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