Compliance and Eligibility Issues & FAQs 2020-2021

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7.16.20

The NWAC encourages student-athletes whose seasons have been moved from a fall start to a winter start to enroll in fall 2020 classes. Attending college for the first time can be quite daunting and overwhelming especially when you include competing in athletics as well. With your fall sport being move to a winter start, enrolling in fall classes helps you get acclimated to your institution with very little to no pressure from athletics. Attending in the fall 2020 part-time and or full-time should prove beneficial to your overall academic plan and success. Proper planning may lead to a sophomore season with reduced credits. Also it is important to note that NWAC is planning on the traditional sports calendar resuming for fall 2021. Student-athletes will need to meet the traditional second-year academic eligibility standards. Taking classes beginning fall 2020 will help meet second-year eligibility requirements.

Eligibility

1.    Winter and spring term eligibility

Fall term 2020 will be allowed to be used as a 2nd Summer Term (see below for summer school language). This means that student-athletes can improve their eligibility during fall term (add credits to meet the 36, increase GPA, add credits from spring and/or summer to meet the 10 credit previous term rule). This change is not intended to change the eligibility rules for the athletes that had their spring sports cancelled (see #3).

1.4.8 Summer School

By attendance at summer school, a student‐athlete can regain qualification for meeting the provisions for the 10 credit previous quarter, the 36 credit ‐ 2nd year participation and the 2.00 GPA eligibility requirements. Any number of summer school credits can be earned at any accredited institution and can be added to complete the second year thirty‐six (36) quarter credit rule or added to the previous quarter to fulfill the completion of the ten (10) quarter credit hour previous quarter rule.

2.    Early Graduation  

For the 2020-21 academic year only, any student athlete who has attained their AA degree may enroll in less than twelve credits after the term they graduated to compete. NWAC student-athletes who are in this situation, will need to be enrolled in at least one credit during any term they are practicing or competing. Student-Athlete will need to show an official transcript denoting the completion of an AA degree.

3.    Spring 2020 athletes

A freshman spring sport student-athlete who was certified via winter quarter 2020 eligibility report, is still a freshmen athletically winter quarter 2021. There are no requirements for previous quarter, GPA, or total credits earned.

A sophomore spring 2020 student-athlete who was certified via winter quarter 2020 eligibility report is still a sophomore athletically winter quarter 2021. There is no requirement for previous quarter requirement, but must have a 2.0 GPA and pass 36 credits.

Freshmen and sophomore spring student-athletes who were not certified via the winter quarter 2020 eligibility report can meet the 10 credit previous quarter requirement by passing 10 credits in the winter 2020, or a total of 10 combined credits between the spring, summer, and fall 2020 quarters to be eligible for winter 2021. Sophomores also need to meet the 2.0 GPA and 36 credits accumulated requirements.

FAQ's

Q:  If a student athlete only needs 5 credits to graduate can they attend fall & winter and not spring and still play on a team that is still participating spring quarter?

A:  If a student-athlete has their AA degree (earned by winter 2021) they would enroll in a minimum of one credit for spring quarter 2020 and are eligible to compete. It is important to check with the institution of they have other stipulations.

Q:  Can fall quarter count towards eligibility for winter and/or spring quarters?

A:   Fall term 2020 will be allowed to be used as a 2nd Summer Term (see summer school language). This means that student-athletes can improve their eligibility during fall term (add credits to meet the 36, increase GPA, add credits from spring and/or     summer to meet the 10 credit previous term rule). This change is not intended to change the eligibility rules for the athletes that had their spring sports cancelled (see #3).

Q:  During the gray phase, do student-athletes living in surrounding counties, at home, and commuting to attend a campus in another county, have to quarantine in the member college county area in gray Phase?

A:  Student Athletes will quarantine in the residence they will be living while participating in athletics for 14 days prior to moving to the red phase.

Q:  Can a student-athlete compete in two sports at the same time? For example a female student-athlete wants to play basketball and soccer during the same season.  Is this allowed?

A:  NWAC policies allow a student-athlete to compete in two sports at the same time.

Q:  How will sophomore 2021-2022 eligibility be handled? 

A:  NWAC is planning on the traditional sports calendar resuming for fall 2021. Student-athletes will need to meet the traditional second-year academic eligibility standards. 

Talking Points

Health Color Phases for Return to Play

1. For fall 2020 return to play, Cross Country and Golf are the priority. The following protocols must be followed:

• Gray Phase:  Student Athletes will quarantine in the residence they will be living while participating in athletics for 14 days beginning August 1, 2020.
• They will then move into the next phase of protocols as explained in the NWAC Return to Play Guidelines.
• No overnight stays though exemptions may be available as approved by member college presidents and the NWAC Executive Board. 
• Maximum of two activities/scrimmages are allowed.
• Sports as deemed necessary may alter any rules and/or protocols to adhere to social distancing and other safety precautions. 

2. If individual member colleges allow student-athletes and/or teams back on campus for fall 2020, the following Out-of-Season protocols must be followed for Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Baseball, Tennis and Track & Field:

• Out-of-season calendar begins the first day of school and concludes November 20, 2020. This is an institutional decision to allow out of season participation.
• No activities will commence prior to the first day of school. College administrators do not want student-athletes that are participating in non-eligible sports on campus doing any type of athletic activity until the first day of the quarter.  It is an institutional decision on how much if any non-eligible sports activity is allowed.
• Gray phase:  Student Athletes will quarantine in the residence they will be living while participating in athletics for 14 days prior to moving to the red phase.
• The red phase begins the first day of the quarter and no earlier. The health color phase approach principles must be adhered to during Out of Season.
• No overnight stays and two maximum activities/scrimmages are allowed. 
• Minimal amount of activity should be the goal.
• Allowable contact with student-athletes by institutional coaches during the Out-of-Season segment will not exceed 12 hours per week and 5 days a week.

3. Winter sports will begin their gray phase on 1/2/21. Reasons for the change is:

• In talking with NWAC Sports Medicine Team Members, it will be easier to manage when all teams for winter sports are starting in the gray phase at the same time.
• We will provide additional weeks in the green phase which helps in case games gets canceled for health reasons and or weather, etc. Though more weeks may be added, additional games will not.