NCAA Eligibility Question

[gumbi1031]

If a student who never participated in college athletics went back to college years after getting their degree, would they have athletic eligibility? I can't seem to find much info on this. No, I'm not planning on going back to school for sports, but I got to thinking, wouldn't it be cool to match up some of these "old" coaches with today's college kids. Somebody help me out with the eligibility rules (and maybe some old vs. young match ups you'd like to see).

[Sommers]

If a student who never participated in college athletics went back to college years after getting their degree, would they have athletic eligibility? I can't seem to find much info on this. No, I'm not planning on going back to school for sports, but I got to thinking, wouldn't it be cool to match up some of these "old" coaches with today's college kids. Somebody help me out with the eligibility rules (and maybe some old vs. young match ups you'd like to see).

I've learned that you can use eligibility within smaller school divisions and never use up any NCCA D1 eligibility and go on into post grad work and participate at that level.

[CoachBray]

I could be wrong, but I think that you have 5 years of college to use your 4 years of eligibility. If you received your degree in 4 years, didn't participate in athletics, and went back to school, that would lead me to believe that you could have 1 year of eligibility left. Could be way wrong, though.

[WrestleSBA]

I could be wrong, but I think that you have 5 years of college to use your 4 years of eligibility. If you received your degree in 4 years, didn't participate in athletics, and went back to school, that would lead me to believe that you could have 1 year of eligibility left. Could be way wrong, though.

 

For some reason I think that it is five "consecutive" years. Consecutive is not the right word there but it is all I am coming up with. What I mean to say is that you couldn't wait for years after you finished college and then try to come back and use that year of eligibility. Once you start college at the DI level you are on the clock, so to speak. An example... I started college in 2001 and graduated in 2005, this would mean that I could come back and participate in college athletics in the next year (the 2005-2006 school year). However, I could not come back and compete in the 2006-2007 year. The clock does stop for certain situations. The things that come to mind are redshirts (medical and olympic), religious observances (ex. Mormon missions), and military duty (I think).

 

Of course I could be wrong but I am pretty sure that is the way it works. I will try and look into this tonight after our matches and post a definitive answer if possible.

[cbg]

I could be wrong, but I think that you have 5 years of college to use your 4 years of eligibility. If you received your degree in 4 years, didn't participate in athletics, and went back to school, that would lead me to believe that you could have 1 year of eligibility left. Could be way wrong, though.

 

 

Sorry but you are wrong coach. You have 5 years to get 4 years of eligibility and the clock starts the first day that you attend class. The only way that the clock stops is military service or religious mission trips.

[WrestleSBA]

A good example of this is Tommy Vargas who just won Midlands this year out of seemingly nowhere. He wasn't even seeded and came out and won the tournament. Really made a very impressive run through the brackets and I believe got USA Wrestling's Wrestler of the Week for it.

 

He wrestled as an undergraduate at Northwestern (also the host of the Midlands) and graduated in 4 years. Then started graduate school at Cal-State Bakersfield, whom he was competing for when he won the Midlands at his alma mater.

[texas23]

A good example of this is Tommy Vargas who just won Midlands this year out of seemingly nowhere. He wasn't even seeded and came out and won the tournament. Really made a very impressive run through the brackets and I believe got USA Wrestling's Wrestler of the Week for it.

 

He wrestled as an undergraduate at Northwestern (also the host of the Midlands) and graduated in 4 years. Then started graduate school at Cal-State Bakersfield, whom he was competing for when he won the Midlands at his alma mater.

He must not have been on the team and available for a matches at least one of those 4 years of undergrad work (red shirt maybe). Otherwise this seems like a typical situation.

 

Peyton Manning participated his last year as a grad student, as he had already completed his degree. (I think that is correct)

[WrestleSBA]

He must not have been on the team and available for a matches at least one of those 4 years of undergrad work (red shirt maybe). Otherwise this seems like a typical situation.

 

Peyton Manning participated his last year as a grad student, as he had already completed his degree. (I think that is correct)

 

Yes Vargas did have a year where he was not varsity in order to make this happen. I am pretty sure it was a planned redshirt.

 

I am pretty darn sure you are right on Peyton as well.

[CoachGrimwood]

Yes Vargas did have a year where he was not varsity in order to make this happen. I am pretty sure it was a planned redshirt.

 

I am pretty darn sure you are right on Peyton as well.

 

The midlands is an open tournament. non affilitated wrestlers can participate as far as I know. When I wrestled in it there were several wrestlers taking an olympic year and graduated wrestlers participating in it. Chris Fleeger from Purdue wasted his final year of eligibility, but petitioned the NCAA and Big Ten for another year because of his circumstances and they just granted it for 2006. He had a reason and I imagine if you had a reason you could make the same petition.

[WrestleSBA]

The midlands is an open tournament. non affilitated wrestlers can participate as far as I know. When I wrestled in it there were several wrestlers taking an olympic year and graduated wrestlers participating in it. Chris Fleeger from Purdue wasted his final year of eligibility, but petitioned the NCAA and Big Ten for another year because of his circumstances and they just granted it for 2006. He had a reason and I imagine if you had a reason you could make the same petition.

 

Fleeger received a medical redshirt, the guidelines on this are fairly well known but an approval committee must still pass it.