Significant NCAA DI Rule Changes and Recruiting Info

The NCAA is proposing a number of Division I rule changes which look to have a significant impact upon the way member schools operate their athletic departments.

Two articles which I believe you should read, and take some time to understand.  I have provided the links below (as opposed to cut/paste, because the font was too small to read on this page); my initial impression is that these rule changes will widen the gap between "the haves and have nots" of Division I athletics, along with accelerate the already accelerated recruiting/commitment timetable.

NCAA Division I proposed rule changes.

Breakdown of Division I rule changes.


Also, the below information is courtesy of NCSA Athletic Recruiting - Please allow me to recommend NCSA if you are considering getting additional support for your recruiting efforts.  NCSA does an outstanding job of providing dedicated information and support for its clients!

FAFSA

The FAFSA (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the first step in the financial aid

process. You use it to apply for federal student financial aid, such as grants, loans and work-study. In addition, most states and schools use information from the FAFSA to award non-federal aid.

Getting Started

Students can fill out the FAFSA online at the FAFSA website, or they can apply through the mail with a paper form. The Office of Federal Student Aid strongly recommends the online application because it conducts immediate error checking, and it tends to speed up the application process by a few weeks. Students applying online can save their work and return to an application at a later date. The FAFSA can be submitted beginning on January 1st during your senior year of high school; however you can visit the FAFSA website at www.fafsa.ed.gov at any time to begin working through FAFSA worksheets. These worksheets will help you understand the information required and will help best prepare you for the time you actually submit your application. The FAFSA website will also allow you create your own account where you can submit your information to schools electronically. 

Funds Are First Come First Serve

Applying as soon after January 1st as possible will ultimately benefit you since the funding is limited. At some point some of these funds will no longer be available each year and applying early protects you from potentially missing out on some types of aid. In addition, early application will help the colleges and universities get back in touch with you earlier regarding the specifics of their offer. The sooner you have this information from schools, the more time you will have to compare and evaluate your options in order to come to the best decision for you and your family. 

Why Everyone Needs To Apply 

It is strongly recommended that every student submit the FAFSA, regardless of family income. There are several reasons making it advantageous for everyone to apply. More schools are now requiring the FAFSA be on file in order to award even an athletic scholarship, the FAFSA will ensure you are eligible for the maximum amount of aid possible, and the FAFSA can be used as an insurance policy while you are in school. If unforeseen circumstances make it necessary to spend family money elsewhere, you will be able to appeal your award decision in order to receive additional funding to cover the new financial situation you may find yourself in. This will help you continue to focus on your course work since additional funding can be made available instead of potentially having to decide whether or not you can continue at school. 

Key Transfer Terms

One academic year in residence:

How long you must spend at your new school before you can compete. Sometimes people call the year in residence "sitting out." For your academic year in residence to count toward your eligibility to compete, you must sit out only at the school where you intend to compete and you must be a full-time student. You cannot meet this requirement by attending the school part time or by not being enrolled in school at all.

Gray Shirt: 

Gray shirt is a term used in the recruiting process to describe situations in which a student-athlete delays initial enrollment in a collegiate institution to the winter or spring term after the traditional academic year begins. Students who gray shirt often use the fall to take classes part time or choose not to enroll in college at all. Gray shirt is not a formal designation by the NCAA or the National Letter of Intent program. 

Red Shirt: 

Red shirt means to stop playing. The NCAA allows a player five years to complete four seasons of eligibility. Usually the freshman year is when the player practices but doesn't play in any games. That is called the Red Shirt year. Players still receive their scholarship, still practice, and still do everything the other players do - they just don't play in the games. The purpose is to preserve a year's eligibility when the player probably wouldn't see much playing time.  

Green Shirt: 

Green shirt is a relatively new term and is applied to that high school senior that forgoes his/her spring semester in high school to enroll in college in January. Green means "go" as in "go early". 

Division I & II Transfers (4-4)

Key Notes: 

• Only qualifiers are allowed to use exceptions during the first year after they enroll at a new school.
• If you are a qualifier, have signed a NLI, and transfer during the first year after you enrolled full time, you may have to sit out for a period of time at your new school, even if you meet an exception.
• If you are a partial or non-qualifier, you must spend at least one academic year in residence before you are allowed to use an exception.
• You cannot use an exception if you are sitting out a year of residence at your current school.

National Association Of Intercollegiate Athletics 

Scholarship Opportunities

NAIA offers both athletic and academic scholarships and is comparable to playing NCAA DII. 

Volleyball - 8 Scholarships

NJCAA Information

NJCAA Sports, Scholarships, Divisions:

Sport	Scholarships	Divisions	Sport	Scholarships	Divisions
Baseball	24	I, II, III	M. Swim/Dive	15	I
M. Basketball	15	I, II, III	W. Swim/Dive	15	I
W. Basketball	15	I, II, III	M. Tennis	0	I, III
Football	85	I	W. Tennis	0	I, III
M. Golf	8	I, II, III	M. Track/Field	20	I, III
W. Golf	8	I	W. Track/Field	20	I, III
M. Ice Hockey	16	I	M. XCountry	10	I, III
M. Lacrosse	20	I	W. XCountry	10	I, III
W. Lacrosse	20	I	W. Swim/Dive	15	I
M. Soccer	18	I, III	M. Tennis	0	I, III
W. Soccer	18	I, III	W. Volleyball	14	I, II, III
Softball	24	I, II, III	Wrestling	16	I

NJCAA Factoids:

• The initial sport in the NJCAA was track and field
• The NJCAA was founded in 1938
• The NJCAA has 252 institutions
• The NJCAA has institutions in 43 states
• The NJCAA has 24 conferences
• The NJCAA has 28 different sports

Leverage and Negotiation

You may wonder how you can identify a good leveraging option. You first need to take your top few choices and then identify the following four factors for each: 

• Are geographically close to your top choice
• Are the schools in the same athletic conference
• Find schools with similar strengths in the programs of study (Ex. comparing one engineering school to another or one business program to another.)
• Contact the admissions office to ask what schools they compete with academically and apply to them 

What if my financial situation puts me out of reach of my favorite school?  Check off the following steps with each program to help you maximize your scholarship potential with each program:

• Work with the coaches
• Be polite and not demanding
• Express excitement for the school
• Let them know that the only thing holding you back is the financial offer 
• Be prepared with facts/data/other offers
• Let them know what you can afford
• Have other academic and athletic offers on table!
• This is why we tell people to keep all options open regardless if they are or are not interested in a school
• Always appeal the first offer if it’s not enough
• They won’t reduce the first offer, yet you may get more
• Find out if you retake the SAT/ACT and get a higher score, if you could receive more academic scholarship money
• Ask if it is possible to earn more money athletically and/or academically your sophomore year
• If the school is Division 1, ask if they can grant the athletic scholarship for 4 years
• All schools have the ability the grant an academic scholarship for 4 years