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U Sports
U SPORTS, Canada’s university sports league, announced changes affecting 56 universities and more than 12,000 student-athletes. The two primary changes are to its policies on eligibility for athletic scholarships. The changes will come into effect for the 2024-2025 school year.
First-year student-athletes will be eligible to compete and receive an athletic scholarship provided they have been enrolled in degree-granting courses.
U SPORTS announces significant policy changes to Athletic Scholarships and Eligibility Alignment
— U SPORTS (@USPORTSca) September 28, 2023
Modifications aux politiques des bourses d'études sportives et règles d'admissibilité
EN: https://t.co/Tbe3fwFOhi
FR: https://t.co/fDRhX9HnZv pic.twitter.com/RCdqnsjmNa
Previously students had to have an 80 per cent average in their final year of high school, and maintain a 60 per cent average to participate athletically in their first year of study.
The distribution of scholarships will be at 45 per cent toward men’s teams, and 45 per cent toward women’s teams.
“These changes intend to remove systemic barriers impacting a student-athlete’s ability to participate in U SPORTS and receive funding assistance for pursuing their education,” said U SPORTS chief executive Pierre Arsenault.
“Our focus is to make university studies and sports participation more accessible.
“For current entering student-athletes participation in U SPORTS depends on their high school or CEGEP grades.
“Therefore, we chose to align participation and scholarship qualification with admission to an institution.
“Between attending classes, studying, practice and competitions, it is difficult for student-athletes to hold employment in-season.
“We are proud to work with our member institutions to ensure equitable opportunities for AFA support.
“We know that the changes adopted this week set all U SPORTS students up for greater success in the classroom and on the field of competition.”
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association has made a change to its transfer window time frame.
Student-athletes currently have 60 days to enter the NCAA transfer portal, which allows them to transfer between different institutions.
This will now be reduced to 45 days, however, not all sports will be the same.
For example, football will have a 30-day window and basketball will have 45 at the end of the season and then 15 days in the spring.
Penalties will be reviewed for athletes caught gambling on games not involving their own teams.
The U Sports and NCAA Division I are the most competitive level of university sports in North America.
