Eligibility

The NCAA specifies that a student-athlete has 5 years to play 4 seasons. Period.

It could well be that the player's mom was referring to the fact that her son would bring enough advanced placement credit to begin classes as a second-semester Freshman or Sophomore; but, that status wouldn't affect the NCAA eligibility mentioned above. He'd still have 5 years to play 4 seasons. If he happened to finish his undergraduate degree before his NCAA eligibility expired, he could continue playing as a grad student.

Could she be talking about a student being dual enrolled in college while in high school?

Anybody know if this is an issue off the top of their heads? I wouldn't think so, but with the NCAA...

Has nothing to do with years played.  My son graduated from high school with 21 hours of dual credit.  He is a freshman now but is already a sophomore academically.   The thing you have to be careful about is transferring from a 4 year back to a juco if that becomes a situation.  My son is transferring from a D1 this year and will have 53 hrs at the end of this semester and summer school.  If he went to juco, he could graduate and be D1 eligible again.  But, he is only a few hours away from an associates degree and would waste a semester and a half on classes that would not transfer. 

My daughter ran into something of a problem with this.  She entered college, on paper, as a second semester sophomore, because of all of her AP credit.  Where she ran into a problem was she was already half way to a degree in biology.  The NCAA requires a certain number of courses towards your degree each semester/year.  In my daughter's case, there simply weren't enough untaken classes left within her major to satisfy these requirements for 4 years.  She was told that she would either have to change majors, or double major.  ( I assume she could also have gotten a graduate degree as Prepster suggests).  She ended up double majoring.  

The whole thing seemed very screwy to me, but she just did what the advisors told her.  I still wonder whether they were correct. 

AP credits have no bearing on NCAA eligibility.  Whoever said that is woefully misinformed and seems intent on spreading the disease.

A player who graduates with eligibility can still play as long as he's enrolled.  This is why you not infrequently see players who are in grad school.

It is true that a D1 player has 5 calendar years in which to play 4 seasons.  But there are additional requirements for eligibility, and the situation which MTH describes could occur. 

14.4.3.1(b) [After the 1st year of college, the player needs:]

Eighteen-semester or 27-quarter hours of academic credit since the beginning of the previous fall term or since the beginning of the certifying institution’s preceding regular two semesters or three quarters (hours earned during the summer may not be used to fulfill this requirement) (see Bylaw 14.4.3.1.4); and (Revised: 10/31/02 effective 8/1/03)

And 14.4.3.1.7 (b)

By the beginning of the third year of enrollment (fifth semester or seventh quarter), a student-athlete shall be required to have designated a program of studies leading toward a specific baccalaureate degree. From that point, the credits used to meet the progress-toward-degree requirements must be degree credit toward the student’s designated degree program;

If a player has met all of the requirements for a specific degree, it isn't possible to make academic progress in the sense of advancing in a course of studies, unless the student takes on a minor, changes major, starts a graduate or professional program, etc.

I don't see where this constitutes a problem, and I don't see how it would abridge a player's eligibility, unless the player ignored the rule.

From my  point of view, this is a good rule.  In principle, college student-athletes should be engaged in a course of studies.

I stand uncorrected.

5 years to play 4. Advanced placement credit has no bearing on NCAA eligibility.

Anyone who transfers from a DI to a JUCO need not be concerned with advanced placement credit.

Thanks for backing me up, MidloDad.

My son had completed all his undergraduate courses before this Fall and he is playing while taking graduate courses only this past Fall and this spring. He went through the graduation ceremony in December and will graduate with his Masters in May.This is his fifth year at the school as he was red shirted his first year.