Is UVA the only track program that won't allow a 5th year?

The Ivy League doesn't have 5th years either.

What a disadvantage but it appears that these programs make the most of it. I guess this policy doesn't include the football revenue teams.

UVA allows plenty of athletes to redshirt and use a 5th year.

acc athlete wrote:

UVA allows plenty of athletes to redshirt and use a 5th year.

Looks like he's saying that they have to be accepted into graduate school to run a fifth year. Some places allow you to be in undergrad for five years, but not everywhere.

I've heard their graduate programs are pretty good and hard to get into...

10-4, If u are enrolled in 4 year program must complete in 4 years. we have lost some very good seniors because of this policy. It is what it is but the runner's are the one's that keep the average GPA up for the student athletes.

I assumed this was the standard process. Are you saying that other schools allow students who don't complete their degree to compete as a 5th year?

I took 5 years to complete my undergrad. I was working/running/ and going to school. So I took a light class loads some semesters where I didn't take the standard 15 credit hours. NCAA only requires 12 to be eligible. I had a stress fracture my 2nd year and redshirted cross and indoors. This type of situation is very common. Some undergrad programs are designed to take 5 years even with full class loads because of all the classes required.

You can complete a degree in 5 years and be considered a full time student by NCAA rules.

12 credit hours per semester is full time status where 15 credit hours per semester is pace to graduate in 4 years.

It is true,the schools that allow the kids to run and complete their under-g degree in 5 years do have the advantage. Hats off to the coaches that make the best of their schools 4yrs or grad rule.

stillrunning1 wrote:

It is true,the schools that allow the kids to run and complete their under-g degree in 5 years do have the advantage. Hats off to the coaches that make the best of their schools 4yrs or grad rule.

Gotta disagree. It's no advantage to just do what the NCAA allows. UVA is shooting itself in the foot by adding extra rules for itself only.

Which isn't to say it's not commendable to complete a degree in four years (this is me speaking as someone who took longer) but I just mean from the sports side of things, it's pretty silly.

Past-runner wrote:

It is what it is but the runner's are the one's that keep the average GPA up for the student athletes.

Then I trust/hope that you're not one of the runners--you'll undo others' work.

Agree, I don't think additional guidelines help, especially the runners that have 3 seasons of competition a year plus are damned if they drop any classes the first 4 years.

I redshirted and ran during my "5th" calendar year at UVa and did so on scholarship without being in a graduate program. I may have dropped classes to be under 12 hours (not full-time) after the XC season in which I got injured started when I decided to redshirt.

So silly for an academic institution to put an emphasis on academics.No advantage? Then why do it with kids who spend 5 years with now serious injuries. Another indicator of how out of whack the role sports play in our country in general. William and Mary has a very similar rule. Admitted and progressing towards a grad degree to run a 5th year.

zamboomba wrote:

stillrunning1 wrote:

It is true,the schools that allow the kids to run and complete their under-g degree in 5 years do have the advantage. Hats off to the coaches that make the best of their schools 4yrs or grad rule.

Gotta disagree. It's no advantage to just do what the NCAA allows. UVA is shooting itself in the foot by adding extra rules for itself only.

Which isn't to say it's not commendable to complete a degree in four years (this is me speaking as someone who took longer) but I just mean from the sports side of things, it's pretty silly.

Past-runner wrote:

10-4, If u are enrolled in 4 year program must complete in 4 years. we have lost some very good seniors because of this policy. It is what it is but the runner's are the one's that keep the average GPA up for the student athletes.

So, let me ask this, since you seem to be a UVA student/alum. If someone enrolls in UVA, chooses a major that is supposed to take 4 years, but does not complete it in those 4 years, they cannot come back to campus and finish their degree? They're just left without a degree and have to try to finish somewhere else?

Is it that athletes have only four years of eligibility in four years, instead of NCAA allowed four years in five; or is it that they don't allow graduated athletes with remaining eligibility to compete without being enrolled in a degree program?

I could see why they might not want to allow athletes to graduate and take basket-weaving 101 during their fifth year, but not why they would force all athletes to complete a degree in four years.

A quick internet search reveals that basketball player Mike Scott has been given a fifth-year of medical hardship eligibility and I don't see that he's graduated or taking grad-school classes. Also, Steve Finley had graduated before taking his fifth year at UO. All that seems to be consistent with the idea that post-grad athletes must be enrolled in a degree program in order to compete at UVA, but I don't know that for certain.

I have heard this before, athletes can't compete 5th year if enrolled in 4 year program. However, thay can stay enrolled as a student as long as required to finsh degree.

I hope the revenue sports at high acdemic schools would not have a different standard than track/xc.

fastwalker wrote:

I have heard this before, athletes can't compete 5th year if enrolled in 4 year program. However, thay can stay enrolled as a student as long as required to finsh degree.

I hope the revenue sports at high acdemic schools would not have a different standard than track/xc.

I don't know if it is still this way or not but it used to be that a large number of the UVa football Fifth year seniors were enrolled in the education program. That can be done a number of ways but it typically a 5 year program and at the end you receive both a B.A. and a Masters (I think Masters in Teaching).

I just talked to a coworker is a UVA alum. I mentioned this to her and she told me that the expectation at UVA for full-time students is that you WILL remain on schedule to graduate in 4 years and get out. I asked about part-time students who work while in school and people who have family stuff and the like. There is part-time status, but athletes cannot use this because athletes must be full-time. But in UVA's eyes, full time means on schedule to graduate in 4 years...period. Basically, I get the impression that UVA doesn't care what "full time" means to the NCAA, it has its own standards of "full time" and enforces them.

Apparently, you can finish your degree, but have to get an exception to do so, if beyond the fourth year.

I can't say I necessarily disagree with this policy. I have taught WAY TOO MANY athletes at UF who don't give a shit about their education, take only 12 measly credits a semester and don't give a shit about the classes they do take. "If I get injured, no biggie, I'll just lighten my class schedule, heal, train, and stay another year. Hey, maybe two if I change my major." It sucks. So, in a way, I applaud UVA for this policy, even if they're fighting an uphill battle against so much of the rest of the NCAA schools out there. UVA's first mission is academic.