December recruiting

(Apologies for the long post, but I think it’s necessary to point out how convoluted the counting process is for NCAA scholarships)

There’s conflicting information on the inter-webs on how transfers count.
My understanding is the 25 class size limit is counting “initial counters” as part of that 25.

The grey area is some sites say a player receiving their first scholarship at a school are initial counters (which would mean pretty much any player signed would count). I disagree.
Now, here comes the bylaw interpretation. Feel free to read through and see if my understanding is off.

To me, there is no mention of how a transfer student/athlete would be an initial counter, so my logic says they are exempt from the 25 rule, so long as they are transferring from another NCAA institution and were previously receiving a football scholarship at the prior school.
The rule specifically says “initial counter is a counter who is receiving countable financial
aid in a sport for the first time.” Key words = “First time”

http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/D117.pdf

The NCAA definition of an initial counter is:

15.02.3.1 Initial Counter. [FBS/FCS] An “initial counter” is a counter who is receiving countable financial
aid in a sport for the first time. (See Bylaw 15.5.6.3 in football for instances in which the institution is permitted
to defer the counting of such financial aid until the following academic year.)

15.5.6.3 Initial Counters—Football (Also see Bylaw 15.02.3.1).

15.5.6.3.1 Recruited Student-Athlete Entering in Fall Term, Aided in First Year. [FBS/FCS] A
student-athlete recruited (see Bylaw 15.02.8) by the awarding institution who enters in the fall term and
receives institutional financial aid (based in any degree on athletics ability) during the first academic year in
residence shall be an initial counter for that year in football. Therefore, such aid shall not be awarded if the
institution has reached its limit on the number of initial counters prior to the award of institutional financial
aid to the student-athlete. (Revised: 1/15/11 effective 8/1/11)

15.5.6.3.2 Recruited Student-Athlete Entering After Fall Term, Aided in First Year. [FBS/FCS] A
student-athlete recruited (per Bylaw 15.02.8) by the awarding institution who enters after the first term of
the academic year and immediately receives institutional financial aid (based in any degree on athletics
ability) shall be an initial counter for either the current academic year (if the institution’s annual limit has
not been reached) or the next academic year. The student-athlete shall be included in the institution’s total
counter limit during the academic year in which the aid was first received. (Revised: 1/15/11 effective 8/1/11)

15.5.6.3.3 Recruited Student-Athlete, Aid Received After First Year. [FBS/FCS] A recruited student-athlete (per Bylaw 15.02.8) (including a student-athlete who was not a qualifier) who first receives
athletically related financial aid after the student-athlete’s first academic year in residence shall be an initial
counter for that academic year in which the aid is first received, if such aid is received during the fall term.
However, such a student-athlete who first receives athletically related financial aid in the second or third
term of an academic year may be considered an initial counter during the academic year in which aid was
first received or the next academic year. In either case, the student-athlete shall be included in the institution’s total counter limit during the academic year in which the aid was first received. (Revised: 1/3/06,1/15/11 effective 8/1/11)

15.5.6.3.4 Nonrecruited Student-Athlete Receiving Institutional Financial Aid. [FBS/FCS] A
student-athlete not recruited (per Bylaw 15.02.8) by the institution who receives institutional financial aid
(based in any degree on athletics ability) after beginning football practice becomes a counter but need not
be counted as an initial counter until the next academic year if the institution has reached its initial limit
for the year in question. However, the student-athlete shall be considered in the total counter limit for the
academic year in which the aid was first received. (Revised: 1/15/11 effective 8/1/11)

15.5.6.3.5 Midyear Replacement. [FBS/FCS] A counter who graduates at midyear or who graduates
during the previous academic year (including summer) may be replaced by an initial counter, who shall be
counted against the initial limit either for the year in which the aid is awarded (if the institution’s annual
limit has not been reached) or for the following academic year, or by a student-athlete who was an initial
counter in a previous academic year and is returning to the institution after time spent on active duty in the
armed services or on an official religious mission. In bowl subdivision football, an institution may use the
midyear replacement exception only if it previously has provided financial aid during that academic year
to the maximum number of overall counters (85 total counters). In championship subdivision football,
an institution may use the midyear replacement exception only if it previously has provided financial aid
during that academic year that equals the maximum number of overall equivalencies or overall counters.
(Revised: 4/20/99 effective 8/1/99, 6/8/99, 4/26/01 effective 8/1/01, 8/2/05, 12/15/06, 1/14/08 effective 8/1/08,
4/2/10, 1/15/11)

15.5.6.3.6 Aid First Awarded After Second Year. [FBS/FCS] A student-athlete who has been in residence at the certifying institution for at least two academic years may receive athletically related financial
aid for the first time without such aid counting as an initial award, provided the aid falls within the overall
grant limitation. (Adopted: 1/11/89, Revised: 1/10/90 effective 8/1/90)

15.5.6.3.7 Recruited Student-Athlete, Varsity Competition. [FBS/FCS] In accordance with Bylaw
15.5.1.1, a recruited student-athlete (per Bylaw 15.02.8) receiving institutional financial aid having been
granted without regard in any degree to athletics ability becomes an initial counter in the first academic
year in which the student-athlete competes on the varsity level. (See Bylaw 15.5.1.1.1.) (Revised: 10/27/05
effective 8/1/06, 1/15/11 effective 8/1/11, 1/18/14 effective 8/1/14)

15.5.6.3.8 Returning Two-Year Transfer. [FBS/FCS] A student-athlete who previously was an initial
counter and who transferred to a two-year college shall not be an initial counter upon return to the original
institution.

15.5.6.3.9 Delayed Initial Counter Who Does Not Return to School. [FBS/FCS] A student-athlete
who receives countable financial aid but whose status as an initial counter under this bylaw is delayed until
the following academic year shall be counted against the initial limit the following academic year, regardless of whether the student-athlete reports for participation or attends the institution in that academic year.