NJCAA releases spring eligibility updates

Over the previous weeks, the NJCAA National Office, NJCAA Board of Regents, NJCAA Eligibility Committee and other national collegiate governing bodies have discussed the impact of COVID-19 on NJCAA student-athletes and member colleges. The NJCAA is committed to providing a safe plan of action to all NJCAA members across the country and continues to provide updates as they become available.  

The NJCAA, in collaboration with the NCAA and NAIA, continues to closely monitor the ongoing COVID-19 situation and the status as it impacts current member colleges and student-athletes.  

The NJCAA, NCAA (DI, DII, DIII) and NAIA are viewing the spring 2020 sport seasons the same, as student-athletes are not being charged with a season of participation for the spring 2020 sport season. The NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA agreed that communication among campuses will be important as spring 2020 student-athletes are properly informed and make decisions related to actions influenced by COVID-19. 

With eligibility at the forefront of discussion, each association has worked closely to make those decisions transparent. In the NJCAA, the spring 2020 sport season is defined as a season of non-participation for all spring sport athletes. Spring sports in the NJCAA are Baseball, Beach Volleyball, DI Tennis – Men's or Women's, DIII Tennis – Men's, Golf, Lacrosse, Softball, or Outdoor Track & Field. 

The NJCAA, NCAA (DI, DII, DIII) and NAIA associations will maintain their standard academic progress requirements. Currently, all academic requirements for the NJCAA, NCAA (DI, DII, DIII) and NAIA remain in place. The NJCAA will continue to review the COVID-19 situation and how it affects NJCAA academic progress while adjusting as deemed appropriate. For further information and FAQs regarding NCAA and NAIA eligibility, click HERE. 
To view the updated NJCAA Transfer Tracking form, click HERE.

The NJCAA Board of Regents met April 3 to review current standings within the association and to vote on items moving forward. As a result, the Board took action on items listed below.  

Number of Allowable LOIs for the Spring 2021 Season: Non-Counter Status 
The NJCAA Board of Regents approved the below amendment to the 2020-21 NJCAA Sports Procedures (Appendix B) in Article VI of the NJCAA Handbook, regarding the number of allowable LOIs for the Spring 2021 Season:  

• If a second-season student-athlete was enrolled at a NJCAA member college for the Spring 2020 season and was signed to a Baseball, Beach Volleyball, DI Tennis – Men's or Women's, DIII Tennis – Men's, Golf, Lacrosse, Softball, or Outdoor Track & Field NJCAA LOI prior to March 16, 2020, for the Spring 2020 academic term, the student may receive a scholarship at the same institution for the 2020-2021 academic year and not be a counter.  The student-athlete must be signed to an LOI.   

Recruiting: 
The restriction regarding face-to-face recruiting for all sports will be extended to May 15, from April 15. It is permissible to email, text, phone call, etc. recruits during this time. The NJCAA is still allowing electronic signatures to be used in the LOI signing process. For questions regarding timelines for electronic signatures, please contact the NJCAA Compliance staff for assistance.   

District Championship Agreements: 
It is the recommendation of the NJCAA National Office that, when possible, District Championship agreements, which were not completed or honored due to the cancellation of the NJCAA Spring 2020 Championship season, be honored for the 2021 season. We understand this may not be possible in all cases due to conflicts in facility usage or other existing agreements. Most, if not all existing agreements will end in 2022. The next division declaration period begins in the Fall of 2022 and concludes in the Spring of 2026. 

Other Discussion Items: 
On or before the April 24th NJCAA Board of Regents Meeting, a further review of the spring credits for a second season participant for fall will be considered by the Eligibility Committee and the NJCAA Board of Regents. 

For potential institution cost savings, it has been recommended that the NJCAA National Office review a one-time reduction in the maximum number of competitions allowed per sport. 

The NJCAA National Office, Board of Regents and Eligibility Committee will continue monitor the current situation and developments regarding COVID-19. The NJCAA appreciates all members and their efforts to do the best possible for our student-athletes and the association. By staying strong, focused and together, we will continue to move the NJCAA Forward.