| Effective August 1st, 2008 the NCAA has | | | | the 2008-09 academic year, baseball rosters will |
| instituted some new rules that dramatically impact | | | | be capped at 35 players, with only 30 players |
| your future as a college baseball player and you | | | | being eligible to receive financial aid. Starting in |
| MUST understand exactly how these changes will | | | | 2009-10, only 27 players can receive financial aid, |
| affect you and your recruitment efforts. | | | | each of whom must receive at least one-third of |
| The NCAA has come under some amount of | | | | a full scholarship. |
| criticism for these latest changes because they | | | | The new college baseball rules also include |
| believe it will limit their ability to attract and retain | | | | legislation that is targeted at increasing player |
| talented athlete-students to their baseball | | | | retention and graduation rates for college baseball. |
| programs. | | | | In the past, baseball players could transfer from |
| Already hampered by having only 11.7 scholarships | | | | one school to another without penalty. Football, |
| to award to more than 30 players each season, | | | | basketball and men's hockey players have to sit |
| the NCAA has approved legislation that will dictate | | | | out one season at their new school if they |
| how those scholarships are awarded. | | | | transfer. Under the new rules, baseball players |
| Not all scholarships are full in baseball. Usually, a | | | | also will face that one-year penalty if they leave. |
| coach will divide his 11.7 scholarships up amongst | | | | Under the new rules, players also must be |
| the 25-plus players on his team to make sure | | | | academically eligible during fall semester to play |
| almost everyone has some sort of financial help. | | | | the following spring, which will require more |
| Division I baseball programs are limited to 11.7 | | | | players to attend summer school. |
| scholarships, and most, if not all, break up that | | | | Most college baseball players don't attend summer |
| financial aid over a wide group of players. | | | | school because they can't afford it. If a player |
| The NCAA has been criticized for reducing the | | | | receives only a 4 percent scholarship during the |
| number of scholarships available for college | | | | school year, he receives the same financial aid |
| baseball, eliminating coaching positions and reducing | | | | during summer school. Scholarship athletes in |
| the number of games baseball teams can play | | | | basketball and football attend summer school |
| each spring. | | | | because their scholarships will cover all the costs. |
| College baseball has always had the short end of | | | | The rules changes are the results of the NCAA's |
| the stick in terms of scholarships. Division I-A | | | | new Academic Performance Rates, which |
| football teams receive 85 scholarships, and men's | | | | measure each student's progress toward obtaining |
| and women's basketball teams have 13 | | | | an academic degree. Teams failing to score 925 in |
| scholarships. Women's equestrian can dole out 15 | | | | the APR -- equivalent to a 50 percent graduation |
| scholarships, and women's crew teams can award | | | | rate -- can lose scholarships. |
| 20 scholarships. College baseball teams according | | | | Recently the NCAA released a list of 112 |
| to NCAA rules only receive 11.7 scholarships for | | | | programs that were subject to penalties because |
| their teams. | | | | of poor APR scores. One-quarter of the |
| Under the new rules, which will go in effect for | | | | programs on the list were baseball teams. |