Spalding University Athletics

Assistant AD, NCAA Compliance: Adam Boyer
Office Phone: (502) 873-4203
Email: [email protected]

NCAA Division III Compliance Center

Spalding University is an NCAA Division III member institution, and all of our athletic teams strictly adhere to NCAA Division III guidelines.

In order for new students to compete in intercollegiate athletics at Spalding University, an incoming freshman or transfer student must meet the necessary standards to be admitted into the university. Unlike NCAA Divisions I and II, it is not necessary to file with the NCAA Clearinghouse to gain initial eligibility.

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS AND ELIGIBILITY
To participate on a Spalding University intercollegiate athletic team, students must meet all academic standards set forth by Spalding University, the Saint Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and the NCAA. For eligibility, it is important to understand how the Spalding University academic calendar is interpreted in regard to NCAA rule compliance. Academic Sessions 1, 2 and 3 are considered as our first semester. Academic Sessions 4, 5 and 6 are considered as our second semester. Session 7, our summer session, may be used only to improve a student's overall grade point average (GPA) or to meet annual credit hour requirements.
 
In the event of a student-athlete transferring from another institution to Spalding University, only the GPA earned at Spalding will be used to determine eligibility. Any student who is accepted to Spalding University is initially eligible to compete on an intercollegiate team in their first semester of attendance providing they meet the following conditions:
 
*Only full-time students may participate in intercollegiate athletics. In order to achieve full-time status, students must carry at least 12 credit hours per semester. If at any time during a semester a student drops below 12 credit hours, they are immediately ineligible for participation until they add the necessary hours to regain the 12-hour minimum. Students who have completed their first semester of attendance at Spalding University must be in "good academic standing" and meet the following standards in order to be eligible for participation in intercollegiate athletics:
 
*Students must maintain a 2.0 SU GPA to be eligible for intercollegiate athletics.
 
Spalding University Catalog Undergraduate Academic Status: Required Grade-Point Average
 
Students who do not meet these standards will be placed on "Academic Probation" and are ineligible for athletic competition for the entire semester. A student cannot regain eligibility
based on GPA in the middle of any semester. Therefore, GPA will only be evaluated after Sessions 3, 6 and 7.
 
Student-athletes are expected to make consistent progress toward a degree during their time at the University. To complete the necessary number of credit hours to complete a degree at Spalding at an acceptable rate, students must complete 67% of all hours attempted. All attempted hours will be totaled and multiplied by 67% to determine the number of credit hours a student must have earned. Grades of P, W, I, F and transfer hours are counted as attempted hours, however grades of W, I, and F will NOT count as earned hours. Retaking courses will add to the attempted total but will count only once as an earned credit. Any student who fails to meet the minimum progress toward a degree requirement during an academic year is ineligible for participation during the entire following year.
 
As members of the NCAA at the Division III level, Spalding student-athletes have 10 full-time semesters to complete 4 seasons of participation in a given sport. Those semesters do not have to be consecutive. A student-athlete is considered to have used a season of participation if they compete in one contest against outside competition during the traditional season, or if they practice with the team after the first date of competition. Students who have completed their eligibility in one sport may participate in another sport during their career as long as they have not completed 10 full-time semesters.

All student-athletes who wish to participate at Spalding University are required to attend the NCAA Compliance Meeting at the beginning of each school year and to fill out all of the necessary forms. Every student is required to have a physical examination by a physician prior to participation in a sport. Spalding University's Athletic Training staff provides the opportunity for free physical examinations to anyone wishing to participate, but students may opt to use their personal physicians for physical exams if they so desire. Every student who participates must have proof of primary health insurance prior to being allowed to practice or play a sport. If a student has no health insurance, they can purchase a student policy through the University at a reasonable cost. Spalding University also carries an excess insurance policy on all of our athletes to pay costs that the primary provider does not cover.

Spalding athletes are expected to adhere to all NCAA, University and team rules and regulations. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action, including suspension and dismissal.

Any questions regarding NCAA rules and regulations may be directed to Spalding University Assistant Athletic Director of NCAA Compliance, Adam Boyer. He can be reached by phone at (502) 873-4203 or by email at [email protected].

Non-Discrimination Policy:
Spalding University is an equal opportunity educational institution. The University does not discriminate against otherwise qualified individuals on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, military status, veteran status or other protected status. The Dean of Students is responsible for the coordination of the University's efforts to meet its obligations under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title IX and their implementation regulations. The Dean of Students office is located in the Egan Leadership Center; the Dean of Students may be contacted at (502) 873.4426.  The Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator is Lisa M. Bash-DeFrees, [email protected].