NCAA to CIS eligibility Question

[sam12]

I have a question regarding NCAA and CIS eligibility. Suppose a player played 4 years of NCAA div 1 hockey, and then after his senior season played some ECHL games. The following year, they were trying to play in the ECHL again, and they made a team, but for various reasons, they never dressed for a regular season game (healthy scratch, then long term injury). Could this player play in the CIS if they were enrolled in say a Masters program the following year? So the timeline would be:
08-12 NCAA div 1
12 Spring: ECHL games
12-13: Makes ECHL team, never plays official regular season game
13-14: In school for Masters, hoping to be eligible for CIS.

Thanks!

[AUS Fan]

I would guess the answer is no, because of having played ECHL when he was over 21 years of age. (In spring of 2012)

[FreddtFoyle]

Sorry.

From the CIS eligibility FAQ:

· athletes who have been charged with a year of eligibility or a season of competition in four separate academic years within a non-Canadian post-secondary jurisdiction, such as the NCAA, are ineligible for CIS competition.

CIS student-athletes have 5 years of eligibility. If you were to transfer from NCAA to CIS after your first year in the NCAA you'd have to sit 365 days from your last NCAA game and then still have four years of eligibility left (the same as if you transferred from another CIS school). However the CIS some time ago decided to crack down on "one-year wonders" who graduated in the States and then were recruited to come and play just one year on CIS teams (it was a problem in basketball and football).

[Island Husky]

Originally Posted by FreddtFoyle

Sorry.

From the CIS eligibility FAQ:



CIS student-athletes have 5 years of eligibility. If you were to transfer from NCAA to CIS after your first year in the NCAA you'd have to sit 365 days from your last NCAA game and then still have four years of eligibility left (the same as if you transferred from another CIS school). However the CIS some time ago decided to crack down on "one-year wonders" who graduated in the States and then were recruited to come and play just one year on CIS teams (it was a problem in basketball and football).

And hockey, Dalhousie did just that with Steve Widmeyer, no less than a star at Maine, for three years, he had to redshirt a year because of OHA play, leaving him with one and only one for the CIS in 93/94, might have even been only a half year, but definitely that. But much more so in basketball and football for sure.

[Drummer]

Originally Posted by FreddtFoyle

Sorry.

From the CIS eligibility FAQ:

athletes who have been charged with a year of eligibility or a season of competition in four separate academic years within a non-Canadian post-secondary jurisdiction, such as the NCAA, are ineligible for CIS competition.

CIS student-athletes have 5 years of eligibility. If you were to transfer from NCAA to CIS after your first year in the NCAA you'd have to sit 365 days from your last NCAA game and then still have four years of eligibility left (the same as if you transferred from another CIS school). However the CIS some time ago decided to crack down on "one-year wonders" who graduated in the States and then were recruited to come and play just one year on CIS teams (it was a problem in basketball and football).

As Dave outlined - 4 years of NCAA (whether you graduate or not) is considered an academic career by the CIS (so 4 NCAA = 5 CIS).

Even if it wasn't, you would still not be eligible as you lost the 5th year with the 1-year of ECHL after the age of 21 (you lose 1-year of eligibility for each year you play pro after 21. In your scenario, the player is likely 21 or 22 playing pro which eats the 5th year).

The player is boxed out either way.

[sam12]

Thanks for all the replies...thought there was an outside chance I might have retained my eligibility, but wanted to check.

[FreddtFoyle]

Yes it is too bad in your case, strictly since you graduated in the NCAA. It is not uncommon for CIS students to play a sport for four years at one school, graduate, and then transfer to a different school for grad studies (often a one-year Education degree or MBA) and play their last year of eligibility. It is probably not a coincidence that the school they pick for grad school often has a strong team in their sport (although as Drummer pointed out, if you play a year of minor pro hockey, basketball, volleyball, etc. between undergraduate and grad school you will use up that last year of eligibility in order to become an "amateur" again).