"14.2.4  Hardship Waiver.  A student-athlete may be granted an additional year of competition by the conference or the Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet for reasons of "hardship." Hardship is defined as an incapacity resulting from an injury or illness that has occurred under all of the following conditions:

[14.2.4-(a) unchanged.]

"(b) The injury or illness occurs prior to the completion of the first half of the playing season that concludes with the NCAA championship in that sport (measured by the number of completed scheduled contests or dates of competition rather than scheduled contests or dates of competition or calendar days not exceeding the maximum limitations in each sport as set forth in Bylaw 17 as set prior to the first scheduled contest or date of competition) and results in incapacity to compete for the remainder of that playing season; and

"(c) The injury or illness occurs when the student-athlete has not participated in more than two contests or dates of competition (whichever is applicable to that sport) or 20 percent (whichever number is greater) of the institution's completed scheduled contests or dates of competition in his or her sport. Only scheduled competition (excluding scrimmages and exhibition contests) against outside participants during the playing season that concludes with the NCAA championship, or, if so designated, during the official NCAA championship playing season in that sport (e.g., spring baseball, fall soccer), shall be countable under this limitation in calculating both the number of contests or dates of competition in which the student-athlete has participated and the number of completed contests or dates of competition during that season in the sport.

[14.2.4.1 through 14.2.4.2 unchanged.]

"14.2.4.3  Criteria for Administration of Hardship Waiver.  The following criteria are to be employed in the administration of the hardship waiver:

[14.2.4.3.1 and 14.2.4.3.2 unchanged.]

"14.2.4.3.3  First-Half-of-Season Calculation. In determining if an injury or illness occurs in the first half of the season that concludes with the NCAA championship in a sport with an odd number of scheduled contests or dates of competition, the injury or illness must have occurred prior to the beginning of the scheduled varsity contest or date of competition that starts the second half of the season that concludes with the NCAA championship (e.g., an injury or illness occurring at any time after the beginning of the scheduled sixth game of an 11-game football schedule would be considered to be after the first half of the institution's season and would not qualify the student-athlete for a hardship waiver).

[14.2.4.3.4 unchanged.]

"14.2.4.3.5  Percent Calculation.  The following requirements are to be met in determining the percent calculation under this waiver provision: (Note: The percent calculation requirements set forth in Bylaws 14.2.4 and 14.2.4.3.5 apply only to the waiver provisions of this section and do not apply to the maximum- and minimum-contests requirements in Bylaw 20.)

"14.2.4.3.5.1  Denominator in Percent Computation.  The denominator in the institution's percent calculation shall be based on the institution's number of completed scheduled varsity contests or dates of competition [see Bylaw 14.2.4-(c)] as computed for playing and practice season purposes in Bylaw 17 for the applicable sport. (Note: Exempted events in Bylaw 17 are included in the percent calculation, except as provided in Bylaw 14.2.4.3.5.3.)

[14.2.4.3.5.2 unchanged.]

"14.2.4.3.5.3  Conference Championships. A conference championship shall be counted as one contest or date of competition in determining the institution's completed scheduled contests or dates of competition in that sport, regardless of the number of days or games involved in the championship. However, for purposes of this regulation, the calculation of completed scheduled contests or dates of competition in a particular season does not include postseason competition conducted subsequent to the completion of the institution's regular-season schedule and conference tournament.

"14.2.4.3.5.4  Transfer Student-Athletes. The calculation for percentage of completed scheduled contests or dates of competition for a transfer student-athlete may be based on the method that would be most beneficial to the student-athlete (i.e., the rule applicable to the division where the injury or illness occurred or the Division I rule)."

[14.2.4.3.6 unchanged.]