Amend Article VI, Section B, Item 9 as follows:

9. Use of an Ineligible Student in Intercollegiate Competition

Any member institution which permits the use of a student who is ineligible according to NAIA rules and standards in either program in which it holds membership shall thereby automatically:

a. Forfeit all contests in which the ineligible student participated or the institutional violation occurred. Letters of notification and forfeiture of contests won shall be sent to the athletics director of the offended institution with copies of the letter to the appropriate eligibility chair and the National Office;

b. Charge the ineligible student with a season of competition for participating while ineligible pursuant to Article V, Section B, Item 18;

c. Charge the student with a second season of competition in that sport if the ineligible student reestablishes eligibility within the same season the student was declared ineligible and participates after reestablishing eligibility;

d. Cause a review of the case by the appropriate committees of this Association. The ineligible student may be assessed additional penalties including but not limited to contest suspensions, additional season(s) of competition and up to being declared ineligible for further intercollegiate competition for withholding information or supplying false or incomplete information;

e. Supply to the eligibility chair and, if applicable, the conference/A.I.I. commissioner a complete statement concerning the ineligible participation, including a listing of the ineligible student’s college work (transcript preferred), a statement of institutional action to correct the situation which led to the violation, and a statement from the student(s) if possible;

f. Be suspended from participation in all postseason events sponsored by the NAIA only in the sport in which the ineligible student participated, until all required information is submitted; and

NOTE:     The sport in which the violation occurred shall remain suspended from participating in NAIA events until the case is finalized by the appropriate committee of the Association, which will notify the institution involved.

g. Have the case reviewed by the appropriate committees of this Association. The institution may be subject to additional penalties.

NOTE:     Forfeits shall not be required nor will an institution be subject to any penalties if a student who has been properly certified as eligible represents an institution in competition but is subsequently determined to have been ineligible due to any of the following:

a. A mistake by the NAIA Eligibility Center;

b. False information was supplied by the student; or

c. False information was supplied on the student’s behalf.

Forfeits shall be required and the institution may be subject to additional penalties if the institution knew of the eligibility center’s mistake or the dissemination of false information, or if the institution failed to perform due diligence on the student’s eligibility certification.

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Intent: To clarify an ineligible student will be charged a season of competition for participation pursuant to standard competitive experience rules, and may have additional penalties applied which could include game suspensions, a punitive season of competition or permanent loss of eligibility.

Effective date: August 1, 2021

Submitted by:  National Eligibility Committee