I would really appreciate a little help on this topic. I have asked some questions before on this site, and after reading these rules I am a little confused (especially with the NCAA Rules). Anyway, here is my situation:
I am a redshirted junior and an academic senior who is about to graduate this May. My (academic) freshman year I redshirted at an NAIA institution. My (academic) sophomore year I was cut from the same institution after the fall semester. My (academic) junior year I went out for the same team, got cut again, then finally transfered schools to another NAIA school in which I played my (academic) junior year and am currently playing in my senior year. I have one year of eligibility and would like to play ball while I pursue an MBA. My current school does not offer an MBA, so obviously I need to go to a different school if I want to pursue that.
However, by going to a different school it looks like I will not be eligible. According to the NAIA rules below I have to stay at the same school after I graduate in order to be eligible, but the NCAA rules confuse me. I am confused about the one-time transfer exemption and I don't know if it applies to me (especially considering I was cut when I transfered). So please help!!! Am I eligible to play at an NCAA DI or DII???
NAIA Rules
ARTICLE V, SECTION D, ITEM 5
-Graduate/Second Baccalaureate Degree Students
Approved Ruling: Students enrolled in a graduate program, a second baccalaureate program, a 5th year teacher education program, or continuing and completing a second major area of study may retain athletic eligibility within the NAIA provided:
1. The student is returning to the same institution where the undergraduate degree was earned.
2. The student has not completed 10 semesters, 12 trimesters, or 15 quarters of attendance.
3. The student has not competed four seasons in the sport.
The registrar must certify in writing to the Eligibility Chair that all conditions of the exception have been met prior to participation of the student.
NCAA Rules
Graduate Student Eligibility
-A student-athlete who is enrolled in a graduate or professional school of the college or university which he/she previously attended as an undergraduate student may participate in intercollegiate athletics, provided he/she has eligibility remaining and is within five calendar years of initial full-time collegiate enrollment for Division I and within the first ten full-time semesters of collegiate enrollment for Divisions II and III.
-A student-athlete who has eligibility remaining and is within the specified five-year or ten-semester period also may participate while enrolled in a graduate or professional school at a Division I or II college or university other than the institution at which he/she completed an undergraduate degree, provided he/she meets the criteria of the one-time transfer exception to the general transfer residence requirement. That exception is as follows:
o The student-athlete must be seeking to participate in a sport other than Division I football, basketball and men's ice hockey, except that a student-athlete who seeks to participate in Division I-AA football may use this exception only if transferring from a Division I-A program.
o The student-athlete may not have transferred previously from another four-year institution unless he/she transferred previously and received an exception to the transfer residence requirement because his/her institution either discontinued the sport or did not sponsor the sport in which the student-athlete is a participant.
o The student must have been in good academic standing and eligible to compete had he/she decided to remain at the previous institution.
o The student-athlete's previous institution must certify in writing that it has no objection to the student-athlete being granted an exception to the transfer residence requirement.
NOTE: This exception does not apply to a student-athlete who attends a Division III institution for graduate school, unless the student-athlete is attending the same institution at which he/she was an undergraduate.
NOTE: If the student-athlete transfers to the certifying institution from a Division III member institution and meets the above-mentioned conditions, he or she may be eligible to compete but may not receive athletically related financial aid during that year.
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