• 1: Home
• 2: Combines
  • 2.1: Welcome
  • 2.2: Registration Guidelines
  • 2.3: 2009 Schedule
  • 2.4: Combine Drills & Videos
  • 2.5: Grading System
  • 2.6: Nominate A Player
• 3: Players
  • 3.1: Welcome
  • 3.2: Benefits
  • 3.3: 2009 Schedule
  • 3.4: My Player Locker
  • 3.5: Alumni Yearbook
  • 3.6: Nominate A Player
  • 3.7: Alumni Survey
  • 3.8: Helpful Links
• 4: HS Coaches
  • 4.1: Welcome
  • 4.2: Benefits
  • 4.3: 2009 Schedule
  • 4.5: My Locker Room
  • 4.7: Nominate A Player
  • 4.8: Active NATS States
  • 4.9: Activate Your State
  • 4.10: Coach Survey
  • 4.11: Helpful Links
• 5: College Coaches
  • 5.1: Welcome
  • 5.2: Benefits
  • 5.3: 2009 Schedule
  • 5.5: My NATS Account
  • 5.7: Nominate A Player
  • 5.8: Coach Survey
  • 5.9: Helpful Links
• 6: Counselors
  • 6.1: Welcome
  • 6.2: 2009 Schedule
  • 6.3: Counselor's Office
  • 6.4: TeamMate Calculator
  • 6.6: Nominate A Player
  • 6.7: Counselor Survey
  • 6.8: Helpful Links
• 7: Academics
  • 7.1: NCAA Eligibility
  • 7.2: NAIA
  • 7.3: Student Timeline
  • 7.4: Financial Aid
  • 7.5: Helpful Links
• 8: Recruiting
  • 8.1: Recruiting Process
  • 8.2: Recruiting Calendars
  • 8.3: Recruiting Rules
  • 8.4: Questions for Recruiters
  • 8.5: Amateurism
  • 8.6: National Letter of Intent
• 10: Media
  • 10.1: Articles
  • 10.2: Press Releases
  • 10.3: 2009 Top Performers
  • 10.4: Newsletters
  • 10.7: Alumni Yearbook
  • 10.8: RSS Feeds
  • 10.9: Privacy Policy
  • 10.10: Terms and Conditions
• 12: Contact

"The varsity athletic experience can and should contribute to the participant's educational and personal development. Consequently, the selection of a four-year college or university at which to continue your education is of tremendous importance. The quality and breadth of the institution's academic offering, the quality of the coaching staff, the nature and sphere of athletic competition and the institution's philosophy regarding athletics as an integral part of the educational process are important considerations. We feel that the NAIA philosophy is sound and that participation in a well-conducted intercollegiate athletics program will provide an added dimension to your college experience."

NAIA Eligibility Regulations

• Freshman MUST meet two of the following three entry level requirements.
  
  
  • Minimum 18 on the ACT or 860 on the SAT
  • Minimum overall high school gpa of 2.000 on a 4.000 scale.
  • Graduate in the top half of your high school class

Participation in Athletics

In order to participate in a NAIA athletic program, YOU MUST...

• be making normal progress toward a recognized baccalaureate degree and maintain the grade points required to remain a student in good standing, as defined by the institution you are attending.
• be identified and enrolled in 12 credit hours at the time of participation. Should participation take place between terms, you must have been identified with the institution the term immediately preceding the date of participation.
• if a second term freshman, have accumulated a minimum of nine institutional credit hours BEFORE identification for the second term of attendance.
• have accumulated a minimum of 24 institutional credit hours the two immediately previous terms of attendance. Up to 12 institutional credit hours earned during the summer and/or non-term may be applied to meet the 24-hour rule, provided such credit is earned AFTER one of the two immediately previous terms of attendance.
  • However, if you are transferring from a two-year institution, and if you have not been identified with an institution of higher learning for more than five semesters or seven quarters, have been identified with a four-year institution, and have met graduation requirements for an associate degree from a junior college, you may be exempt from the 24-hour rule for the first term you are enrolled at an NAIA member institution. You must have passed all hours required for graduation and, in the last two terms of attendance, you must have needed fewer than 24 hours to complete graduation requirements.
• be eligible according to your affiliated conference standards.
• if a transfer student from a four-year institution, have eligibility remaining at the institution from which you are transferring to be eligible for further intercollegiate competition. For eligibility purposes, the NAIA does not recognize the NCAA “five year rule” or age-limitations regulations.
• if a transfer student having participated in intercollegiate athletics at a four-year institution, reside for 16 consecutive calendar weeks, (112 calendar days), not including summer sessions, at the transferred institution before becoming eligible for intercollegiate competition in any sport in which you participated while attending the previous four-year institution. Exceptions to the 16 calendar weeks’ residency will be explained by the institution’s faculty athletics representative.
• be within your first 10 semesters, 12 trimesters, or 15 quarters of attendance as a regularly enrolled student. Beginning August 1, 2004, a term of attendance is any semester, trimester, or quarter in which you enroll for 12 or more institutional credit hours and attend any class. Summer sessions are not included, but night school, extension or correspondence courses are applicable to this ruling.
• upon reaching junior academic standing as defined by the institution, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale as certified by the institutional registrar.
• to participate the second season of sport, have accumulated at least 24 semester/36 quarter institutional credit hours.
• to participate the third season in a sport, have accumulated at least 48 semester/72 quarter institutional credit hours.
• to participate the fourth season in a sport, have accumulated at least 72 semester/108 quarter institutional credit hours. These hours must include at least 48 semester/72 quarter hours in general education and/or your major field of study.
• to participate the third and/or fourth season in a sport, have and maintain a total cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• be an amateur, as defined by the NAIA, in the sport(s) in which you participate. See your athletics director or faculty athletics representative for all amateur regulations as printed in the NAIA Bylaws.

YOU MAY NOT...

• count repeat courses previously passed in ANY term toward the 24 hour rule.
• participate for more than four season in any one sport. A season of competition is defined as participation in one or more intercollegiate contests, whether as a freshman, junior varsity, or varsity participant or in any other athletic competition in which the institution is represented during a sport season or participation in any competition or training for which the participant receives compensation including renumeration for expenses after September 1 in the year of high school graduation or equivalent.

Should you participate for two different institutions in the same sport in the same academic year (example - basketball or fall golf at a junior college and then transfer to an NAIA school and participate in basketball or spring golf), you shall be charged with two seasons of competition in that sport, unless you earned an associate degree at a junior college in the term immediately preceding the transfer.

NAIA Football Programs

Close to 100 colleges sponsor NAIA football programs in all regions of the country. For a complete list of NAIA football schools click here.

View the NAIA Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete.

View the NAIA Guide for Students Transferring from Two-Year Institutions.

To learn more about the NAIA and its member institutions, visit the Official Web Site of the NAIA at www.NAIA.org.