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Fredonia University

Fredquently Asked Questions

There are many questions regarding NCAA rules and regulations, especially those relating to eligibility for prospective and currently enrolled students who wish to become student-athletes at Fredonia State.  Those students are encouraged to contact their respective coaches or the Department of Athletics at athletics@fredonia.edu for more information, or they may refer to the list of “Frequently Asked Questions” below.

Although we do try to answer basic questions regarding compliance on our website, please use the information listed below as a general guide for informational purposes only.  While many questions and issues pertaining to NCAA compliance are alike in nature, there are many unique situations that arise.

Frequently Asked Questions:
  • Who are we?
    1. Fredonia State’s NCAA Compliance Officer is Angela Pucciarelli Rice.
    2. For an up-to-date staff list, please click here.
  • Who is eligible to compete in intercollegiate athletics?
    1. To be eligible to compete, a student-athlete must be a full-time matriculated student in good academic standing according to the standards set by the institution and must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours.  Graduate students have different requirements to be considered full-time students.  Student-athletes have 10 full-time semesters to compete in four seasons of their sport.
  • What is the rule concerning redshirting student-athletes?
    1. Effective August 1, 2004, any student-athlete that competes in a single varsity competition, or participates in a practice beyond the date of that first competition, shall have used a season of eligibility.  Therefore, the term redshirting does not exist at the Division III level.  If you are curious about a medical hardship waiver, please contact the compliance office and the head athletic trainer.
  • A student at another institution has contacted me about transferring to Fredonia State.  What should I do?
    1. Get the student-athlete’s name and the name of the institution they are currently attending.  Stop contact with that student.  Provide the compliance office with the student's information and they will receive permission to discuss a potential transfer from the compliance office at the other institution.  Once the release is received, contact with the prospect may resume.  If a student-athlete is at a Division III institution, advise them they can issue a self-release, available at NCAA.org
  • Can I cater an event for student-athletes on official recruiting visits?
    1. Yes.  You may provide a prospect with a meal in the institution's on-campus dining facility during an official visit.  Or, you can cater a meal as long as it is on a scale comparable to normal student life. You may provide a meal in an off-campus dining facility ONLY when ALL on-campus dining facilities are closed.
  • What constitutes a practice?
    1. A practice is defined as any meeting, activity or instruction involving sports-related information and having athletics purpose involving one or more student-athletes at the direction of, or supervised by any member of an institution's coaching staff.  This includes field, floor or on-court activity, chalk talk, lecture of strategy related to sport, activities using equipment related to the sport, or discussion / review of game films.  These activities must be confined only to the declared playing season.
  • Can recruits practice or try out with the team?
    1. No.  Prospective student-athletes are not permitted under any circumstances to practice with a team until they are enrolled at the institution in a full-time program of studies and have passed a school physical.
  • Can you pay the expenses for a recruit to visit the campus?  If so, what can you pay for?
    1. Yes.  You may finance one visit to campus for a prospect.  You may pay for transportation for the prospect, lodging, meals and provide comp tickets to home athletic contests for the prospect and their parents or legal guardians only.  You must complete the appropriate forms before the visit.
  • Can a high school junior make an official visit?
    1. Yes, after January 1 of junior year.  A prospect may not be provided an official visit earlier than January 1 of the prospect's junior year in high school.
  • How many comp tickets are student-athletes allowed?
    1. An institution may provide four complimentary admissions per home or away contest in the sport in which they participate (practices or competes), regardless of whether the student-athlete competes in the contest.
  • I am a high school junior or senior looking to play at Fredonia State.  What do I do?
    1. You can start by filling out a Recruiting Questionnaire, located on our website or by contacting one of the head coaches located in the Staff Directory.  If you are planning to visit the campus and would like to meet with a coach, make sure you contact them ahead of time to see if they are available.  Per NCAA rules, coaches may communicate with prospective student-athletes by means of the telephone and via electronic communications at any time, but cannot have face-to-face contact until the prospective student-athlete has completed their sophomore year in high school.  The definition of the conclusion of a prospective student-athlete's sophomore year in high school is July 1.
  • How do I know if I’ll be eligible to compete?
    1. Unlike prospective student-athletes looking to compete at the Division I and II levels, those wishing to compete at the Division III level do not need to meet initial eligibility standards set forth by the NCAA.  Any student-athlete who wishes to compete in intercollegiate sports must carry a full-time load of course work (12+ credits) to be eligible for participation throughout the playing season.  Failure to stay above a full-time course load while in season will results in your being ineligible.  Prior to your practicing with a team for the first time each academic year, you must be cleared to play by making sure that the appropriate paperwork for both the NCAA and Fredonia State has been filled out and on file.
  • Can I play at Fredonia State on an athletic scholarship?
    1. No.  Fredonia State is a NCAA Division III institution, and does not offer any athletic scholarships for play.  Academic merit scholarships are available to all prospective students and information about these can be found on Fredonia’s Financial Aid page.
  • I’m currently a student at Fredonia State and am thinking about joining a team.  What do I do?
    1. You should contact the head coach of the sport you are interested in competing with.  The respective coach for your sport will contact you and give you more information concerning any try-out opportunities.  Please note that not all teams allow for open tryouts, and others may have dates and deadlines to adhere to.
  • What do I do about missed class time when I’m on a team?  Do I have to miss class for practice?
    1. It is the responsibility of all student-athletes to attend all classes and class-related activities.  UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES may a student-athlete skip an academic obligation for practice.  It is the responsibility of the student-athlete to notify his/her professors within the first week of class each semester, in person and in writing, the dates of all expected and potential (ex: Championships) absences due to scheduled dates of athletic competition.  In the event that a conflict exists between a scheduled athletic contest and a scheduled exam, it is the student-athlete’s responsibility to report the conflict directly to his/her professor as soon as he/she is notified of the date of the exam (the student-athlete should also reach out to the FAR to let them know of this matter). 
  • What happens if I’m struggling with my classes or life in general?  Who can I contact?
    1. Fredonia State has many resources to assist students during their collegiate years.  The Counseling Center offers a safe, confidential environment where students can share thoughts and feelings, explore issues of concern, and gain awareness and insight into their lives.  Fredonia also offers many services through Student Wellness and Support.  In addition, many of our teams have either mandatory study halls or study halls designed for student-athletes who coaches feel need extra assistance.
  • If I get hurt during the season, do I lose that season of eligibility?
    1. A student-athlete who plays in a single contest is considered to have used an entire year of competition in that respective sport.  Should a student-athlete get injured or have a personal affect which forces them to step away from the sport prematurely during the season, a student-athlete may have the opportunity to have this year of competition stricken from their record by filing a medical hardship waiver.  In order for a hardship waiver to be granted there must be an incapacitating injury or illness which forces the student-athlete to miss the rest of the playing season.  There must be medical documentation (trainers, doctors, hospital receipts) that states the nature of the injury and establishes the student-athlete’s inability to compete.  The injury must have occurred during the first half of the playing season AND the student-athlete must not have competed in more than one-third of the total number of scheduled contests.  The waiver request is generated through the head athletic trainer and the compliance office and is processed through the conference office.  The conference office will either grant or deny the request based on the application presented.
  • I have a question, but it hasn’t been answered here, and I don’t know who to contact.
    1. Below is a list of key contacts at Fredonia State who may be able to help.  Feel free to contact these departments, and ask the question that fits your needs:

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SUNY Fredonia
280 Central Avenue Fredonia, N.Y. 14063
Athletics: 716-673-3101 Admissions: 800-252-1212
Questions: athletics@fredonia.edu