From the 2021 ACHA Manual
D1 requirements include, but are not limited to:
Men’s Division 1 student-athletes shall have five (5) years of ACHA eligibility. If, however, the student-athlete was on an NCAA DI, DII, DIII or a Canadian University (CIAU) roster, the student-athlete is restricted to five (5) years of ACHA Men’s Division 1 play, minus his time at the NCAA DI, DII, DIII or Canadian University (CIAU) level.
An NCAA player who has completed his NCAA DI, DII or DIII eligibility (four years) shall not be permitted to participate on an ACHA team at the university where he completed his NCAA career or for any other ACHA DI team.
ACHA student-athletes attending and playing on a two-year Junior College shall have three (3) years of the allotted five (5) years of ACHA eligibility. If the student-athlete subsequently transfers to a four-year university or college, he will be permitted to complete his five (5) year eligibility minus the time spent on a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) roster. [2017]
Student-athletes shall be enrolled in a program of study leading to a baccalaureate degree or equivalent degree as determined by the regulations of the university. Men’s Division 1 student-athletes may be enrolled in a second baccalaureate degree or graduate program providing the student is enrolled at the same institution he/she attended as an undergraduate during the immediate preceding season and the student has eligibility remaining as specified in paragraph 1 of this section. Student-athletes in graduate programs cannot start playing ACHA M1 hockey if they have not previously played ACHA M1 hockey at their university.
The intent of the “graduate student in ACHA M1” exception is to permit current ACHA M1 student-athletes who have completed their undergraduate degree program before exhausting their ACHA M1 eligibility to continue playing ACHA M1 hockey as a graduate student for whatever period of eligibility they have remaining. [2017]
Student-athletes must enroll in a minimum of 12 credit hours and drop to no lower than 9 credit hours during each semester of competition. A player who drops below 9 credit hours during a semester becomes immediately ineligible to continue competition. An equivalent standard shall be applied to institutions utilizing a quarter system.
Student-athletes must successfully complete (take and pass) a minimum of 9 credits each semester to be eligible for play in the following semester. This applies to the fall semester only. [2003]
Each Men’s Division 1 student-athlete participating in consecutive semesters of competition after the first academic year must have successfully completed (taken and passed) 24 semester hours or equivalent in the previous 12 months or in the previous academic year. [2003]
No student-athlete may participate in more than five national tournaments (including regional tournaments).
A senior in the last semester or quarter prior to graduation is not required to meet the 12 credit or equivalent hour minimum provided the Commissioner is notified in writing by an official Team Representative.
Student-athletes who transfer are not subject to residence status requirements but each year played in intercollegiate competition shall be counted as a year of eligibility.
Student-athletes who transfer, in order to be eligible to play for their new team, must have been eligible to play for their previous team at the time they transferred. If they were not so eligible, they cannot play for their new team until they satisfy all eligibility requirements as if they had previously played for their new team.
A new student-athlete coming in mid-year is eligible to play in games after January 1st as long as the student-athlete was eligible to play at his prior school prior to transferring. [2018]
Eligibility Clock
Beginning with the 2017-2018 season, a student-athlete will have five calendar years in which to play up to five seasons of competition.
The five-year clock starts 1) when the student-athlete is rostered on a collegiate team (rostered covers either practice or game competition), regardless of level (ACHA, NCAA, NAIA, etc.), OR 2) when the student-athlete turns 21 years of age, regardless of whether or not the student-athlete has played college hockey, whichever event occurs first.
Thereafter, the eligibility clock continues, even if the student-athlete spends an academic year in residence as a result of transferring, if the student-athlete does not attend school, or even if the student-athlete goes part-time during his college career.
Further, the redshirt rule will no longer be in effect or utilized. [2018]
Division 3 requirements include, but are not limited to:
Men’s Division 3 student-athletes shall be enrolled in a program of study leading to a baccalaureate, masters, or doctoral degree as determined by the regulations of the university or college. Multiple undergraduate degrees are not allowed.
Student-athletes must enroll in a minimum of 9 credit hours during each semester of competition. A player who drops below 9 credit hours during a semester becomes immediately ineligible to continue competition. An equivalent standard shall be applied to institutions utilizing a quarter system.
Men’s Division 3 student-athletes must enroll in and successfully complete a minimum of nine (9) credits each semester for associate and baccalaureate degree students or six (6) credits each semester for masters, doctoral or professional degree students, to be eligible for play in the following semester. An equivalent standard shall be applied to institutions utilizing a quarter system.
A senior in the last semester or quarter prior to graduation is not required to meet the required semester or quarter-hour minimums. A player can invoke this waiver once in their ACHA career. [2010]
