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NJCAA Compliance Scenarios - Oct. 30, 2020

 

SEASONS OF PARTICIPATION

Multiple Years of Participation 

  • SITUATION - Volleyball student-athlete competes in her sport at the intercollegiate level in the fall of 2018 and fall 2019 seasons. Now that the NJCAA is not charging a season of eligibility for the volleyball season in the spring of 2021, may this student return and participate in volleyball in spring 2021 season since it doesn’t count?
  • ANSWER – No, while the NJCAA is not charging a season of participation for the 2020-2021 athletic seasons, all athletes still must meet the minimum participating requirements. In this scenario the student-athlete had exhausted her two years of eligibility in the NJCAA therefore is not eligible for any further participation within the NJCAA.

LOI COUNTERS AND NON-COUNTERS

Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 Participation in the Same Sport

  • SITUATION – Student-Athlete A participates in football at Four-Year College K in the fall of 2020. May Student-Athlete A participate in official games at Four-Year College K in the fall and then transfer to an NJCAA member college in the spring and participate in the spring 20-21 NJCAA football season?
  • ANSWER – No, it is not allowable for the student-athlete who participated in football or any other sport in the fall of 2020 at one institution to transfer to an NJCAA institution and play the same sport in the spring 2021 season. Article V, Section 3.C.1.b of NJCAA Bylaws, states,
    “Student-athletes may not participate in the same sport during the same academic year at two different colleges.” This ruling is in place even if the student-athlete’s participation at the other institution qualifies as a “redshirt” season or season of non-participation.

LOI Non-Counter - First Season of Participation Spring 2020 Season

  • SITUATION – Scholarship Student-Athlete A participates in her first season of softball in the spring 2020 season at Community College Z. Student-Athlete A participated in 10 games before the spring 2020 season was stopped due to the pandemic. Student-athlete A is back at Community College Z to participate in the spring 2021 softball season. May Student-Athlete A be signed to an LOI for softball and is her LOI a counter or non-counter against the total number of allowable LOIs?
  • ANSWER – Yes, student-Athlete A may be signed to an LOI at Community College Z. She must be signed to an official LOI and her LOI is a counter against the total allowable number of LOIs for softball (24). She must be a counter as she was a first season athlete in the spring 2020 season and the 2020 spring season was ruled a season of non-participation, therefore, Student-Athlete A will be a first season athlete in the spring of 2021.

Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 Participation in the Same Sport

  • SITUATION – Student-Athlete A participates in football at Four-Year College K in the fall of 2020. May Student-Athlete A participate in official games at Four-Year College K in the fall and then transfer to an NJCAA member college in the spring and participate in the spring 20-21 NJCAA football season?
  • ANSWER – No, it is not allowable for the student-athlete who participated in football or any other sport in the fall of 2020 at one institution to transfer to an NJCAA institution and play the same sport in the spring 2021 season. Article V, Section 3.C.1.b of NJCAA Bylaws, states, “Student-athletes may not participate in the same sport during the same academic year at two different colleges.” This ruling is in place even if the student-athlete’s participation at the other institution qualifies as a “redshirt” season or season of non-participation.

LOI Non-Counter - First Season of Participation Spring 2020 Season

  • SITUATION – Scholarship Student-Athlete A participates in her first season of softball in the spring 2020 season at Community College Z. Student-Athlete A participated in 10 games before the spring 2020 season was stopped due to the pandemic. Student-athlete A is back at Community College Z to participate in the spring 2021 softball season. May Student-Athlete A be signed to an LOI for softball and is her LOI a counter or non-counter against the total number of allowable LOIs?
  • ANSWER – Yes, student-Athlete A may be signed to an LOI at Community College Z. She must be signed to an official LOI and her LOI is a counter against the total allowable number of LOIs for softball (24). She must be a counter as she was a first season athlete in the spring 2020 season and the 2020 spring season was ruled a season of non-participation, therefore, Student-Athlete A will be a first season athlete in the spring of 2021.

LOI Counter - Second Season of Participation Spring 2020 Season

  • SITUATION – Scholarship Student-Athlete A participates in his second season of baseball in the spring 2020 season at Community College Z. Student-Athlete A participated in 2 games before the spring 2020 season was stopped due to the pandemic. Student-Athlete A is back at Community College Z to participate in the spring 2021 baseball season. If Student-Athlete A is signed to an LOI for baseball is his LOI a counter or non-counter against the total number of allowable LOIs?
  • ANSWER – Student-Athlete A is not a counter against the maximum number of LOI signees for the spring 2021 as he was a second season athlete in the spring 2020 season. He must be signed to an official LOI but his LOI is not a counter against the total allowable number of LOIs for baseball (24). This ruling is a result of a vote by the Board of Regents when the Spring 2020 spring sport season was canceled.

LOI Non-Counter - Second Season of Participation Spring 2021 Season

  • SITUATION – Scholarship Student-Athlete A participates in his second season of baseball in the spring 2021 season at Community College Z. Student-Athlete A participates in the 50 games which Community College Z participates in during the spring 2021 season. Since the NJCAA has made the blanket ruling that the 2020-2021 academic year will be a season of non-participation for all sports and all athletes. If Student-Athlete A returns to Community College Z for the 2021-2022 academic year and receives a scholarship must Student-Athlete A be a counter against the total number of allowable LOIs for baseball (24)?
  • ANSWER – Student-Athlete A is not a counter against the maximum number of LOI signees for the 2021-2022 academic years as he was a second season athlete in the spring 2021 season. He must be signed to an official LOI but his LOI is not a counter against the total allowable number of LOIs for baseball (24).

LOI Counter - First Season of Participation Spring 2021 Season

  • SITUATION – Scholarship Student-Athlete A participates in his first season of Tennis in the spring 2021 season at Community College Z. Student-Athlete A participates in the ten matches including nationals with Community College Z during the spring 2021 season. Since the NJCAA has made the blanket ruling that the 2020-2021 academic year will be a season of non-participation for all sports and all athletes, If Student-Athlete A returns to Community College Z for the 2021-2022 academic year and receives a scholarship must Student-Athlete A be a counter against the total number of allowable LOIs for tennis (9)?
  • ANSWER – Student-Athlete A must be a counter against the maximum number of LOI signees for the 2021-2022 academic year as he was a first season athlete in the spring 2021 season. If offered a scholarship, he must be signed to an official LOI and his LOI is a counter against the total allowable number of LOIs for tennis (9).

LOI Counter - Second Season of Participation Spring 2021 Season - Transfer

  • SITUATION – Scholarship Student-Athlete A participates in her second season of outdoor track and field in the spring 2021 season at Community College Z. Student-Athlete A participates in the entire outdoor season including the national championship meet. Student-Athlete A transfers to Community College Y before the 2022 outdoor track and field season. Since Student-Athlete A was a second season athlete in the spring 20021 season, is she a counter or non-counter in the 2021-2022 academic year if she receives a scholarship and is signed to an LOI at Community College Y?
  • ANSWER – Student-Athlete A must be a counter against the maximum number of LOI signees for the 2021-2022 academic year. While she was a second season athlete in the spring 2021 season, she did not return to the same institution for the spring 2022 season. Due to the fact she transferred to Community College Y, she must be a counter against the total number of allowable LOIs for track and field (20).

For questions regarding compliance and eligibility, please contact: rules@njcaa.org