Article V, Section J

Processing of Eligibility Cases

Link to NAIA Bylaws

What an Eligibility Case Is

• Any situation where a rule may have been broken (actual violation) or where it looks like a violation might have happened (possible violation).

How Cases Get Started

• Reporting a Violation (Self-report form)

  Process:
  Should any chief executive officer, faculty athletics representative, athletics director and/or coach become aware of an apparent institutional violation involving an athlete or institutional representative, it is the responsibility of the FAR or AD to report the violation to the conference eligibility chair, with copies sent to the National Office. The conference eligibility committee will review the information, make a recommendation, then forward all documentation to the national office for a final decision by the appropriate committee.

  Required Items:

  • NAIA Self-Report Violation Form (for self-reported violations only)
  • Cover letter from the FAR and AD providing an overview of the violation.
  • All transcripts for any students involved (unofficial transcripts are acceptable).

  Additional Items:

  • Personal narratives by individuals involved (e.g., student-athlete, coach, athletics director, parents, academic advisor, etc.)
  • Documentation that verifies central details (e.g., receipts, email correspondence, academic documents, etc.)

Who Gets Informed

• The conference commissioner (or CAC commissioner if independent schools are involved).

• The national eligibility staff liaison.

• The NAIA National Eligibility Committee (NEC) eventually receives the case.

What Information Must Be Collected

The eligibility chair gathers and shares with the NEC, institution, and NAIA staff:

• Details of the violation (what, when, where).

• Updated transcripts for the student(s).

• A signed statement from the AD and FAR with corrective actions.

• A student statement (if possible).

• Conference input (support, concerns, impact).

Institution’s Response

• The institution’s president (CEO) has 7 days to respond once they receive the case and conference recommendation.

• If probation is being considered as a penalty, the school must be offered a hearing with the NEC.

Handling Ineligible Participation

• If a student competed while ineligible, the forfeit rule in Article VI, Section B, Item 2 applies.

Clarifications vs. Rulings

• Schools can ask their eligibility chair to interpret rules.

• But: the eligibility chair cannot rule on an individual case.

  • Only the NEC can make official rulings, after reviewing all information.

• The FAR at each institution has the final responsibility for certifying eligibility.

Role of Conferences

• Conferences can issue warnings, reprimands, or suspensions for misconduct in competition.

• Conferences cannot make final eligibility rulings—those go to the NEC or the National Conduct & Ethics Committee.

• If a conference has stricter rules, NAIA will support their action.

• For non-affiliated conferences, the NEC decides whether to recognize that conference’s action.

Casebook Example

• Question: Can the eligibility chair or National Office give a quick ruling by phone if a student needs to play this weekend?

• Answer: No. Only the NEC can rule on eligibility cases.

  • Clarification of a rule may be given by phone, but certifying a student’s eligibility is always the FAR’s responsibility.

In short:

• Schools report cases through the FAR and AD.

• The eligibility chair collects info, notifies all required parties, and passes the case up to the NEC.

• Only the NEC makes final eligibility rulings.

• The FAR is ultimately responsible for confirming a student’s eligibility.