Giovanni Manu from the University of British Columbia (UBC) recently became the school’s first ever football player to be chosen for the NFL (National Football League) Draft. Manu spent four seasons at UBC and was declared a 2x All-Canadian—playing over 500 offensive snaps in 2023. While only a few college-level players go on to play professionally, most college-athletes enter careers like athletics administration, medicine, education, and business. School should therefore be just as much of a priority as football, but balancing the two is far from easy. Fortunately, recent U Sports scholarship policy changes and updated NCAA transfer rules are helping Canadian college footballers stay on track with their academic journey.
U Sports scholarship policy changes
Recent changes to U Sports scholarship policies take away some of the stress college footballers typically face when balancing the financial side of school. Previously, first-year student athletes had to attain an 80% grade average in their last year of high school or College of General and Professional Teaching (CEGEP) to qualify for scholarships. They also had to keep up a 60% grade average. Now, incoming college football players can be eligible for scholarships once they’re accepted by a school. This means they no longer have to achieve such high, sometimes impossible, academic goals throughout their university careers, which gives them more time to focus on football.
New NCAA rules allow unlimited transfers
Some Canadian players also transfer to U.S. schools to move forward with their academic and sports careers. After a recent rule change, the NCAA now allows unlimited free transfers, which makes it fairly easy for college footballers to switch schools. Whereas before college athletes could only transfer once and had to start playing immediately, they can do so as many times as they please and have greater freedom in general regarding when they play—as long as they stay on top of their studies at the same time. Deane Leonard is an inspiring example of a Canadian student who transferred to the U.S. successfully. Now a cornerback for the Los Angeles Chargers in the National Football League, Leonard started out playing college football at the University of Calgary. In 2021 and 2022, he transferred to the University of Mississippi where he finished with fifty total tackles, including thirty solo stops, and eight pass breakups.
Transfer academic requirements
According to the NCAA, student-athletes transferring from a four-year undergraduate program in Canada to a four-year undergraduate program in the U.S. must meet the new school’s academic requirements, as well as all progress-toward-degree requirements before they’re able to play. Student-athletes must also be in good standing with their past school and not on academic probation. For now, the NCAA will track the academic performance of transferring footballers and make adjustments to these rules if needed.
The academic journey of Canadian college football players requires them to balance classes and exams with athletic obligations. Although this journey is never easy, recent policy changes take away some of the stress and give players more freedom and flexibility to achieve their goals.
