NAIA CONFERENCE COMMISSIONERS ASSOCIATION
Review of Intra-Conference Transfer Rules and Policies
FALL 2012
Summary of Approaches to an Intra-Conference Transfer Policy
NAIA Conferences with a policy currently:
NAIA Conferences without a policy currently:
NAIA Conferences not verified:
Conference:
American Midwest Conference
Appalachian Athletic Conference
Association of Independent Institutions
California Pacific Conference
Cascade Collegiate Athletic Conference
Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference
Crossroads League
Frontier Conference
Golden State Athletic Conference
Great Plains Athletic Conference
Gulf Coast Athletic Conference
Heart of America Athletic Conference
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Mid-South Conference
Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference
Midwest Collegiate Conference
Red River Athletic Conference
Sooner Athletic Conference
Southern State Athletic Conference
The Sun Conference
TranSouth Athletic Conference
Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference
12
3
8
Status:
Unverified
Yes
Unverified – likely no policy in place
Unverified
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Unverified
Yes
No
No
Unverified – fairly sure they have one
Yes
Unverified
Yes
Yes
Unverified
Yes
Unverified – will be ceasing operations
Yes
Conference
American
Midwest
Conference
Reply
Hasn’t
Responded
Yet
Appalachian
Athletic
Conference
Yes
Policy In Place
Requirements - Student-athletes of member institutions
shall meet all eligibility requirements and be certified by the
Conference Eligibility Chair in accordance with current NAIA
regulations before participation in any Conferencesponsored sport. The following additional policies apply:
a. A student who has participated (used a year of
eligibility, as defined by NAIA) in any college sport as
a member of a team at a member institution cannot
participate in that intercollegiate sport at another
member institution for 365 days following the
closing date of the student's last season of
competition.
b. A student who has signed a letter-of-intent or a
grant-in-aid with a member institution cannot
participate for one year at another member
institution in the sport which he/she has signed,
unless the signing institution will, by written consent
(in the person of the Athletics Director), release the
student from the signing of said letter-of-intent or
grant-in-aid.
Association of
Independent
Institutions
Hasn’t
Responded
Yet
California
Pacific
Conference
Hasn’t
Responded
Yet
Cascade
Collegiate
Conference
Yes
Chicagoland
Collegiate
Athletic
Conference
No
A student-athlete transferring from one conference institution to
another shall not be eligible to compete in the same sport(s) at the
subsequent institution until 365 days have elapsed from the date of
withdrawal from enrollment at the previous institution. (Revised 618-08)
Crossroads
League
Yes
ARTICLE X - ELIGIBILITY
Section 1.
The National Association of
Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) shall govern this
Conference for the purpose of eligibility.
Section 2.
The eligibility rules apply to junior
varsity as well as varsity players.
Section 3.
Any student-athlete who transfers
from a Crossroads League school shall be declared
ineligible for one academic year to participate at any
other Crossroads League school in any sport
sponsored by the Crossroads League. If the student
completes a terminal program before transferring or
stays out of school for one (1) academic year, the
previous statement does not apply. A terminal
program is defined as a completed bachelor’s,
master’s, or doctorate degree. If a Crossroads
League school discontinues a major, this would be
viewed as a terminal program. If the student is not
an athlete, nor were they recruited as an athlete,
then the above statement does not apply. The A.D.
will be responsible to verify in writing, the student’s
current status and provide a release if deemed
appropriate.
Frontier
Conference
Yes
Section 10.4 Transferring Students
Any student-athlete transferring within the Frontier Conference
must sit out one year from competition, unless the certifying
(original) institution provides a written release for the studentathlete. The academic year is defined as the last day of the last
academic term of the certifying institution, which is the conference
school that the student is transferring from.
Golden State
Athletic
Conference
Yes
A. A student-athlete (a participant charged a season of
competition) who participates in a (any) sport at a GSAC
institution one year is not permitted to participate in the same
sport or receive athletic scholarship at another GSAC institution
the following school year whether transferring directly or
indirectly to the second GSAC Institution unless the student sat
out or used one full season of competition at an intermediate
institution. This rule may be appealed as outlined in section B.
B. PETITION PROCESS FOR EXCEPTION TO INTRA-CONFERENCE
TRANSFER LIMITATIONS
In unusual circumstances an appeal can be made for the studentathlete to receive athletic aid and/or be eligible immediately. An
appeal requires the following process to be met:
1. Both athletic directors of the schools involved must agree
to immediate eligibility and/or athletic aid being given.
2. A majority of all GSAC directors of athletics must approve
after a hearing is held to review all of the circumstances
involved.
3. Hearings will only be held during regularly scheduled
meetings in January, April (or May) & August.
4. The amount of athletic aid the student athlete receives at
the new institution may not be a higher percentage of athletic
aid (aid verses costs) in the year the student transfers than
the student received the prior year at the previous institution.
Great Plains
Athletic
Conference
Yes
GPAC Transfer Rule and FAQ
GPAC BY-LAW -- ARTICLE II ELIGIBILITY
Section I. Persons competing in men’s and women’s sports will be
governed by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
Official Handbook.
Section II.Exception to Section I is as follows:
1. A student who has attended one conference school is not
eligible to participate for a second conference school for one
calendar year in any sport.
a)
In those cases where a student is attending a school and the
school drops a sport, the student may transfers within the first two
(2) terms after the school announces the discontinuance of that
sport. The transfer restriction will be waived for the student in that
sport.
b) If a student has not been certified in any sport at the school
from which they transfer, and they receive a release from the
athletic director at that school, this restriction will be waived.
(Effective date August 1, 2005)
FAQ #1 – If a student goes to GPAC School A in the fall (and is
certified in a sport) and leaves at semester, then goes to an outside
GPAC school for the spring, then enrolls in GPAC School B for the
next fall is he/she eligible?
Answer - No, attending an outside school between GPAC schools
does not void the transfer rule. It is one calendar year from leaving
GPAC School A regardless of what happens in the gap. If a student
attends an outside school for a full year (away from the GPAC) then
the rule is met (assuming all eligibility requirements are met).
FAQ #2 – When does that one year calendar start?
Answer – The calendar starts from the end of the semester of
enrollment at GPAC School A (even if the student leaves early). If
GPAC School A ends their first semester on December 15, the
calendar starts and the rule is lifted on December 16 one calendar
year later. If a student leaves mid-semester the calendar does not
start at that time (plus eligibility progress requirements will likely
need to be addressed in that case).
FAQ #3 – What if a coach leaves the sport I played, is the transfer
rule voided?
Answer – No, a coach leaving a program does not void the transfer
rule.
FAQ #4 – If a student played volleyball (example) at GPAC School A
and wants to play softball (example) at GPAC School B is the transfer
rule lifted?
Answer – No, once you are certified in any sport you are bound to
the transfer rule (unless the School A drops the certified sport as
outlined in the By-Law)
FAQ #5 – But the student never played at GPAC School A, are they
still bound to the transfer rule?
Answer – If the student-athlete is certified in a sport (on the
eligibility form) they are bound to the transfer rule. If a student is
not certified in a sport the release process is listed in the By-Law.
FAQ #6 – Can the transfer rule be appealed?
Answer – Any standard rule can be appealed. However, the appeal
must happen from the new institution that the student is
attending. GPAC School A can not appeal on the students behalf
before transferring nor can a student who has not enrolled at GPAC
School B appeal the rule.
Gulf Coast
Athletic
Conference
Hasn’t
Responded
Yet
Heart of America
Athletic
Conference
Yes
Article III-ELIGIBILITY
SECTION I-STUDENT-ATHLETE ELIGIBILITY STANDARDS
A. The current NAIA student-athlete eligibility standards govern
all member student athletes.
SECTION II-TRANSFER ELIGIBILITY EXCEPTION
A. A student who transfers to one Member of the conference
from another Member of the conference shall be ineligible
for intercollegiate competition in all branches of athletics
unless the student has not attended any college for at least
one calendar year or until he/she shall have established a
residence of one full college year.
B. A Member wishing to appeal to set aside Article III: Section
II: A. in any individual case must first contact the HAAC
Institution from which the student is transferring to provide
to that member, an advance copy of all documents in the
appeal. That Member may add documents to the “package”
before submission to the Commissioner by the “appealing”
member. Upon receipt, the Commissioner shall submit the
appeal package to the HAAC Eligibility Committee for its
recommendations to the BOG for resolution.
Kansas Collegiate
Athletic
Conference
No
Kentucky
Intercollegiate
Athletic
Conference
No
Mid-South
Conference
Hasn’t
Responded
Yet
Midlands
Collegiate
Athletic
Conference
Yes
Midwest
Collegiate
Conference
Hasn’t
Responded
Yet
Red River Athletic
Conference
Yes
B. If a student athlete should wish to transfer to another institution
within the conference, that student athlete will be subject to sitting
out one year from participation at the institution to which he/she
transfers. An appeal for extenuating circumstances can be made to
the Conduct and Ethics Committee.
A student who has participated in intercollegiate athletics on a team
of a member of the Conference and who chooses to transfer to
another Conference institution will not be eligible for one calendar
year from date of withdrawal from the previous institution. A
student athlete that transfers has the opportunity to request a
Hardship waiver to be sent to the Conference office to be received
and/or approved or disapproved by the Executive Committee. The
decision of the Executive Committee is final.
A student enrolling in a college or university who then transfers to a
Conference institution must be eligible under the NAIA transfer rule,
provided the academic requirements of the Conference have been
fulfilled.
Sooner Athletic
Conference
Yes
"If a student athlete identifies with a conference member by signing
a conference letter of intent, by attending class, or by participating in
any athletic event, then should that student later attend another
conference member institution, the student will:
1. Be required to sit out one full year (school calendar year, defined
as two semesters) before he/she can compete.
2. Lose a year of eligibility.
This applies whether the student attends a junior college or a four
year institution or doesn't attend any school after identifying with
the first conference school and later attending a second conference
school.
No releases can be given by the first institution that the student
attends.
Appeals can be made to the Conference Executive Committee."
We passed this rule in 1994 and have had only 7 appeals. Only three
were granted, all of which involved a student's parent being involved
with a school. The granted exceptions: (1) The student signed a
letter of intent with a member institution and a month later, the
student's father was hired as a coach by another institution. The
student wanted to play for his father. (2) The student had been
attending a member institution and participating in his sport, playing
for his father who was the coach. His father was terminated by the
school and hired to coach at another conference school. The
student desired to play his final year at a different school and play
for his father. (3) The student had been playing a sport at a
conference member and her father, who was an administrator at the
school, was hired at a different conference school, and the student
desired to transfer to the school where her father had been hired.
Other than those three situations, we have granted no exceptions,
though I believe it is possible that we might grant an exception in
some circumstance not involving a parent working at a conference
school. The requirement to sit out a year is pretty normal, and is
rarely questioned, but the loss of eligibility is pretty severe and gets
a lot of questions. However, we believe the severe penalty involved
works to inhibit a free flow of transfers within our conference, and
the result has been that we rarely have anyone actually make the
move, as the penalty normally will cause the students to look
elsewhere.
Southern States
Athletic
Conference
Hasn’t
Responded
Yet
The Sun
Conference
Yes
A student-athlete who participates in a sport (has been charged a
season of competition) at a TSC institution is not permitted to be
certified as eligible to compete in that same sport at another TSC
institution for 365 days from the last date of attendance at the
previous TSC institution.
A student-athlete who has not participated (has not been charged a
season of competition) in a sport, however, has received athletic
related financial aid for any sport must sit for 365 days from the last
date of attendance at the previous TSC institution unless that
student-athlete has received a written release (using approved
conference form) from the previous institution's Athletic Director. A
written release will apply to all other TSC institutions.
A student-athlete who has not participated in a sport and has not
received any athletic related financial aid may play immediately
upon transfer to another TSC institution.
The Intra-Conference Transfer Rule will not apply to any Sun
Conference student-athlete whose institution has publicly
announced that it will discontinue the sport in which the studentathlete participated. In that case, the student-athlete will be
immediately eligible, assuming he/she meets all other regulations of
the Conference and the NAIA before being allowed to compete.
TranSouth
Athletic
Conference
Hasn’t
Responded
Yet
WolverineHoosier Athletic
Conference
Yes
Intra-Conference Transfer Rule
(effective Jan. 1, 2013)
If a transfer student, whose immediate previous school of
attendance was a WHAC member school, and he/she participated in
a sport at the previous school and/or received athletic aid from that
previous school, he/she will be required a residency of one academic
year (two semesters or three terms) before being eligible to be
certified for participation in that sport at the new institution.