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This page is meant to serve as an eligibility guide for current student-athletes at Canisius College. By developing a familiarity with institutional, MAAC, and NCAA regulations and policies, you will be able to better protect your academic and athletic eligibility in order to continue competing in intercollegiate athletics.
Five-Year Clock & Participation
A student-athlete may not engage in more than four seasons of intercollegiate competition in any one sport. These four seasons must be completed within a five-year period, which begins as soon as the individual first registers and attends a collegiate institution as a full-time student (two- or four-year) whether the student is on an athletic team or not.
Redshirting
Any competition, regardless of time, during a season in an intercollegiate sport will be counted as a season of competition. While no formal declaration is needed if you intend to redshirt a season, please discuss this matter with your head coach and compliance officer to ensure you do not inadvertently burn a season of eligibility. If you are injured to a point that you can no longer compete during a season, you may be able to gain that season back through a Medical Hardship Waiver. These waivers are dependent on the nature and timing of your injury and are not a guarantee.
**Please note, there is some flexibility provided to student-athletes who were eligible members of rosters during the following seasons:
- Spring 2020
- Fall 2020
- Winter 2020-21
Continuing Academic Eligibility Requirements
Each academic year and semester, student-athletes must meet certain NCAA academic eligibility requirements in order to remain eligible for intercollegiate competition. The following are baseline benchmarks that student-athletes must meet each year academically. Each individual’s situation may vary, so please consult the Compliance Office or the Griff Center for Student Success if you have any questions.
Non-Academic Requirements (Must be met each semester)
- Must be enrolled in a full-time program of studies (12 credits undergraduate, 9 credits graduate)
- Must complete a compliance education session each year
- Must receive medical clearance by the athletic training staff
- Must complete all necessary compliance and medical paperwork
Freshman Year
- Must be certified as an academic Final Qualifier by the NCAA Eligibility Center or receive an initial eligibility waiver
- Must receive final amateurism certification by the NCAA Eligibility Center
Sophomore Year (Third Semester)
- Successfully completed 24 credit hours, applicable to any degree, prior to start of third semester
- Successfully completed 6 degree applicable credit hours during the preceding regular term
- Successfully completed 18 credit hours during the preceding two regular terms
- Achieved at minimum a 1.800 cumulative GPA
Junior Year (Fifth Semester)
- Successfully completed at least 40% of the course requirements needed for your degree
- Successfully completed 6 degree applicable credit hours during the preceding regular term
- Successfully completed 18 credit hours during the preceding two regular terms
- Achieved at minimum a 1.900 cumulative GPA
- Must declare a major (if not already done so)
Senior Year (Seventh Semester)
- Successfully completed at least 60% of the course requirements needed for your degree
- Successfully completed 6 degree applicable credit hours during the preceding regular term
- Successfully completed 18 credit hours during the preceding two regular terms
- Achieved at minimum a 2.000 cumulative GPA
Fifth Year (If completing undergraduate degree)
- Successfully completed at least 80% of the course requirements needed for your degree
- Successfully completed 6 degree applicable credit hours during the preceding regular term
- Successfully completed 18 credit hours during the preceding two regular terms
- Achieved at minimum a 2.000 cumulative GPA
Graduate Students
- Successfully completed 6 degree applicable credit hours during the preceding regular term
- Achieved at minimum a 2.000 cumulative GPA
Transfer Information
Potential Incoming Transfers
Please CLICK HERE for information pertaining to individuals interested in transferring to Canisius College.
Transferring from Canisius College
If you wish to transfer out of Canisius College, you must complete the Notification of Transfer form in your ARMS “Workflow Launchpad.” The written notification must also include an explanation for your request to leave the institution. You must adhere to the following requirements during your decision-making process. Before you can discuss any possibilities with a potential new institution, you must provide written notification to your head coach, complete the ARMS form, and be entered into the NCAA Transfer Portal.
The College is required to place your name on the database within two (2) business days of written notification. The two days begins once you fill out the applicable Notification of Transfer form on ARMS. If you or your parents contact a new institution, that institution is obligated to check the NCAA Transfer Portal for your name. The potential new institution must verify that you have been placed in the transfer database. Please note, only coaches and administrators have access to the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Should you choose to transfer, according to NCAA regulations, you must complete one year of residency at your new institution before you are eligible to participate in athletics, unless you meet the requirements of an NCAA transfer exception. The most common NCAA transfer exception is the one-time transfer exception (see below).
You may be granted a one-time exception to the above-mentioned NCAA one-year residency requirement under certain conditions. Being granted this exception means that you may be immediately eligible to compete at your new institution. The following conditions are required for use of the NCAA one-time transfer exception:
- It is your first transfer from a four-year college to another
- You are in good academic standing at Canisius College and would be eligible if you returned to Canisius
You are in good standing with the institution and were not dismissed for any reason
- You provide written notification of transfer to the institution by the following dates:
- Fall & winter sports: May 1
- Spring sports: July 1
Please contact either the Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator or the Compliance Office if you have any questions on these policies.
Extra Benefits, Amateurism & Your Eligibility
Some of the most common NCAA violations involving student-athletes pertain to the Extra Benefit and Amateurism legislation. It is crucial that as a student-athlete, you understand the basics surrounding these principles and contact the Compliance Office if you ever need further clarification on a situation and its permissibility.
Extra Benefits
The term “extra benefit” refers to any special arrangement by an institutional employee or booster to provide a student-athlete (or his/her relatives and friends) with a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation. Furthermore, “preferential treatment” legislation extends the extra benefit restrictions to entities outside the institution as well. Therefore, it is not permissible to accept any benefit that is not afforded to the general public, general Canisius student body, or a segment of the population determined by objective measures unrelated to athletics.
Examples of extra benefits include:
- Cash or loans
- Any tangible gifts, gift cards, or like items
- Free or discounted meals
- Free or discounted services (tattoos, haircuts, cell phone service, etc.)
- Free or discounted entertainment (movie tickets, Buffalo Bills tickets, etc.)
- Discounts only available to student-athletes
This is by no means an exhaustive list. By accepting an extra benefit, you will render yourself temporarily, and potentially permanently ineligible for intercollegiate competition.
Amateurism
In order to remain eligible for intercollegiate athletics, you must also retain your amateur status throughout the course of your collegiate athletic career. You are no longer considered an amateur athlete and are rendered ineligible if you:
- Use your athletics skill/reputation for pay;
- Accept a promise of pay (even if it is to be received following the completion of your intercollegiate career);
- Sign a contract or commitment of any kind to play professional athletics;
- Enter into an agreement with an agent;
- Enter a professional draft after initial full-time enrollment;
- Compete with a professional team or receives salary and/or reimbursement of expenses from a professional sports organization.
Sports Wagering & Gambling
The NCAA prohibits student-athletes, coaches, and athletics department staff members from wagering on college or professional athletic events in sports that the NCAA sponsors, regardless of whether Canisius College specifically sponsors that sport. This prohibition includes any sports wagering activities or providing information to individuals involved in or associated with sports wagering activities at any level.
Violations of the sports wagering policy can result in a temporary loss of eligibility or even permanent loss of eligibility. Please visit the NCAA’s Don’t Bet On It for more information.
Other Helpful Student-Athlete Forms & Resources
Canisius College Student-Athlete Handbook
