Amateurism

AMATEURISM

When you register for a Certification Account with the NCAA Eligibility Center, you will be asked a series of questions about your sports participation to determine your amateur status. In some instances, the NCAA Eligibility Center staff may need to gather additional information to evaluate your amateur status.

Issues Reviewed as Part of the Amateurism Certification Process	Requesting Final Amateurism
Delaying your full-time enrollment to participate in organized competition Playing with professionals Signing a contract with a professional team Participating in tryouts or practices with a professional team Accepting payment or preferential treatment/benefits for playing sports Accepting prize money Accepting benefits from an agent or prospective agent Involvement with a recruiting service	Fall Enrollment: If you are enrolling at a Division I or II school for the fall semester, you may request an amateurism certification decision from the NCAA Eligibility Center on or after April 1 before your enrollment at an NCAA school. Winter/Spring Enrollment: If you are enrolling in college for the spring semester, you may request a final amateurism decision on or after October 1 before your enrollment in college.

Issues Reviewed as Part of the Amateurism Certification Process

Requesting Final Amateurism

Delaying your full-time enrollment to participate in organized competition

Playing with professionals

Signing a contract with a professional team

Participating in tryouts or practices with a professional team

Accepting payment or preferential treatment/benefits for playing sports

Accepting prize money

Accepting benefits from an agent or prospective agent

Involvement with a recruiting service

Fall Enrollment: If you are enrolling at a Division I or II school for the fall semester, you may request an amateurism certification decision from the NCAA Eligibility Center on or after April 1 before your enrollment at an NCAA school.

Winter/Spring Enrollment: If you are enrolling in college for the spring semester, you may request a final amateurism decision on or after October 1 before your enrollment in college.

Delayed Enrollment
After you graduate high school, you have a certain amount of time - called a "grace period" - to enroll full-time at any two-year or four-year college or university. If you do not enroll at the first opportunity after your grace period and continue to compete in organized competition, you will use one season of NCAA eligibility for each calendar year during which you continue to compete. You also may be required to serve an academic year in residence at your NCAA institution before you can compete. Please see the chart below regarding specific sport delayed enrollment rules.

Delayed Enrollment

After you graduate high school, you have a certain amount of time - called a "grace period" - to enroll full-time at any two-year or four-year college or university. If you do not enroll at the first opportunity after your grace period and continue to compete in organized competition, you will use one season of NCAA eligibility for each calendar year during which you continue to compete. You also may be required to serve an academic year in residence at your NCAA institution before you can compete. Please see the chart below regarding specific sport delayed enrollment rules.

Sport	Division I Grace Period*
Tennis (Men and Women)	Six months
All Other Sports	12 months
*Grace period follows a college-bound student-athlete's expected date of high school graduation

What is Organized Participation?
Participation is considered organized if ANY of the following exist:
Official score is kept	An individual or team is privately or commercially sponsored
Standings or statistics are maintained	Team uniforms are used
Official timer or game officials are used	Admission is charged
Teams are regularly formed or team rosters are predetermined	Division I: Competition is scheduled and publicized in advance
The competition is either directly or indirectly sponsored, promoted or administered by an individual, an organization or any other agency

What is a Professional Team?
A professional team is one that declares itself as professional, or provides any player MORE than their actual and necessary expenses:
Meals and lodging directly tied to competition or related practice	Coaching and instruction, or the use of facilities and entry fees
Transportation expenses, such as to and from practice, training or competition	Health or medical insurance, treatment and physical therapy directly associated with an individual's participation on a team or in an event
Apparel, equipment and supplies related to competition or practice directly related to competition	Other reasonable expenses such as laundry money

Who is an Agent?
An individual who directly or indirectly represents you by marketing your athletics ability or reputation, attempts to benefit from guiding you to a particular NCAA school or attempts to benefit from your expected earnings as a professional athlete.

OVERVIEW OF NCAA DIVISION I PRE-ENROLLMENT AMATEURISM
Prior to initial full-time enrollment at a college or university, a prospect may...	Permissible in Division I?
Tryout with a professional team?	Yes. May not exceed actual and necessary expenses
Enter into a professional draft?*	Yes
Accept prize money?	Tennis: Yes, if it does not exceed $10,000 per calendar year and comes from the sponsor of the event. Once $10,000 limit is reached, additional prize money may not exceed actual and necessary, and such expenses must be provided by the sponsor of the event or the team for which the individual represents. All Other Sports: Yes, if it does not exceed actual and necessary expenses and comes from an amateur team or sponsor of the event.
Receive benefits from an agent?	No
Enter into an agreement with an agent (verbal or written)?	No. In baseball, a prospect who is drafted before collegiate enrollment may use the services of an agent to negotiate with a professional team. To retain eligibility for NCAA baseball, the prospect must not sign the professional contract and discontinue the agent agreement before enrolling in college.
*Please contact the NCAA or your institution's compliance office before entering into a non-opt-in-draft