Collegiate Eligibility FAQs
This page contains a collection of questions and answers that ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ has frequently been asked about its eligibility rules, particularly those pertaining to Division II eligibility.
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My Division I team consists entirely of undergraduates; this makes us eligible for the Division I Undergraduate title, right?
Your team is only eligible for the Division I Undergraduate title if every member has not yet completed their fourth year of participation in ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ collegiate championship events (that is, SCTs and ICTs ). Players that are in (or beyond) their fifth academic year of competition make their team ineligible for the Undergraduate title.
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I played on a Division I team at Sectionals a year ago, but we didn’t qualify for the ICT. May I play on a Division II team this year?
Assuming that you meet the other qualifications for Division II, then yes. That is, you must not have ever qualified for or attended the ICT (in either division) prior to the current year.
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I am playing on a Division I team at Sectionals this year, but I am Division II-eligible. If both our Division I and Division II teams qualify, may I play on the Division II team at the ICT?
Yes. This is a specific case of the policy that schools (and not teams or players) receive invitations to the ICT. Any set of (affiliated) players may represent a school at the ICT, assuming they meet the requirements of the Division in which they play.
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My Division II team consists entirely of undergraduates. Can we win the Division I Undergraduate title at our Sectional?
No. Teams must choose at the time of registration whether they will play in Division I or Division II, and only Division I teams (that also consist entirely of Undergraduate players) are eligible for the Division I Undergraduate title.
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My team qualified for the Division I ICT but the team we are sending is entirely Division II-eligible; can they compete in Division II instead?
No. Schools may not convert Division I invitations into Division II invitations or vice versa.
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My entire team is Division II-eligible. Can we elect to play in Division I instead at the SCT?
Yes, but if the team qualifies for and attends the ICT, it must play in Division I there.
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My team won the Division I Undergraduate title at its Sectional; can we add a graduate student for the ICT?
Maybe. If your team’s invitation came via Tier 6, then it must send an undergraduate-eligible team to the ICT. If your team’s invitation came via another Tier, then you may add graduate students (or other players that make the team ineligible to win the undergraduate title). The school may also decline its Tier-6 invitation and hope to receive a new Tier 7 invitation (which would allow graduate students to be added). (The answer to this question changed at the beginning of the 2017–2018 competition year; previously the answer was a simple ”Yes.“)
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Are professors eligible to compete at the SCT and ICT?
No (unless they are also registered and recognized as students in accordance with the College Eligibility Rules).
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Are graduate students eligible for Division II?
Yes, if they meet the same qualifications as apply to undergraduate students.
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Does participation in high school tournaments affect Division II eligibility?
Participation in high school quiz bowl in previous years does not affect eligibility for Division II. Even if a high school player led their team to four straight HSNCT titles, they are still eligible to compete in Division II upon joining a college team.
However, no player may participate in both secondary-level championships (the MSNCT, SSNCT, IPNCT, and HSNCT) and post-secondary-level championships (the CC SCT, CCCT, four-year SCT, and ICT) in the same year.
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I was allowed to play in Division II at an invitational during the year; may I play in Division II at ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ?
Only if you meet ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ’s Division II criteria. Your classification by other tournaments has no bearing on your eligibility within ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ championship events (SCT, ICT).
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Last year I competed for a community college team that qualified for the ICT. I am now enrolled at a four-year college; may I compete in Division II?
Yes. Participating in the ICT as a representative of a community college does not affect your four-year eligibility to compete in Division II.
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I have a bachelor’s degree but am currently attending a community college; may I compete in the community college Sectionals?
No. Players with bachelor’s degrees are not eligible to compete at the CC SCTs.
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I played in a college invitational that used ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ questions last year, but did not play at the SCT or ICT. Does it count as one of my four years of competition before I lose my eligibility to compete for the Undergraduate title?
No. Only attendance at the SCT or ICT counts toward that four-year limit.
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I was an alternate on a team that attended the ICT last year but never actually played in a game, and did not lose my eligibility otherwise. Am I still Division II-eligible?
Yes, assuming that you meet the other requirements. However, had you been in a game for even a single question, you would have lost your eligibility.
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My school awards both associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees. Can we send a team to a community college SCT?
Yes, if the team consists entirely of players who are enrolled in programs that grant associate’s degrees and who meet the other requirements of community college teams. Those players may instead attend four-year SCTs with or without players from the same institution who are not eligible to play in community college SCTs.
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I have an associate’s degree; may I compete in Division II for a four-year school?
Yes, assuming that you meet the other requirements. You may not, however, compete in a community college SCT even if you are currently attending a community college in pursuit of another associate’s degree.
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Last year I was a high schooler who took college classes part time. I competed at the SCT last year on a college team that qualified for the ICT. Am I eligible to compete in Division II this year?
No. Regardless of whether you are still a high school student or have graduated and matriculated at the same college or a different one, you are not eligible. You would be eligible to attend a community college SCT if you enrolled at a community college (provided you are not also still in high school; if you are, there are more complicated interactions among eligibilities).
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While at a community college, I attended two community college SCTs. I am now in my third year of competition at a four-year college; am I still eligible to compete as an undergraduate, having five years under my belt?
Yes. CC SCT, SCT, and ICT attendance representing a community college do not count toward four years during which you may compete as an undergraduate at a four-year college.
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My team received an invitation to the ICT last year, but we declined it. Does that mean that we are still eligible for Division II?
No.
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I played on a team that qualified for the ICT last year, but I’m not very good and only scored 5 points per game. May I be granted an exception to compete in Division II again?
No.
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I graduated in December; may I still compete on a team that is eligible to win an undergraduate title at an SCT or ICT?
Yes, assuming that you have not competed in the SCT and/or the ICT in four previous competition years (i.e., you’re not in your fifth year of competition), then you would still be considered an undergraduate for ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ’s purposes. In short, ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ considers all graduations during the competition year to take place at the end of the competition year.
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I am in a combined program that will grant me a bachelor’s degree and an advanced degree at its conclusion. Am I eligible to compete for the undergraduate title? For the Division II title?
It depends on the exact details of the program, but it’s certainly possible. Contact us at [email protected] for a situation-specific ruling.