Coaching Compliance Corner

January Spotlight:  Continuing Eligibility

With the new semester beginning this month it is important that you keep in mind some of the basic continuing eligibility rules that your student-athletes must meet to stay eligible. 

1)      Six Hour Rule:  In order to be eligible your student-athletes must satisfactorily complete six hours in the last term in which they were enrolled full time.

2)      12/24 Hour Rule:  In order to be eligible your student-athletes must satisfactorily complete 12 hours per semester of full time enrollment or 24 hours since the beginning of the previous fall term or since the beginning of the certifying institution’s preceding regular two semesters.

3)      75/25 Rule:  75% of the 24 required hours must be earned in the regular academic term.  No more than 25% of those 24 required hours can be earned in summer school

Example of getting “academically well” mid year

William Wallace a sophomore baseball player is deemed ineligible at the beginning of fall of 2007 due to the following academic performance his freshman year.  William earned 13 hours in the fall of 2006 and 9 hours in the spring of 2007.  In those 22 hours William earned a 1.7 GPA.  He did not attend summer school.  He is therefore ineligible due to the 12/24 hour rule as he did not earn 24 hours his freshman year.  Notice that he is not necessarily ineligible due to GPA as he did not pass the 24 hour mark which would demand a 1.8.

In the fall of 2008, William’s sophomore year, he earned 14 hours, bringing his total hours to 36 and his GPA to a 2.1.  William has made himself eligible for the spring of 2009 because he now meets the 12/24 hour rule as he has averaged 12 hours per semester of full time enrollment.  Additionally because William surpassed the 24 hour mark in the fall of 2008 he must have at least a 1.8 GPA.  His 2.1 GPA after 36 hours is sufficient to meet the GPA standard.

Please remember

A student-athlete can become ineligible mid year due to GPA requirements.  This happens when a student-athlete surpasses one of the three hour thresholds at 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours at mid year.  For example a student athlete enrolls as a first time full time freshman in the spring of 2007.  That student-athlete will not be responsible for meeting the GPA requirement until the end of the fall of 2007, assuming they earn 24 hours.