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: Tryouts of Enrolled Students
Now that Division I institutions’ fall terms are well underway, many Division I sport programs explore the possibility of conducting open tryouts or, at least, identifying specific students with strong athletic credentials to try out for the team.
Division I rules hold that a tryout of an enrolled student may occur, provided the student is eligible for practice and the tryout only involves activities that are permissible at the time they occur (e.g., practice in season, skill-related instruction or conditioning outside the season).
To be eligible for practice (which is functionally what a tryout is), the student must be admitted and enrolled as a full-time student at the Division I institution as defined by the certifying institution. Clearing a student for tryout would also include other pre-screening steps such as confirming medical insurance coverage and a pre-participation medical screening.
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.
