The NCAA News - News and Features

June 1, 1998

Legislative assistance

1998 Column No. 22NCAA Bylaw 14.2.5-(b) --

Injury or illness during championship segment

NCAA Divisions I and II institutions should note that pursuant to Bylaw 14.2.5-(b), a student-athlete must sustain an incapacitating injury or illness before the completion of the first half of the playing season that concludes with the NCAA championship in that sport in order to qualify for a hardship waiver. Only competition (excluding scrimmages and exhibition contests in Divisions I and II, but including such contests in Division III) against outside participants during the playing season that concludes with the NCAA championship, or, if so designated, during the official NCAA championship playing season in that sport (e.g., spring baseball, fall soccer) shall be countable under this limitation in calculating both the number of contests or dates of competition in which the student-athlete has participated and the number of completed contests or dates of competition during that season in the sport.

Accordingly, if a student-athlete participates in a sport that conducts its segment that concludes with the applicable NCAA championship during the fall (e.g., volleyball, soccer) and the student-athlete qualifies for a hardship waiver as a result of an incapacitating injury or illness that occurs during the championship segment, the student-athlete may participate in outside competition during the institution's other segment (i.e., spring segment).

Please note that if a student-athlete incurs an incapacitating injury or illness in preseason practice that results in an inability to participate in any contests/dates of competition during the championship segment and subsequently participates in any contests/dates of competition during the other segment, the student-athlete must make application to the conference or the appropriate governing body (Division I: Subcommittee for Student-Athlete Reinstatement; Division II: Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement; Division III: Committee on Infractions and Student-Athlete Reinstatement) in order to be granted an additional year of competition for reasons of hardship.

Finally, if a student-athlete has not incurred an incapacitating injury or illness that results in an inability to participate in any contests/dates of competition during the segment that concludes with the NCAA championship, the student-athlete's participation in any outside competition during the other segment would constitute a season of competition, even if the student-athlete is injured during that other segment. The student-athlete is not eligible for a hardship waiver, inasmuch as an injury or illness did not preclude the student-athlete from participating in outside competition in the championship segment.

[Note: The above-mentioned information also is applicable to Division III institutions; however, in Division III, the championship segment is referred to as the traditional segment and the other segment is known as the nontraditional segment.]

NCAA Bylaw 12.2.4.2.1 -- Exception -- professional basketball draft

NCAA institutions should note that pursuant to Bylaw 12.2.4.2.1, a student-athlete in the sport of basketball may enter a professional league's draft one time during his or her collegiate career without jeopardizing eligibility in that sport, provided the student-athlete is not drafted by any team in that league and the student-athlete declares his or her intention to resume intercollegiate participation within 30 days after the draft. The student-athlete's declaration of intent shall be in writing to the institution's director of athletics.

Please be advised that Bylaw 12.2.4.2.1 is not applicable to prospective student-athletes (e.g., high-school athletes). Thus, pursuant to 12.2.4.1, a prospect who places his or her name on the draft list loses his or her amateur status even though: