Handbooks

1. Intra-Conference Transfer Rule
   (effective October 2018)
   1. A student-athlete, who has been charged a season of competition at a WHAC institution, is not eligible for athletic participation in the same sport at another WHAC institution for 365 days since the last date of attendance at the previous WHAC institution.
   2. A student-athlete, who has not been charged a season of competition at the previous WHAC institution and receives a written release signed by the athletics director at the previous WHAC institution as certified on the Transfer Tracer, will be exempt from the WHAC Transfer Rule.
   3. Exception for Closure/Discontinuation: If a WHAC institution announces that it will close or otherwise discontinue its varsity athletics programs so that the institution will become ineligible for NAIA and WHAC membership as a result, regardless of the announced timeframe of the closure or discontinuation, all student-athletes at that institution will be exempt from the WHAC intra-conference transfer rule and will be eligible to compete immediately upon transfer to another WHAC institution provided they meet all other eligibility requirements as set forth by the NAIA, Conference and/or institution.

4. 4. The Intra-Conference Transfer Policy will not apply to any WHAC student-athlete whose institution has announced that it will discontinue (see definition below) the sport in which the student-athlete participated. The student-athlete will be immediately eligible for certification for participation at another WHAC institution provided all other eligibility requirements of the Conference and the NAIA are met and no release will be required

                 Definition of Discontinue - A program is considered “discontinued” if the sponsoring institution does not provide student-athletes with the opportunity to compete in the                            number of regular season countable contests established by the NAIA to be post-season eligible (see below)

5. 5. A student who has graduated from a WHAC member institution and transfers to another WHAC institution to enroll in an additional baccalaureate or equivalent degree or second major area of study, or graduate work of any kind (as per NAIA Bylaw Article V, Section B, Item 14) will not be subject to the WHAC intra-conference transfer policy. No release will be required, and the student can compete immediately provided all other eligibility requirements of the Conference and the NAIA are met.

Countable Contests Eligibility Limits

Baseball                         16 games
M&W Basketball              18 games
M&W Bowling                 5 matches or tournaments (vs. NAIA Varsity opponent)
Competitive Cheer          4 competitions
M&W XCC                      4 meets (must score in each)
Competitive Dance         4 competitions
M&W Golf                      Minimum of 12 rounds
M&W Lacrosse               7 matches (vs. NAIA Varsity opponent)
M&W Soccer                  10 matches
Softball                         16 games
M&W Indoor T&F            3 meets
M&W Outdoor T&F          3 meets
W Volleyball                   16 matches
M Volleyball                   12 matches
M&W Wrestling              5 duals or tournaments

Non-NAIA Championship Sports

Men’s Ice Hockey          20 games (vs ACHA DI opponents)

Esports                         TBD

• Adopted October 2018
• Reviewed & Updated October 2023
• Amended July 2025