What exactly is a "partial qualifier"?

[JS School]

Also, local players that Pitt had some interest in and then backed off have played or are playing for schools like Marshall, N. Mexico St and Robert Morris. Would they also have been eligible to play for Pitt, but Pitt did not want to take a chance on them being eligible, or does Pitt have different eligibility requirements?

If the eligibility requirements are different, are they different from school to school or do conferences also have varying requirements?

 

[JimPL]

The NCAA has requirements for SAT and GPA's. A partial qualifier meets one of those requirements but not both.

Several of the major conferences have agreed not to take partial qualifiers. The ACC no longer takes them and neither did the old Big East.

Partial qualifiers are accepted in the MAC, Sunbelt ect. Often you are only allowed to take a limited number. At one time Pitt did take a couple of football players each year. Once the Big East said no more it stopped. Once Pitt joined the ACC the policy was already in place.

Each conference makes their own decision. It is one of the many reasons that schools of similar academic status end up in the same conference.