AIHEC National Basketball Tournament Eligibility

Team Eligibility

Each Tribal College or University (TCU) participating in the Tournament:

1. Must be a regular or associate member of AIHEC and all AIHEC membership dues must be current and paid in full.
2. May only register one men’s team and one women’s team.
3. Must adhere to the standardize constitution and bylaws.
4. May be denied eligibility for any reason by a majority vote of the AIHEC Athletic Commission.

Coach Eligibility

All coaches participating in the tournament:

1. Must sign the AIHEC Coach’s Code of Conduct (Form Included).
2. Must be designated by the TCU president, cannot be a student of the TCU, and must be present during the games in which their teams are competing.

Player Eligibility

All student-athletes participating in the tournament:

1. Must sign the AIHEC Student-athlete’s Code of Conduct (Form Included).
2. Must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 semester/quarter credits with I) a cumulative G.P.A. of a 2.0 II) a G.P.A. of at least a 2.0 in the last term prior to the semester/quarter of the tournament, and III) the student must be considered in good academic standing at their institution. The cumulative G.P.A. shall not be calculated further than 10 academic terms in the past. The student athlete must also be making satisfactory progress toward a degree program.
3. Length of eligibility at AIHEC Tournament will be 4 years at a 2-year institution or 5 cumulative years at a 4-year institution regardless of institution, tribal or mainstream. Verification will occur in the registration forms of the individual AIHEC-sanctioned sports.
4. First-term student-athletes must submit a grade check form (use AIHEC First-term Student-Athlete Grade Check Form). Note: Faculty Signatures and Dates must be within 14 days of the start of the AIHEC Tournament.
5. There is no age limit for student athletes to compete. Students under the age of 18 years old must have written parental consent to compete.
6. A student athlete may represent the institution while enrolled as a graduate or professional student or while enrolled and seeking a second baccalaureate degree at the same institution.
7. A student athlete cannot be a full-time TCU employee.
8. Students must maintain amateur status in the specific sport in which he/she is competing. If an agent or 3rd party participation results in a contract for a student athlete at any time during their collegiate career, the student athlete will forfeit their amateur status and will not be permitted to participate in any AIHEC sanctioned sporting event.
9. Transfer student athletes must have been deemed academically eligible at their previous institution(s) prior to attending and participating in athletics at the transfer institution. The transfer student athlete must reestablish academic eligibility to participate in the transfer institution’s AIHEC-sanctioned athletic program (use the AIHEC Transfer Eligibility Form).
10. Student athletic eligibility is based on college enrollment and standing and does not require the student to be American Indian.
11. Student athlete eligibility must be verified by the Registrar and a Representative of the institution designated by the president.

Any suspected violations of student eligibility should be reported to the AIHEC Athletic Commission prior to the start of AIHEC-sanctioned sporting events. The AIHEC Athletic Commissioners will determine if any TCU or student athlete is in violation and whether a penalty needs to be assessed. If the commission determines that a student athlete is in violation of the AIHEC student athlete eligibility, the student athlete will be removed from participation in all AIHEC-sanctioned events until they are eligible. Any Tribal College or University that continues to permit the participation of a student athlete in violation of the AIHEC student athlete rules of eligibility will be disqualified from any ongoing AIHEC-sanctioned events.

Submit a Letter of Intent to Participate and Entry Fees by February 24th, 2023, to Alisha DeCoteau or Kyle DeCoteau.

*Letter of Intent must be signed by the institution’s president or authorized representative.