NCAA Rule Changes for 2022-23

[Tom McAndrew]

can be found here:

Legislative Services Database - LSDBi

Willie's condensed take:




Flo's expanded take:

True Freshmen Impacted By NCAA Bylaw Changes - FloWrestling

A breakdown of the bylaw changes impacting true freshmen starting in the 2022-23 season.

www.flowrestling.org

There is some question about whether this will allow college wrestlers to compete in U-23 Worlds:

 

[Bernard Shakey]

Would this just mean that freshmen can't compete at U23s or that all college athletes can't?

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Would this just mean that freshmen can't compete at U23s or that all college athletes can't?

as written, the new rule would exclude all college wrestlers from non-college events during the college/university fall semester. It would not be limited to freshman.

To clarify:

The rule actually applies to all college athletes except basketball:

"Outside Competition -- Sports Other Than Basketball. A student-athlete in any sport other than basketball who participates during the academic year as a member of any outside team in any noncollegiate, amateur competition becomes ineligible for intercollegiate competition unless eligibility is restored by the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement. A student-athlete is permitted to practice on such a team."

That rule isn't being changed.

The existing exclusion for wrestling is being changed. The new exclusion reads:

"Exception -- Men's Wrestling. In men's wrestling, a student-athlete may compete outside the institution's declared playing and practice season as a member of an outside team in any noncollegiate, amateur competition during any official vacation period, except a vacation period that occurs between the beginning of the institution's academic year and November 1 and any vacation period that occurs during the student-athlete's first academic term of full-time enrollment. A student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade-point average, as specified in Bylaw 14.3.3.3.3, to participate in outside competition. The number of student-athletes from any one institution shall not exceed the applicable limits set forth in Bylaw 17.31.2."

In essence, it's saying that:
- wrestlers can compete outside of college wrestling during an official vacation period (think summer break, or things like that)
- that the official vacation period can not occur between the start of the college/university's academic year (late August or early September) and November 1
- that for freshman, no vacation period would be eligible for outside competition during the first academic term (fall semester)

These changes are effective August 1, 2022

 

[manatree]

- 1st year students cannot wrestle Unattached 1st semester
- Anyone on scholarship must get min of 20%

Can someone please tell me what problem that these two new rules are solving?

Do any other sports have the 2.0 gpa minimum requirement? I’m all for putting the student back in student athlete, but shouldn’t this be uniform across all sports?

 

[Chris92]

- 1st year students cannot wrestle Unattached 1st semester
- Anyone on scholarship must get min of 20%

Can someone please tell me what problem that these two new rules are solving?

Do any other sports have the 2.0 gpa minimum requirement? I’m all for putting the student back in student athlete, but shouldn’t this be uniform across all sports?

From the link Tom provided:

"Rationale: Recent review of the Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR) data for men's wrestling prompted a detailed examination of the issues impacting the academic success of Division I men's wrestling student-athletes, specifically the trends most commonly seen during the first year of college. That study, led by the Division I Wrestling Academic Enhancement Group, resulted in a comprehensive legislative proposal to support the academic success, retention and well-being of Division I men's wrestling student-athletes. Specifically, the proposal raises and standardizes the cumulative grade-point average progress-toward-degree requirement for men's wrestling student-athletes, applicable immediately during the first year of college, to incentivize early academic performance and focus. The proposal further requires all counters in men's wrestling to receive at least a 20% equivalency, to decrease the financial pressures historically experienced by some men's wrestling student-athletes. To better position an institution's ability to directly support the health and overall well-being of men's wrestling student-athletes who are redshirted during their first-year, this proposal would allow student-athletes to compete in up to five dates of regular-season competition without using a season of competition. Lastly, providing access to the proposed five contest date exception warrants prohibiting outside competition during a student-athlete's first term of enrollment, and moving forward, requiring all student-athletes to maintain a 2.000 grade-point average to engage in outside competition during the academic year."

I'm thinking Men's Basketball programs won't be lining up to enact their own 2.0 minimum.

 

[manatree]

The matches/open tournaments/games is not what makes the academics tough for athletes, it’s the training. I always thought that the amount of training hours (practice, lifting, film study, etc.) should not be allowed to exceed the number of credit hours the student is taking. If they’re taking 12 credits, they are only allowed to train 12 hours a week. Making the winter sports either fall or spring sports would also help balance the academic load.