Eligibility - CUCA Hockey - Abdelaal

2010-11 Season

October 6, 2011

Facts:

Mr. Abdelaal played two (2) games for the CUCA Men’s Hockey team during the 2010-11 season. Those games took place on January 5, 2011 and January 8, 2011. Those were the only games played by Mr. Abdelaal during the 2010-11 season. He was not in school during the first semester of the 2010-11 school year.

I have been advised by CUCA that Mr. Abdelaal was registered to take three courses during the second semester. However, due to unexpected work obligations relating to his family’s business, Mr. Abdelaal was forced to withdraw from one of his courses, leaving him ineligible to continue as a member of the CUCA Hockey team.

Mr. Abdelaal is currently a full-time student at CUCA.

CUCA seeks a ruling to have Mr. Abdelaal declared immediately eligible to compete for its Hockey team.

Ruling:

Article I Section 5 Rule 1.1.3.2 of the ACAC Operating Code is worded as follows:

1.1.3.2. One Semester Participation
To be a student in good standing, a student‐athlete must pass a minimum of 3 courses or nine (9) credit hours during the academic semester in which they participated. A student‐athlete who enrolls for the first time in an academic year in January and begins playing for an ACAC team in January must pass three courses or nine credit hours before the beginning of the next academic year in order to be eligible for participation in the subsequent semester. Academic eligibility for a one semester participant is assessed at the conclusion of the academic year, August 31st. If the student athlete fails to earn the 18 credits over the academic year or 9 credits in the semester of participation, the Reinstatment Rule is applied on August 31st and participation in the subsequent fall semester is denied. (Amended August, 2011)

As Mr. Abdelaal did not pass a minimum of three (3) courses or nine (9) credit hours during the semester in which he participated, he is currently ineligible pursuant to Rule 1.1.3.2.

Rule 1.1.4 deals with re-instating academic eligibility. Provided that Mr. Abdelaal is able to meet the requirements of that rule, he will be eligible to compete during the second semester of the 2011-12 season. Rule 1.1.4 does allow Mr. Abdelaal to practice with the team until his eligibility is reinstated though he may not compete in any non-conference, league or championship events.

Mr. Abdelaal is also deemed to have used one (1) year of ACAC eligibility in relation to the 2010-11 season.

Sincerely,

Bill Hendsbee
ACAC Commissioner