As provinces begin to plan and action their re-opening strategies, the Recruiting Moratorium will conclude as of 12:01 a.m. (local time) on Sunday, July 5, 2021. As a result, recruiting regulations will revert back to those listed within U SPORTS policy 40.10.7.

As the moratorium is lifted, institutions and Prospective Student-Athletes should continue to abide by provincial and local health authority regulations, Conference policies, and internal institutional practices. The lifting of the Recruiting Moratorium is meant to provide flexibility to institutions and Prospective Student-Athletes and allow them to work within the re-opening frameworks of their regions.

FOOTBALL

For the 2021-22 Academic Year and Beyond

Effective for the 2021-22 Academic Year, Policy 40.10.6.2.1.6.2 will read as follows:

Participation in any other club tackle football league inside or outside of Canada or the United States, subsequent to August 15 of the year an athlete turns 20, is subject to the charging of eligibility.

The policy will apply to student-athletes who were listed on a 2019-20 or 2020-21 Eligibility Certificate, as well as student-athletes entering into U SPORTS for the first time in the upcoming 2021-22 season - which will allow for current and future student-athletes to be transitioned into the updated Participation-based concept.

MEN'S HOCKEY

For the 2021-22 Academic Year
Amateur Participation

MEN’S SOCCER

For the 2021-22 Academic Year
Supported Recommendation: The following student-athletes are exempt from U SPORTS Policy 40.10.6.2.1.10.2.2 for the 2020-2021 Academic Year:

1. Student-Athletes listed on a 2019-2020 Official Eligibility Certificate; or,
2. Confirmed Recruits with an Officially Registered Letter of Intent (LOI) on U SPORTS Central for 2020-21.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

For the 2021-22 Academic Year
Supported Recommendation: If invited by Volleyball Canada to train with the National Team program during the Fall 2020 semester, men’s volleyball student-athletes who meet the following criteria would be exempt from U SPORTS Policy 40.10.6.1.4 for the 2020-2021 academic year:

1. A student-athlete who was listed on an Eligibility Certificate in 2019-2020 and is returning back to that same institution for the Winter 2021 semester; or,
2. A Confirmed Recruit who has signed an official U SPORTS Letter of Intent (LOI) or accepted an offer of admission for the 2020-2021 academic year and is entering into that U SPORTS institution for the Winter 2021 semester.

For the 2020-2021 and 2021-22 Academic Years

U SPORTS announced a series of decisions pertaining to sports scholarships (officially known as Athletic Financial Awards or AFAs) and eligibility including: 

• Clarification on qualification for AFAs for returning students taking into consideration pass-fail grades;
• Modifications to the Academic All-Canadian criteria to accommodate pass-fail grades; 
• Permitted AFAs to be awarded in the event that 2020-2021 U SPORTS championships are cancelled;
• That there will be no consumption of eligibility in the event that the 2020-2021 U SPORTS championships are not offered;
• The maintaining of all current regulations for eligibility and AFAs for first time entry and transfer students from other jurisdictions;
• The maintaining of Academic Standing regulations for the 2019-2020 academic year

Any questions that student-athletes have pertaining to eligibility and AFAs should be addressed to their university athletic departments.

For the 2021-22 Academic Year and Beyond

Following consultation with a number of internal and external resources, including football’s Sport Technical Sub-Committee (STSC), an expansion of Football's current Participation Rules for Competition Outside of Post-Secondary Sport will be implemented for the 2021-22 Academic Year.

Effective for the 2021-22 Academic Year, Policy 40.10.6.2.1.6.2 will read as follows:

Participation in any other club tackle football league inside or outside of Canada or the United States, subsequent to August 15 of the year an athlete turns 20, is subject to the charging of eligibility.

The policy will apply to student-athletes who were listed on a 2019-20 or 2020-21 Eligibility Certificate, as well as student-athletes entering into U SPORTS for the first time in the upcoming 2021-22 season – which will allow for current and future student-athletes to be transitioned into the updated Participation-based concept.

This follows the one-time exemption of Policy 40.10.4.3.1.2 (Maximum Years in Men’s Football) announced in July 2020 – which permitted all currently-eligible student-athletes to participate in the 2021 football season, even if they exceed the policy and the age limit of 25 years old before the start of the 2021 campaign. 

As of August 15, 2021, Policy 40.10.4.3.1.2 will be eliminated.  

For a list of Frequently Asked Questions regarding the implementation of Policy 40.10.6.2.1.6.2, click here.

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