Villanova Univeristy Athletics

Katie LeGrand, Assistant AD/Compliance, katherine.legrand@villanova.edu 

For sport-specific inquiries, click here.

For additional Compliance questions related to eligibility and Fall scenario planning, click here.

If the Fall sport season is cancelled, a student-athlete would not be charged with a Season of Competition, per NCAA rules.  However, the NCAA five-year rule still applies, meaning a student-athlete has five years, from the date of initial full-time enrollment at any institution, to compete in four seasons. This is essentially a "redshirt" season, meaning the student-athlete did not compete against any outside competition.

Update on 8/27: The NCAA has granted all fall sports a season of competition waiver and an extension of eligibility waiver, meaning fall sport student-athletes can compete in either the fall or the spring and they DO NOT use a season of competition AND their five-year clock is automatically extended to a 6th year.

If a student-athlete elects to “opt out” of athletics participation during the 2020-21 academic year, and thus does not engage in any outside competition representing Villanova, they will not use a season of competition.

No. Participating in practice sessions and/or strength and conditioning sessions does not trigger a season of competition, therefore you do not have to make a decision on spring competition in the fall. It is strongly recommended you consult with your head coach prior to the start of the spring season.

Yes. Participating in practice sessions and/or strength and conditioning sessions does not trigger a season of competition, therefore you may preserve that season.

In the event an entire season is cancelled - Athletics scholarships will be honored for 2020-21 academic year, so long as the student-athlete remains enrolled full-time and meets non-athletic conditions of the scholarship agreement. Awards in future seasons are not guaranteed and are dependent on existing agreements and regulations. 

In the event a season occurs, but the student-athlete "opts out*" of participation – All athletics scholarships already offered for the 2020-21 academic year will continue to be honored, regardless of athletics participation. Student-athletes are required to remain enrolled in a full-time academic course load (i.e. 12 course credits or more) and satisfy all remaining non-athletics requirements of the athletics scholarship agreement (outlined on the scholarship letter you are required to sign). All athletic scholarships are written as one-year awards and thus the receipt of athletics aid beyond 2020-21 is not guaranteed and is dependent on the individual’s return to athletics participation as well as existing NCAA/institutional regulations and discussions with the coaching staff.

Update on 8/27: In order to opt-out* of participation for a semester during the 2020-2021 academic year, student-athletes must do the following:

• Notify their Coach, Sport Administrator, Academics, and Compliance
• Acknowledge they understand the rules & regulations surrounding opting-out by completing the Opt-Out Rules Education Form assigned by the Compliance Office.

*Opting Out of participation in practice activities is not the same as a redshirt year. A redshirt year typically means that you are still participating in practice activities, but will not compete in competition. If you are taking a redshirt year, you do not have to “opt-out.”

In the event a returning student-athlete does not enroll full-time for the Fall 2020 semester – The receipt of athletics aid is contingent upon full-time enrollment at Villanova, and thus will be forfeited if electing not to enroll full-time during the academic year. Athletics scholarships may be reinstated in a subsequent academic term if returning to full-time enrollment, dependent on existing institutional and NCAA regulations. Student-athletes should also be aware that dropping to part-time status and/or not enrolling during a specific term will likely affect their eligibility for other institutional or state/federal aid awards. (Please contact the Office of Financial Assistance for more specific regulations concerning non-athletics aid.)

In the event an incoming student-athlete does not enroll full-time for the Fall 2020 semester – 

It depends.. In addition to the regulations in Question #1 above for Incoming Students, if you and your Head Coach have mutually agreed to delay your initial enrollment at Villanova to Fall 2021, and have signed the “NLI Delayed Enrollment Agreement,” your scholarship offer will defer and be guaranteed for the 2021-22 academic year.  All existing provisions of the NLI agreement will remain in effect, which are outlined on the official NLI website. 

If this agreement is not signed, your athletics scholarship offer is not guaranteed for the 2021-22 academic year. Further, your athletics scholarship is dependent upon a valid acceptance to institution, and thus if you have not been approved for an official deferral by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions (as outlined in the above), you may be required to reapply for admission to Villanova for Fall 2021.

Currently, student-athletes are still required to maintain their academic eligibility to participate in athletics (e.g., GPA, credit hour, percentage of degree requirements). The NCAA already has in place exceptions for student-athletes who miss a term of enrollment to assist in maintaining student-athletes’ eligibility. This is in addition to the regular NCAA waiver process to address individual student-athlete’s eligibility situations. The Athletics Compliance Office at Villanova University is working closely with the BIG EAST Conference and the NCAA to determine how such waivers and exceptions may apply during the upcoming academic year.

In Division I, all student-athletes have five years to participating in four seasons of competition in their specific sport. This “five-year clock” is started during the first regular academic term that a student enrolls in a full-time course load of study at a collegiate institution. If a continuing student-athlete elects not to enroll during a particular academic term(s), their “clock” will continue to run. If the student-athlete had not previously missed a season of competition, they would not need an NCAA extension of eligibility to utilize their final season(s) of competition during a fifth year. Extensions of eligibility will be dependent on additional circumstances and will be addressed by the NCAA on a case by case basis.