Athletics Veritas is a weekly series aimed at helping higher education executives, faculty, and other stakeholders stay tuned in on trending national issues impacting college athletics, especially NCAA Division I. Athletics Veritas is created by senior DI athletic administrators around the nation.
Term-in-Ology: Summer Access
To think that all is quiet in college sports once summer arrives overlooks the recent expansion of summer time athletic activities in sports like football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball. In brief, coaches and student-athletes in these three sports are able to engage in limited athletic activities during the summer time contingent upon the student-athletes being enrolled in summer school or, alternatively, meeting high enough academic benchmarks to exempt them from the enrollment requirement. This endeavor is colloquially called “summer access” which was incorporated for these three sports a few summers ago as a way to merge academic priorities with giving coaches and student-athletes a reasonable amount of access to continue training and skill development in the off-season.
In football, for example, a student-athlete who is enrolled in summer school may engage in required weight-training, conditioning and review of practice and game film for up to eight weeks (not required to be consecutive weeks). A student-athlete who is enrolled in at least three degree-applicable credit hours in one summer term that is fewer than eight weeks in duration may engage in required weight-training, conditioning and review of practice and game film for up to eight weeks (not required to be consecutive weeks). Participation in such activities shall be limited to a maximum of eight hours per week with not more than two hours per week spent on film review. Men’s and women’s basketball have similar enrollment requirements and hourly and weekly summer access time frames.
A student-athlete who received athletics aid during the previous academic year may participate in required summer athletic activities for up to eight weeks without being enrolled in summer school, provided the student-athlete has achieved a cumulative minimum GPA of 2.200 (based on a maximum 4.000 and as computed pursuant to institutional policies applicable to all students) and has successfully completed the following academic requirements based on the applicable number of full-time terms of enrollment:
(a) After two semesters or three quarters: 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours;
(b) After four quarters: 60 quarter hours;
(c) After three semesters or five quarters: 45 semester hours or 75 quarter hours;
(d) After four semesters or six quarters: 50 percent of the course requirements in the student-athlete's specific degree program;
(e) After seven quarters: 58.33 percent of the course requirements in the student-athlete's specific degree program;
(f) After five semesters: 62.5 percent of the course requirements in the student-athlete's specific degree program;
(g) After eight quarters: 66.67 percent of the course requirements in the student-athlete's specific degree program;
(h) After six semesters or nine quarters: 75 percent of the course requirements in the student-athlete's specific degree program;
(i) After 10 quarters: 83.33 percent of the course requirements in the student-athlete's specific degree program;
(j) After seven semesters: 87.5 percent of the course requirements in the student-athlete's specific degree program;
(k) After 11 quarters: 91.67 percent of the course requirements in the student-athlete's specific degree program; or
(l) After eight semesters or 12 quarters: completion of the student-athlete's specific baccalaureate degree requirements (no minimum grade-point average required) or the institution certifies that the student-athlete is enrolled in all remaining degree-applicable credit hours in the ensuing fall term.
The Division I Council approved a blanket waiver earlier this spring that exempts student-athletes from being enrolled in summer school in order to participate in summer access activities. The Council approved a similar blanket waiver last summer in light of the continued concerns around the pandemic.
Athletics Veritas is presented for information purposes only and should not be considered advice or counsel on NCAA compliance matters. For guidance on NCAA rules and processes, always consult your university’s athletics compliance office, conference office, and/or the NCAA.
