University of Virginia Library

Article VII. RULES OF ELIGIBILITY APPLICABLE TO
ALL SPORTS

Rule 1. Bona Fide Students. All regularly matriculated students of a
member institution, which holds membership in its regional educational association,
shall be eligible for participation in intercollegiate athletics, except
as hereinafter provided.

Rule 2. Academic Proficiency. Participants in intercollegiate athletics
shall conform to the academic eligibility requirements established by each
member institution.

Rule 3. One-Year Residence Rule. No student shall participate in varsity
athletics in any member institution until after the expiration of twelve months
from the date of his matriculation there.

Rule 4. Returned Students Formerly Enrolled. No student having been
a member of any athletic team of his college during any year and having been
in attendance less than one semester or two quarters shall be permitted to
participate in any intercollegiate contest thereafter until he shall have been
in attendance one semester or two quarters of his next academic year.

Rule 5. Special Students. No special student is eligible to participate in
freshman or varsity intercollegiate athletics.

Rule 6. Transfer Students. (a) A transfer student who has participated
in any intercollegiate contest, freshman or varsity, in any branch of sports as
a member of any college team shall not be permitted to participate in any
intercollegiate contest in the same sport as a member of a team of any institution
of this Conference. Other transfer students become eligible for
varsity athletics after satisfying the requirements of the one-year residence rule.

(b) Transfer students who are graduates of junior colleges, normal
schools, or other institutions, which are accredited as such by the regional
educational accrediting associations, not offering a standard four-year course,
may be permitted to engage in varsity athletics immediately; others who are
not graduates of such accredited junior colleges, etc., may be admitted as
freshmen.

(c) Students who have been in the preparatory department of a junior
college, who have taken no college work but have played on the junior college
teams shall not be eligible for freshman participation at Conference institutions.

Rule 7. Limit of Participation. Participation in intercollegiate athletics
shall be limited to one freshman and three varsity years over a period of five
consecutive years counting from the date of first matriculation.

Rule 8. Freshman Teams. Freshman teams shall be composed of members
of the freshman class only who shall not compete as such for more than
one year, and shall be eligible under the rules of this Conference, except the
one-year residence rule.

No freshman who has been a student at any other college shall be eligible
to compete on a freshman team of a Southern Conference institution.

Rule 9. Compensation. (a) No person who receives any compensation
from his institution for services rendered by way of regular instruction shall
be allowed to participate in any intercollegiate contest.

(b) No person shall be permitted to participate in any intercollegiate
contest who has ever used his knowledge of athletics or his athletic or gymnastic
skill for pecuniary gain; a specific exception is made in the case of any
student who has worked in connection with a playground or a summer camp
where the requirements do not call for a man with technical preparation in
physical training.

(c) No athlete who is the beneficiary of any loan fund, scholarship, or
fellowship, that may not be held by the other students in the institution shall
be eligible for intercollegiate athletics.

(d) All scholarship and loan funds for which athletes are eligible must
be administered by the officer or committee of the member institution administering
such funds.

Rule 10. Professionalism. Any college athlete who signs a contract or
enters into any agreement, explicit or implicit, with a professional team shall
not be eligible for intercollegiate athletics.

No student who has played on a baseball team recognized by the National
Commission of Baseball Clubs shall be eligible for intercollegiate athletics.

Rule 11. Outside Participation. No college player is permitted to play
on an athletic team other than that of his own college during the college year.

No student who participates in a boxing match where spectators pay for
admission, directly or indirectly, except as the representative of the institution
in which he is enrolled, shall be eligible for intercollegiate athletics—
National Championship Matches and Olympic Games being excepted from
this provision.

Rule 12. Eligibility Certificates. Before any student can compete in any
intercollegiate contest he must fill out an eligibility blank furnished by the Conference
which blank shall be kept on file by the Faculty Chairman of Athletics
and a copy sent to the President of the Southern Conference.

Faculty Regulations Regarding Athletics

1. No student is permitted to engage in athletics unless he has been examined
by a responsible medical officer of the University and pronounced
physically fit to do so.

2. Only bona fide students who are pursuing a course of study of ten or
more hours of undergraduate work or a course of study approved by the
Faculty Committee may represent the University in intercollegiate athletics.
No student on probation is eligible for such participation.

3. Only students who are regular or substitute members of representative
athletic teams (or student managers) are granted leaves of absence
to compete away from the University campus.

4. No student who is receiving remuneration from the University for
teaching or administrative services may compete on an intercollegiate team.

5. Members of athletic teams are allowed not more than eight days of
absence from the University during any season of athletic competition, and
no student is allowed more than a total of sixteen days' leave of absence during
the entire session for two or more sports.

6. Members of first-year athletic teams will be allowed not more than
four days of absence from the University during any season of sport.

7. The football team is permitted to play games only on the home
grounds of the institutions represented. (By faculty action exception may
be made in the case of games with the U. S. Army or Navy teams.)

8. Special reports may be made to the President at any time by departmental
members of the faculty regarding class standing and seriousness of
purpose in study of any member of athletic teams. If there is evidence of
discreditable academic standing, such student may be required to sever his
connection with an athletic team.