What the Division 1 Council’s “modernized” rules really mean

Division 1 sports is the pinnacle of college athletics, and as such they are also the trendsetters for every other division. When D1 makes a decision, it is not too long after that D2, D3, NAIA, and even the NJCAA will follow suit. As of January 11th 2023, several new rules have gone into effect, and they will have an impact on the future of college sports. Here is what you need to know so that you can make sure that you win your personal recruitment game.

Coaching Limits 

Changes that should increase a degree of parity in Division 1 involve coaching limits for a multiple sports. In short, voluntary coaches will no longer be a legitimate thing in the eyes of Division 1. Contrary to popular belief many sports leverage volunteer coaches to fill out their roster. This rule doesn’t ensure that these coaches will now become paid, but it does include them as “coaches” without that voluntary title. This may seem like a small change but it actually caps the coaching staff of a program in sports like baseball, softball, and ice hockey at four. Having qualified coaches is a valuable resource, and now big name programs cannot bring on extra coaches, further tipping the scales against small conference programs.

In men’s and women’s basketball, two additional coaching slots have been added that are non-recruiting designation coaches. In other words those coaches cannot recruit off campus in any way. Other changes were rather minor like renaming FBS football program graduate assistants as graduate student coaches.

Transfer Waiver Guidelines 

The transfer portal is perhaps the hottest topic in all of college sports, and the NCAA has been rapidly trying to address its loopholes. The biggest rule change is that athletes can only apply for a second transfer waiver if they meet very specific criteria. They must present evidence of one of the following for review:

• “A demonstrated physical injury or illness or mental health condition that necessitated the student's transfer (supporting documentation, care plans and proximity of the student's support system will be considered), or”

• “Exigent circumstances that clearly necessitate a student-athlete's immediate departure from the previous school (e.g., physical assault or abuse, sexual assault) unrelated to the student-athlete's athletics participation.”

In general this all means that you get one transfer and you are done for the most part. If you have an athletic reason for seeking a second transfer, it will not be granted. However, if your sport is discontinued or you were a non-scholarship athlete in D1 anyway, then you can enter the transfer portal at any time, even if it is not a designated transfer window.

Standardized Testing

There had been speculation that this official change was going to happen since the Covid-19 testing waivers became a thing. But now it is official. The sliding scale between GPA and Test scores is going to be phased out for D1 eligibility. This means that an athlete only needs to have a qualifying GPA to compete in D1 provided they gain acceptance to the college. The ripple effect of this decision is softened because the rule has effectively been this way since 2020. It will also benefit athletes primarily in football and basketball where colleges are more likely to lower their general admissions standards to accept an athlete.

Any sport that is an equivalency sport has little incentive to use NCAA qualifier status alone as its basis for admitting a recruit. Now that the test score requirement is no longer an eligibility requirement, means that the college will even further have to lean on its general admissions standards “which may still require a test score” to determine acceptance anyway. Ultimately this change will benefit some athletes but it is always a best practice to take the test, and do your best anyway. Even if you don’t need it for some schools others will still ask for it, and without it you will likely miss out on much needed academic aid.

The Bottom Line

The NCAA is modernizing its rules but this is likely the beginning of a longer series of rule changes. The former NCAA president Mark Emmert stated that the three division model will be going under further review for some time now. And the changing landscape of college admissions, transferring, and even coaching staffs will expedite that process. As long as there are colleges with sports teams, there will be recruits looking to play for them. And that means that as the rules evolve, any recruit will have to evolve with it.

KNOW THE GAME. WIN THE GAME.

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