The National Collegiate Athletic Association started in the early 1900s as an organization designed to monitor collegiate athletics. Through the years, the NCAA has developed various rules and regulations regarding eligibility. College baseball, for example, has specific rules enforced by the NCAA regarding recruiting, grades, violations and years of eligibility that must be followed by players, coaches and faculty.
Recruiting
As of Aug. 1, 2008, the NCAA has an eligibility rule regarding core courses that must be completed for initial eligibility. To play for a Division I university, the player must complete 16 core courses including four years of English; three years of mathematics; two years of natural/physical sciences; one year of additional science, math or English; two years of social studies; and four years of additional core courses such as philosophy and foreign language. These eligibility rules are designed to regulate the recruiting of players who don't meet academic standards.
GPA
All eligible college baseball players must be currently enrolled as full-time students during the season. Along with the full-time class schedule, the player must meet a minimum grade point average requirement. During high school, the player must maintain a 2.5 GPA or higher with an SAT score of 820 or a 3.0 GPA with an SAT score of 620. During college classes, the GPA must remain above 2.0 to be eligible for collegiate competition.
Violations
At times, the NCAA will investigate baseball programs for violations of eligibility or recruiting. If the NCAA finds violations, certain players or coaches might be suspended for one or more games. Other violations can prevent postseason play in the NCAA championship tournament or College World Series. During a violation ruling, a player or players might be determined ineligible.
Years
The Major League Baseball draft is different from other professional drafts, allowing professional teams to draft college baseball players at different times during college. As a general rule, college baseball players have four years of eligibility, but an additional year can be used during a redshirt season in which the player doesn't participate in games. If a player decides to transfer schools within the same conference, the player loses a year of eligibility. After being drafted, if a player signs a professional contract, the player immediately becomes ineligible for college baseball games.
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