NCAA vs. ACHA

[THE Icemom]

A friend asked me this question (her son is heading to an ACHA school) and I couldn't answer it and am not sure where to go for the answer...so I will pose it to the board.

If a player (male or female) plays a year (or more) in the NCAA and chooses to move to a school that is ACHA and let's say plays a year there and wants to return to an NCAA school...can they? And what restrictions if any are put on the player.

Second part of that question is: if they start at an ACHA school, move over to an NCAA school, can they return to the ACHA?

[vellnueve]

I'm not sure at all, but I know that NCAA football players have transferred from D1 schools to JC and then back to D1 schools before. The year spent at the JC counted as a year of eligibility so the one I'm thinking of only had two years left once he transferred back (used one year at BC, one year at a juco, and then two years at USC.)

[snapshot]

Because the ACHA is a non-varsity sport your time playing there doesn't count against your NCAA varsity eligibility. You could play one or two years of ACHA then transfer to An NCAA School and still technically have four years of eligibility left. This would be reduced as you may only have two or three years left till you earn a degree. If you start out on an NCAA D1 or D3 team the ACHA limits you to a total of four years of eligibility minus the time spent on a varsity team.

[notfromaroundhere]

I think you might want to check the NCAA website, but I believe that the 4 years of eligibility must be completed within the first 5 years after graduation from HS, so if you spend 2 years playing ACHA hockey, you will only have 3 years left to play NCAA hockey.

The only exceptions are appeals based upon excessive injury (missing more than 1 season) or other family hardship.

[gotice]

I think you might want to check the NCAA website, but I believe that the 4 years of eligibility must be completed within the first 5 years after graduation from HS, so if you spend 2 years playing ACHA hockey, you will only have 3 years left to play NCAA hockey.

The only exceptions are appeals based upon excessive injury (missing more than 1 season) or other family hardship.

From a boys side and this may be true for girls as well, your NCAA clock starts ticking in the fall at 20 1/2 years of age. Most boys play 1-3 years of JRs after their high school or midget playing years. The average incomming freshman at the college level for boys is 20 yrs of age.

As long as a student does not take more than 2 classes a semester at any college (prior to their 21 birthday) they maintain their 4 yrs of eligibility in NCAA. However ACHA teams usually require that you be a full time student, 12 credits or more per semester in order to play for the team.

There are also different rules for DI VS DIII NCAA sports. NCAA DIII says you have up to 10 semesters to get your 4 years in and they do not have to be consecutive. So you can play one year(2 semesters) of DIII then 2 years of ACHA and return to DIII and still have 6 semesters (3 years) to compete. (That is what has been stated on the USCHO Mens DIII forum side)

At DI, once your clock starts, you have 5 years to finish it, so if you start at NCAA DI and play for a year and then go ACHA for 2 years, you only have 2 years of NCAA eligibility left.

[THE Icemom]

Thanks everyone:) :) :)