College Sports Scholarships and Am Status

[jenb]

Does cashing in a pro disc golf division impact one's eligibility to receive or keep a college sports scholarship in any sport?

 

[Steve West]

You would need to ask whoever is giving the scholarship or the NCAA. Their rules, not disc golf's.

 

[jenb]

As far as eligibility to play a particular college sport, it seems to vary a lot. Seems like that would be a controlling factor since it is probably hard to get or keep a scholarship to play a particular sport if you aren't eligible to participate. I was hoping that someone had compiled this information though.

https://www.petersons.com/blog/maintaining-amateur-status-to-play-sports-in-college/?amp

 

[Dingus]

Accept your payout in Bitcoin to skirt the issue. opcorn:

 

[txmxer]

Seems like this was a thing decades ago with regards to someone playing pro baseball and college football. I think it was not allowed

Things have changed a lot, but I think if you are a "professional" athlete you can't participate in regular college sports.

There could be some obscure rules and situations that allow it. Maybe they wouldn't see DG as altering one's am status.

 

[jenb]

Seems like this was a thing decades ago with regards to someone playing pro baseball and college football. I think it was not allowed

Things have changed a lot, but I think if you are a "professional" athlete you can't participate in regular college sports.

There could be some obscure rules and situations that allow it. Maybe they wouldn't see DG as altering one's am status.

I was at one tournament where the woman who won FPO took merch instead of cash so she could continue to play on her University disc golf team. I recall when the pdga changed the rules so players can no longer take merch in pro divisions, and I remember something about part of the reason might be because some college sports don't recognize the cash/merch distinction and some players got burned. It was awhile ago. Was hoping somebody might remember something.

 

[krupicka]

I recall when the pdga changed the rules so players can no longer take merch in pro divisions

Just a point of clarification, that is only a rule for A-tiers and above.

 

[dmoore1998]

Generally speaking, you can be a professional in one sport, collect money, and get a college scholarship in a DIFFERENT sport.

 

[txmxer]

Do schools offer disc golf scholarships?

Do schools have school sponsored DG teams ?

 

[biscoe]

Do schools offer disc golf scholarships?

Do schools have school sponsored DG teams ?

Milligan College in TN does on both counts. No idea about anywhere else.

 

[jenb]

Ferris State University
Oklahoma Christian University
Liberty University

Those all have DG scholarships

 

[ChrisWoj]

I was at one tournament where the woman who won FPO took merch instead of cash so she could continue to play on her University disc golf team. I recall when the pdga changed the rules so players can no longer take merch in pro divisions, and I remember something about part of the reason might be because some college sports don't recognize the cash/merch distinction and some players got burned. It was awhile ago. Was hoping somebody might remember something.

According to this document from 2019: http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/eligibility_center/ECMIP/Amateurism_Certification/Prize_Money.pdf

It is sport-specific and you're gonna probably need to give us more details for anyone to answer.

 

[ToddL]

To my understanding, disc golf is not an NCAA recognized sport, so the NCAA doesn't matter. Disc golf is a club sport, and https://collegediscgolf.com is the only one who cares about your status. The fact that universities give out scholarships does not in and of itself mean they have to follow NCAA rules.

But I also don't really know anything about it.

 

[araytx]

Does cashing in a pro disc golf division impact one's eligibility to receive or keep a college sports scholarship in any sport?

I was at one tournament where the woman who won FPO took merch instead of cash so she could continue to play on her University disc golf team. I recall when the pdga changed the rules so players can no longer take merch in pro divisions, and I remember something about part of the reason might be because some college sports don't recognize the cash/merch distinction and some players got burned. It was awhile ago. Was hoping somebody might remember something.

I know that is why AM "payouts" are no longer listed on the pdga website.

Don't think it would qualify under NIL...

 

[txmxer]

I think "Clubsport" is the term I was trying to remember.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_club_sports_in_the_United_States

 

[ChrisWoj]

To my understanding, disc golf is not an NCAA recognized sport, so the NCAA doesn't matter. Disc golf is a club sport, and https://collegediscgolf.com is the only one who cares about your status. The fact that universities give out scholarships does not in and of itself mean they have to follow NCAA rules.

But I also don't really know anything about it.

I took the question as asking if accepting disc golf winnings would impact scholarships or other opportunities in other sports. Maybe I misinterpreted.

 

[ToddL]

I took the question as asking if accepting disc golf winnings would impact scholarships or other opportunities in other sports. Maybe I misinterpreted.

Oh good point. I read too quickly. Ignore me.

 

[jenb]

I want the info for all the sports, disc golf, soccer, basketball, baseball, football, tennis, badminton, ice hockey, lacrosse, … the list goes on.

 

[autocrosscrx]

It is common for a dude to play pro baseball while playing college football. Kyler Murray is a recent and prominent example. A different example is that former NBA player J.R. Smith is playing college golf right now.

 

[ballgolfconvert]

According to this document from 2019: http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/eligibility_center/ECMIP/Amateurism_Certification/Prize_Money.pdf

It is sport-specific and you're gonna probably need to give us more details for anyone to answer.

From what I gather from that link, you are allowed to earn prize money in pretty much all sports as long as the prize money doesn't exceed the expenses you incurred to play that year/ season. Tennis allows $10,000 regardless of expenses.

Last update: July 2019
Prize Money
Generally, prospective student-athletes in high school may accept prize money based on their place
finish at a competition, provided the money does not exceed their expenses in those events during a
calendar year or sport season.