Getting Ready for a Bowl Game
When most people think about college football bowl games, pictures of travel, trophies and parades may run through their heads. Football games are fought hard and student-athletes train the whole year, not to mention their lives, for the chance to compete for bowl game trophies. An aspect that may not be as widely known is how the Office of the Registrar’s eligibility staff play a final role in the bowl game.
Throughout the year the eligibility staff review and certify NCAA and B1G Ten eligibility standards for all student-athletes to certify them for competition. When bowl game time comes, the eligibility staff prepare differently and at a fast pace; it involves calendars, spreadsheets, communication and collaboration. After a great football regular season, December means it is time to review postseason and bowl eligibility legislation for any updates, as well as work backwards from potential game dates and grading schedules in order to make sure the appropriate bowl eligibility benchmarks are certified and communicated in time for the big day.
Once the game is set, communication between athletic academic services football advising staff and compliance staff really ramps up. Fall grades are integral to the certification process and grade reports are run and reviewed daily regardless of holidays and weekends, due to the team travel schedule and eligibility requirements. From this information, as well as a thorough review of individual DARS and graduate student curriculum, a bowl eligibility spreadsheet is created, reviewed and updated daily. The certification information and progress of each student-athlete is shared widely with colleagues in the Athletic Department Academic Services so there are no surprises in academic eligibility for the upcoming bowl. The final sign-off for the game to be played comes from the Registrar’s Office eligibility staff at 5 pm local time the day before the bowl game. All grades entered by that time are factored into the eligibility decisions, as well as academic actions.
Bowl season is an exciting, fast-paced time and often requires the eligibility staff to step away from family during the holiday season to get some important work done, but being part of the UW team is worth the extra time. On, Wisconsin.