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College Ball or MLB: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
If your name was called in the recent 2016 Major League Baseball Draft, congratulations, especially to those players who have already signed a contract and have begun, or will soon begin, your professional career!
For those of you who have not yet made a decision whether to sign and still have college eligibility remaining, or may not have started college yet, you must make that decision by Friday, July 15.
If you recently finished your high school career, and are unsure of whether to sign with a MLB team or to play college ball first, here are some things to consider:
If you choose to attend a four-year college first:
You will not be eligible for the draft until after your junior year of college unless one of the following exceptions is relevant to your situation:
• You could be drafted after your sophomore year if you turn 21 at least 45 days prior to the draft
• If you start out at a four-year school, but then transfer to a two-year college.
If you plan to attend a two-year college next year:
You can be drafted after as little as one year at the junior college.
For those of you enrolling as a freshman at a two-year college, or if you’re returning to a two-year college in hopes of being drafted next year, be sure to keep your options open for transfer to a four-year college program in case your dreams of being drafted in a higher round don’t work out.
That includes terminating your relationship with your agent if you took advantage of that new NCAA rule and engaged an agent as you were preparing for the 2016 MLB Draft.
We've put together a step-by-step handout: College Ball or MLB: What You Should Do if You Decide to Stay in College. It explains what you need to do to preserve your option to transfer to an NCAA Division I or II university and be immediately eligible for competition. Get your copy by clicking: Informed Athlete’s College Ball or MLB Handout.
Good luck with your decision as you consider your college or professional options. If you’d like to learn more about the 2-4 transfer requirements, contact Rick Allen at 913-766-1235 or send an e-mail to rick@informedathlete.com. Or, you can purchase “Informed Athlete’s Comprehensive Guide to Transfers” from the Store of our website at http://informedathlete.com/products/informed-athletes-transfer-guide.
About Rick Allen:
• 25-plus years NCAA rules expertise, including Director of Compliance at two major D-I schools
• Current member and former President of National Association for Athletic Compliance (NAAC)
• Conducts compliance reviews and audits at NCAA Schools throughout the U.S.
• Consults with NAIA schools transitioning to NCAA membership status
• Dad of a D-I and D-II student-athlete