About Eligibility

Commitment to academic achievement and adherence to member-created rules are vital parts of the NCAA’s mission to integrate athletics into the fabric of higher education. NCAA member schools create rules to ensure that the Association’s 430,000 student-athletes compete on equal footing. Various NCAA committees and the national office staff members work to make sure rules are applied fairly.

Becoming Eligible

Initial-eligibility waivers

The initial-eligibility waiver process assists prospective student-athletes who do not meet the academic initial-eligibility standards.

People behind the decisions

Division I Initial-Eligibility Waivers Committee

Adam Creasy, Texas

Scott Swain, Tennessee

Kim Humphrey, Missouri

Colleen Evans, San Diego State

Kimya Massey, Central Florida

Tracy Bentley-Townlin, Oregon State,

David L. Graham, Ohio State

Consuelo Stebbins, Central Florida

Jack Thomas, New Mexico State

Charles Fourtner, Buffalo State

Andrew Shoemaker, Kansas

Susan Bradley, Mississippi State

Richard McGlynn, Auburn

Brian A. Baptiste, Delaware

Monica Love, Army

Melissa P. Pluchos, Winthrop

Kim Callicoatte, Massachusetts

Roderick Perry, Wright State

Sandra D. Michael, Binghamton

Traci Murphy, Canisius

Division I Amateurism Fact- Finding Committee

Jon W. Jaudon, Virginia Tech

Heather Lyke Catalano, Ohio State

Leslie Claybrook, Rice

Stephen Robertello, Washington State

Brian Lutz, Toledo

Anita Hazelwood, Louisiana-Lafayette

Kelly N. Widener, Princeton

Alisha Tucker, Norfolk State

Fred Smith, Davidson

Jeffrey J. Roberts, Tennessee Tech

Josh Moon, Western Illinois

Stan Williamson, Campbell

Jill Redmond, Richmond

Milo W. Peck, Jr., Fairfield

Harold R. Bardo, Southern Illinois

A school must file an initial-eligibility waiver on behalf of the prospective student-athlete. The NCAA academic and membership affairs staff can make initial waiver decisions based on objective evidence of mitigating circumstances. Committees composed of representatives from Divisions I and II member schools hear appeals.

Waivers can be submitted for various circumstances, including deficiencies in core-course attainment, core-course grade-point average and graduation; not meeting the test-score or waiver- submission deadlines; a change on a transcript; and education-impacting disabilities.

Waivers can be conditionally approved (allowing a student-athlete to receive aid or receive aid and practice), fully approved or denied. Student-athletes can practice and receive benefits while initial-eligibility waiver requests are pending, subject to some restrictions.

Last Updated: May 31, 2012