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: Restricting the Use of Physical Education Activity Courses
One truth behind many NCAA rules is that they were proposed and adopted to root out undesirable academic behaviors. That is the case with Division I’s physical education activity course restriction applicable to “4-2-4” transfers who go from a four-year institution, to a two-year institution, then back to a Division I four-year institution.
Specifically, NCAA Division I transfer rules hold that not more than two credit hours of physical education activity courses may be used to fulfill the transferable-degree credit and grade-point average requirements. However, a student-athlete enrolling in a physical education degree program or a degree program in education that requires physical education activity courses may use up to the minimum number of credits of physical education activity courses that are required for the specific degree program to fulfill the transferable-degree credit and grade-point average requirements. Additional credit hours of physical education activity courses may not be used to fulfill elective requirements.
This restriction was borne out of data and statistical analysis. In the early 2010s, Division I adopted restrictions on physical education activity courses because data indicated that transfers from two-year institutions tended to underperform academically at four-year institutions on all academic measures as compared to transfers from four-year institutions or non-transfers. Specifically, statistical prediction modeling of four-year college outcomes from two-year college academic variables indicated three key predictors of academic success at the four-year institution: (1) two-year college grade-point average; (2) low number of physical education activity courses; and (3) successful completion of core credits in English, math, and natural or physical science.
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.
