ncaa 5th year transfer rules

as far as getting some aid, you may have needed to be contacting them already...unless you are a stud and are good enough for coaches to want you on their team, as opposed to you being on the team if you go to their school.

I was in the boat you were in last year. Basically, I figured out what schools I wanted to go to, then I emailed their coaches a letter knowing I'm interested, with some brief background info about undergrad and some prs. Any coach interested then had to get a release from my prior school and then they emailed me back and we began talking about the possibilities.

If I were you, and knew the schools, it might be a good idea to go to your schools athletic compliance office, and have then send your release form to the schools you are interested in running for next year. This would save some downtime in communicating with coaches.

Your compliance office info should be listed in the directory on the athletic website. Likewise, the compliance office should have a book with all other D1 athletic compliance info, such that they will be able to send out the form. Some schools are sketch about the process; certain schools don't want to initiate the paper trail until the other has, so it may be difficult to get the ball rolling on some of the release letters.

thanks!!!

as noted above, the best way to cover yourself is to talk to your compliance officer first. hopefully you have a cool one but, even if you don't, giving them the heads up can save some needless grief a little later on. if you're a guy who would be worth more than a half scholarship (keep in mind that you don't have xc eligibility and that graduate school tuition tends to be a bit less than undergraduate when figuring how much aid you should get), you probably want to get started on the process ASAP.

On the same topic:

Is is possible for one to transfer from a Division III Undergrad to a Division I Grad school and still compete for one year? (I have Division I quality times in the 1500)

Yes you can transfer from a Division III to a Division I. In Division I you have 5 years to complete 4 years of eligibility, therefore as long as you still have time on your 5 year clock you may be eligibile to compete at the Division I school. I strongly suggest you work with your compliance person at your institution.

is it possible for a coach to get kids into grad school that wouldn't normally get in? (like they do all the time for undergrad?)

not really. graduate schools tend to be pretty guarded about who they let in because of rankings. so, you're not going to get into a law school, medical school, business school, etc. or other prestigious graduate programs because a coach wants you for a year. the admissions process for graduate schools is a lot different than undergrad - and most athletic departments simply don't have the connections to do anything. now, if you want to get into some crappy program that you otherwise couldn't get into, someone might pull some strings for you because they know you'll be paying tuition. but, if you have the money, such programs tend to let you in anyway.

The NCAA just passed a rule last year stating that a Student-Athlete can do just what you described without having to get any permission, any release. Even if you've already transferred once (using your one-time transfer exception), you can still go to another grad school once you've graduated from undergrad without any harm to your eligibility and no release needed. I'd still run it past your coach and/or compliance just so that they aren't hit with it out of left field. In the past, it would have been treated like you were "transferring," which you can do once in all sports except football, basketball and hockey without it affecting your eligibility, but you'd still have to go through compliance and your coach like the process described above. The rule eliminated the chance that a coach can choose not to release you.

That said, most coaches aren't going to "show you the money" with one year left on your clock unless you really do have some impressive times. Often they might throw whatever money they have left after the recruiting cycle your way, but it'll be a while.

compliance chick wrote:

Yes you can transfer from a Division III to a Division I. In Division I you have 5 years to complete 4 years of eligibility, therefore as long as you still have time on your 5 year clock you may be eligibile to compete at the Division I school. I strongly suggest you work with your compliance person at your institution.

don't you mean in division III you have 5 years to complete 4 years of eligibility? I guess you have to continue following this rule if you're going into a d1 grad program, having come from a d3 undergrad?

ok so you if you don't need a release, when are you allowed to talk to coaches from other schools?

As long as it's about running for them after you graduate, and you are on track to graduate, go for it. But I suggested running it by your compliance at least because I don't know the exact details (like if you can already be talking to them as a Junior, or if you have to have so many credits completed before they can talk with you.)

If I want to come back for a fifth year can I come back just for my spring semester if I'm on track to graduate? In other words can I take the fall off from school and graduate in the spring and just run?

no.

I mean take a full class schedule but just not run? Impossible?

that's not what you asked the first time. of course you can take classes but not compete in the fall and then run in the spring. that's what all of your track teammates who aren't distance runners do.