Here is everything we know so far from all the recent updates across the different governing bodies in collegiate sport.
NCAA
Spring Athletes extra year of eligibility
On March 30th the NCAA Division 1, division 2 and division 3 committees voted to grant all spring sport athletes an extra year of eligibility. This extra year of eligibility is at the discretion of individual schools and seniors who return will not count towards the team's scholarship limit.
COVID-19 Automatic waiver
To help in the unprecedented time, the NCAA Eligibility Center has announced they are waiving ACT/SAT standardised test score requirements for incoming freshman student-athletes. This is called the COVID-19 Automatic Wavier and is only available to student-athletes starting college the 2020-2021 academic year.
In-person recruiting suspension
Division 1
The NCAA has extended the suspension of in-person recruiting for D1 sports until July 31st and all colleges have been encouraged to stop all campus visits. This does not mean recruiting will stop as coaches can still contact potential recruits via phone, email & video.
Divison 2
During June 1 - 30 there will be a “quiet period” and Coaches are allowed to conduct in-person recruiting at division 2 but they must be conducted on-campus only.
Division 3
No announcements have been made or restrictions put in place, you need to contact colleges directly and ask about what procedures they have in place.
NAIA
On June 4th the NAIA committee announced their plans for the return of falls sports. Practice can begin on August 14th and before this date organised practice is prohibited. The NAIA did say in the release that "conditioning activities, as long as they are not 'practices,' are not restricted and can take place at any time, in keeping with any institutional guidelines.”
Due to the later start date to the fall season, the NAIA has also decreased the number of games, meets and the length of the season. Competition is set to return September 5th excluding football, which will start on September 12th.
NJCAA
Due to COVID-19, the NJCAA cancelled all spring sport, championships and competitions. The NJCAA decided that athletes who participated in the 2019 - 2020 spring sports season would not lose a year of eligibility due to the cancellation.
On May 15th the NJCAA lifted In-person recruiting ban. All Junior Colleges had been told that it is at their discretion whether in-person recruiting can begin again. Make sure to contact your college to find out what their specific procedure is regarding in-person recruiting and campus visits.
We will continue to keep you updated on any announcements from all governing bodies.
If you have any questions you can contact us at info@firstpointusa.com or you can contact your assigned FirstPoint USA consultant.
