative, or coach of a member institution is contacted or
initiates contact with such an athlete, written notification of the contact is not
required to be provided to the student’s undergraduate institution.
4. Violation of any part of the recruitment policy shall cause an immediate
investigation by the National Conduct and Ethics Committee for appropriate
action.
Definitions
Enrollment: Completion of institution’s enrollment forms or cards (payment of
fees is not considered by the NAIA as a definition of enrollment).
Entering Freshman: A student who upon becoming identified with an NAIA
institution has not been previously identified with any institution(s) of higher
learning for any two semesters or three quarters (or the equivalent).
Exhibition: A competition against competitors not identified with the institution
when:
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a. the competition does not meet the definition of a scrimmage pursuant to
Article V, Section B, Item 17 of the NAIA Bylaws;
b. the competition is noted as an Exhibition on the institutional schedule;
and
c. the competition is against a Non-NAIA opponent.
If the competition meets this definition then it shall not be included in individual
and team statistics, won-loss records, or coaching records. The competition shall
count against frequency of play limits pursuant to Article I, Section F, Item 1 of
the NAIA Bylaws. An NAIA institution will be limited to one exhibition per season.
A student will be charged a season of competition for participating in an
exhibition competition.
In all sports except basketball an institution is allowed one exhibition competition
per season. The competition must meet the definition of an exhibition listed
above. The exhibition competition will count as one varsity game, contest, or
playing date within the limits stated above.
For the sport of basketball, an institution is allowed one or more exhibition
competitions per season so long as the total number of games, exhibitions and
scrimmages does not exceed 30. For the sport of basketball, an exhibition
competition will not count as a varsity game.
Identification: Representing an institution in an intercollegiate contest or
enrolling in 12 or more institutional credit hours with a minimum of nine
institutional credit hours at the NAIA member institution in any given term
(excluding summer session) as reported by the institution’s registrar on an official
transcript based on the institution’s official census date.
NOTE 1: This definition of identification only applies to terms that begin after April
16, 2012.
Scrimmage: A competition against competitors not identified with the institution
when:
a. The competition is not listed or is noted as a scrimmage on the institutional
schedule; and
b. No scores or statistics are reported by either the NAIA institution(s).
Scrimmages shall not be allowed in the following intercollegiate sports: cross
country, golf, swimming and diving, indoor and outdoor track and field, and
wrestling.
Students must be certified as eligible prior to participating in a scrimmage.
Seasons of competition will not be charged to students.
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Season of Competition:
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 seasons of competition based on
intercollegiate participation charged by another intercollegiate athletic
association.
A student who participates in the following number of contests or dates
during the 24-week season will be charged a season of competition. Baseball 11
contests Lacrosse 5 contests Basketball 7 contests Softball 11 contests Bowling
4 contests Swimming and diving 3 meets Competitive cheer 3 dates Tennis 6
dates/tournaments Competitive dance 3 dates Indoor track and field 3 meets
Cross country 3 meets Outdoor track and field 3 meets Football 3 contests
Volleyball 7 dates Golf 4 contests Wrestling 5 dates Soccer 5 contests
b. Participation in any elite-level competition on or after the first day of the
thirteenth month following high school graduation. The NAIA shall take at face
value seasons of competition based on non-collegiate participation as assessed
by another intercollegiate athletic association, including determination of
unattached status. Additional seasons of competition, based on non-collegiate
participation, will be charged when the student is not enrolled in a collegiate
institution, or is enrolled but does not represent the institution in intercollegiate
competition.
Eligibility
The student must be identified and enrolled in a minimum of 12 institutional credit
hours at the time of participation.
Second term freshman: The student must have accumulated a minimum of
nine institutional credit hours prior to identification for the second term of
attendance.
INITIAL ELIGIBILITY – MID-YEAR ELIGIBILITY OPPORTUNITY
An entering freshman who satisfies one of the initial eligibility
requirements found in Bylaws Article V, Section C, Item 2 can gain eligibility in a
subsequent term if the student passed 12 institutional credit hours with a grade of
“C” or better during the first term of attendance at the certifying NAIA
institution.
24/36-Hour Rule: After completion of the second semester term and from then
on, a student must have accumulated a minimum of 24 institutional credit hours
in the two immediately previous terms of attendance in a semester system
There is an exception to the 24 hour rule – it can only be used during the
term in which the student initially competes in any sport at the intercollegiate
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level, provided the student has not previously participated in any intercollegiate
sport at any institution. There is more to this exception please see the Faculty
Athletic Representative for further information.
Non-Term credit hours: No more than 12 institutional credit hours earned
during summers and/or during non-terms may be applied to meet the 24/36-Hour
Rule. Such credit must be earned after one or both of the two immediately
previous terms of attendance.
Note new bylaw amendment that will be effective: May 1, 2022 as applied to
eligibility decisions for competition in August 2022 or beyond:
To participate in a second, third and/or fourth season in a sport, all students must
have and maintain a total cumulative GPA of at least 2.000 on a 4.000 scale.
Upon reaching junior academic standing 57 credit hours at WIU, a student must
have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.000 on a 4.000 scale. The 2.000 cumulative
GPA or higher must be certified each grading period in which the student wishes
to compete after junior academic standing is reached.
Late enrollment: A student enrolling in college after the date set by the
institution for enrollment of regular full time students will not be eligible to
compete in intercollegiate athletics until two full calendar weeks of residency
have been completed.
Repeat courses A repeat course previously passed with a grade of “D” or better
in any term, summer or non-term, and subsequently retaken.
For the purposes of this rule, the NAIA does not recognize a +/- attached to a
letter grade. Consequently, a B+, B, and B- shall
count as a B, a C+, C, and C- shall count as a C and D+, D, and D- shall count
as a D.
Repeat courses previously passed with a grade of “D” in the initial attempt and
retaken, earning a grade of “C” or better, shall be considered toward satisfying
the 24/36-Hour Rule.
Repeat courses previously passed with a grade of “D” in the initial attempt and
retaken, earning a grade of “D”, shall be excluded and cannot be considered
towards satisfaction of the 24/36-Hour Rule. Only the initial attempt shall be
considered toward satisfying the 24/36-Hour Rule.
A maximum of one repeat course per term previously passed with a grade of “D”
(or the equivalent) may be counted toward satisfying the 12-Hour Enrollment
Rule.
Repeat courses previously passed with a grade of “C” or better cannot be applied
to meet either the 12-Hour Enrollment Rule or the 24/36-Hour Rule.
Exception: If at the time of certification, a student’s declared major field of study
at the NAIA institution requires a grade of “B” or higher for a specific course
required for degree completion, repeat courses previously passed with a grade
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lower than a “B” can be applied to meet the 12-Hour Enrollment Rule and the
24/36-Hour Rule.
A maximum of one repeat course per term previously passed with a grade of “C”
or “D” (or the equivalent) may be counted toward satisfying the 12-Hour
Enrollment Rule.
NOTE: This rule applies to all student-athletes’ certification beginning with the
2019-2020 academic year, regardless of when the coursework was completed.
A student terminates athletic eligibility at the end of a term upon completing 10
semesters, 12 trimesters, or 15 quarters in which the student is identified.
Transfer Requirements:
Suspension: A transfer student who has been suspended (or its equivalent) for
any reason, including athletic department policy, from any institution of higher
learning must establish residency of two full semesters, two full trimesters, or
three full quarters of attendance at the NAIA institution or until the institutional
suspension period at the suspending institution has been terminated, whichever
is shorter, before intercollegiate participation at an NAIA institution shall be
permitted.
Mid-Year transfer: A student charged with a season of competition in one sport
by different institutions in the same academic year shall be charged with two
seasons of competition. A student could amass two seasons of competition
within one academic year.
Transfer: Previous Identification at a Four-Year School
A student who has participated in an intercollegiate contest at the immediately
previous four-year institution and then transfers to an NAIA member institution
shall be required to be in residence for a period of 16 calendar weeks before
being eligible for the sport(s) previously participated in at the four-year institution.
A student shall have the 16 calendar weeks residency requirement waived for
participation in that same sport provided the student has a cumulative minimum
overall GPA of 2.000 (on a 4.000 scale) from all previously attended institutions
of higher learning and receives a written release from the athletics director at the
immediately previous four-year institution.
The Sun Conference:
INTRA-CONFERENCE TRANSFER LIMITATIONS
A student-athlete (a participant charged a season of competition) who
participates in a sport at a TSC institution is not permitted to participate in the
same sport at another TSC institution the following academic year whether
transferring directly or indirectly to the second TSC institution.
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A student-athlete who has not participated in a sport and then transfers to
another TSC institution must obtain a release from the Athletic Director of the first
institution before participation at the second institution, in which case the one-
year residence is waived.
Submission of NAIA Official Eligibility Certificates
Eligibility certification is required for all students before representing their
institution in any manner (scrimmage, exhibition, freshmen, junior varsity or
varsity) against competitors not directly identified with the institution in any sport
recognized by the NAIA. The institution must submit eligibility certification to the
eligibility chair prior to participation.
Institutions which sponsor sports those carry over from one term to another
(basketball, swimming and diving, wrestling, etc.) must certify that students
participating in these sports are eligible for all terms in which the competition
takes place.
Before submission to the Eligibility Chair it must be signed by the coach, athletic
director, FAR, and registrar.
Only students that are on the Official Eligibility Certificate are eligible to play in
intercollegiate competition.
Webber has a department policy that whoever is eligible 24 hours to competition
is who you have to play. If possible a certificate can be started within that time
period, but it is not a guarantee.
Frequency of Play and Scheduling
4. 24-WEEK SEASON
Each sport shall have a maximum 24-week practice and competition season
established by each member institution. Frequency of play, practice, and
scheduling policies shall be applied only during the period of August 1
to May 15. Frequency of play, practice, and scheduling outside of this period is
governed by each member institution and will not be regulated by the NAIA.
There shall be no more than three break periods during the 24 weeks. NAIA-
approved postseason participation shall not be counted as part of the 24-week
period. A week is defined as Monday (12:00 a.m.) through Sunday
(11:59 p.m.). Any practice or competition during this period shall constitute one of
the 24 weeks permitted. As an exception, a team participating in NAIA-approved
postseason shall not count practice activities towards the team’s 24-week
season, as described below:
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EXCEPTION 1: When a conference, A.I.I., or unaffiliated grouping qualifying
competition occurs, any practice activities occurring during the week(s) of the
competition will be exempt. Once teams are selected for NAIA national
championship competition, institutions not selected must cease practice activities
or comply thereafter with the restrictions of the 24-week rule.
Any regular season or non-qualifying events occurring during this time must be
counted towards the team’s frequency of play limits, even if the week is exempt
from the 24-week season due to this exception.
EXCEPTION 2: Practice activities for teams selected to participate in NAIA
national championship competition will continue to be exempt. The team may
continue to utilize the exception through its final contest in national championship
competition.
EXCEPTION 3: For all other forms of NAIA-approved postseason, Practice
activities occurring between the deadline for the sport’s completion of
conference, A.I.I. or unaffiliated grouping qualifying competition and the
team’s participation in its final contest in NAIA-approved postseason shall not
count towards the team’s 24-week season. Once teams are selected for NAIA-
approved postseason, institutions not selected for the NAIA approved
postseason must cease practice activities or comply thereafter with the
restrictions of the 24-week rule.
Teams selected to participate in NAIA-approved postseason must count all
activities at the conclusion of its postseason participation.
5. Practice will be defined as follows: An activity organized and/or directed by an
identified member of the coaching staff of that sport in which appropriate
equipment is used or instruction and/or evaluation of the athlete takes place.
6. Each sport has a specific start date for practices, scrimmages, and exhibitions.
In addition, each sport has a specific start date for competitions. Please see the
NAIA handbook under Article I, Section H, Item 5 for these dates.
Participation Report
For any JV sport teams and the varsity sports of baseball, football, golf, cross
country, track & field, a coach must complete the Participation Report after every
contest. The NAIA does not keep JV statistics and this report is our only
documentation for determining if the student meets the definition of a season of
competition. You will receive this form prior to 1 August.
Official Athletic Roster
Both JV and varsity rosters must be submitted on the Official Athletic Roster
form. This form is used for eligibility, athletic training, insurance, and sports
information. You will receive this form prior to 1 August.
