University at Buffalo Division of Athletics Walk-on procedures and criteria

Want to tryout for a UB team?  Here’s what you need to do:

• Contact the UB coaching staff to determine when and if the team will be conducting walk-on tryouts.  *Teams are not required to conduct tryouts and not every team will have open tryouts each year.  Tryouts for most sports are done the first week of fall classes, so be sure to contact the coaches as soon as school starts.
• Sign up with the UB coaching staff with your name, person number, and contact information. The UB Compliance Office will then evaluate your academic history and determine if you may walk on to a UB team.  The UB Compliance Office will notify the coaches as to which walk-ons have been cleared academically for tryouts.
• Attend the UB Compliance Office Walk-on Meeting to complete required paperwork. At this meeting you must present proof of a physical from your doctor within the last six months.  You will also sign off on a sickle cell waiver and liability waiver at this time.  You will be notified by the UB coaching staff if you are permitted to attend this meeting.  
• **You must meet ALL academic criteria and have Division I eligibility remaining in order to attend this meeting.  See academic criteria below.

Once you have done the mandatory Compliance Office paperwork, signed the UB tryout waivers and presented a physical from your doctor, you may then begin your tryout.  Tryouts are permitted for no more than 2 weeks. If you make the team, you will then need to attend the second Compliance meeting where you will fill out NCAA mandated forms.  You will also then get a physical and sickle cell test from the UB team doctors.   *These both must be done before further practice.

UB Athletics reserves the right to restrict anyone, based on academic history and performance, from trying out for a varsity athletic team.  

UB Athletics minimum academic criteria for walk-ons:

• Freshmen--You MUST be an NCAA Division I qualifier—you must have registered and been certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center. www.eligibilitycenter.org
• Continuing UB students--You MUST meet all NCAA continuing eligibility rules.  You must have at least a 2.5 gpa overall at UB and at least 12 hours of credit for every full time semester.  If you do not meet NCAA eligibility rules, you cannot tryout for a varsity team.
• Transfers from 4 year schools—minimum of a 2.5 cum gpa for all collegiate attendance and a minimum of 24 credit hours for every academic year you’ve been enrolled full time at any college/university.  You must also have a transfer release on file with the UB Compliance Office from your previous school.   You must meet all NCAA transfer regulations. 
• Junior college transfers—you MUST have an associate’s degree, a minimum 2.5 gpa for all collegiate attendance, and you must have at least 24 credit hours for every academic year you’ve been enrolled full time at any college/university. You must meet all NCAA 2 year college transfer regulations.

Questions? Contact the UB Compliance Office at ath-compliance@buffalo.edu