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Abstract
Crucial differences exist between the U.S. "clear demarcation" of commercial pro sport and amateurism as applied by National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I (NCAA DI) on one hand, and the International club-based federalized structure, with more connections between professional and amateur clubs on the other. Internationally the "professionalization threshold" has been elusive in the past and continues to create problems for international prospective student-athletes (IPSAs), the NCAA staff, and member institutions. Knowledge gaps and confusion are present per professionalization circumstances in the international sport systems structure that lead to IPSAs not being able to pursue higher education and sports in NCAA DI member institutions. Purpose of this work is to describe the legal framework and its application on NCAA DI IPSAs cases; to alert of existing and potential problems, their causes, and their possible solutions; to serve as a manual for both policy formation and litigation involving these matters. Ultimately, this endeavor aims at changing a few of the present conceptions on amateurism policy in regard to IPSAs, finding a balance between the two worlds of sport structure, so that IPSAs---and NCAA DI member institutions, as well as NCAA staff members---are not adversely affected by the gaps existing in philosophical and political approach, practice, and policy.
