Daily Compliance Item- 9/30/14- 11.01.4- Undergraduate Student Coach

Pop Fly is a junior softball student-athlete at Ocean State University (OSU).  Pop was injured last year and was told by her doctors that with the severity of the injury, she is unable to ever practice or compete in intercollegiate athletics again.  The coaches want to help Pop finish her degree, so they have designated her as an undergraduate student coach.  Pop used to also play volleyball when she was younger, so she approached OSU’s volleyball coaches and asked if she could also serve as an undergraduate student coach for the volleyball team. Which of the following is true? A.  Pop can serve as an undergraduate student coach in the sport of volleyball B.  Pop can serve as an undergraduate student coach in the sport of softball C.  Pop can serve as an undergraduate student coach in either sport D.  Pop cannot serve as an undergraduate student coach in either sport. The answer is B.  NCAA Staff Interpretation-9/29/14- Undergraduate Student Assistant Coach in Other Sports (I)– states that a student-athlete who has exhausted his or her eligibility or has become injured to the point that he or she is unable to practice or compete ever again, but whose five-year period of eligibility has not expired, may serve as an undergraduate student assistant coach only in the sport in which he or she participated at the institution. If the student-athlete’s five-year period of eligibility has expired, he or she may serve as an undergraduate student assistant coach in any sport at the institution where he or she most recently participated in intercollegiate athletics. [Reference: NCAA Division I Bylaw 11.01.4 (undergraduate student assistant coach)]

Daily Compliance Item- 9/29/14- 14.4.3.1.7- Change in Degree Program

Spot Kick is a soccer student-athlete at Ocean State University (OSU).  Spot is a junior and currently pursuing a degree in Biology.  Spot is not happy with his classes and would like to change his desired degree program to Environmental Science.  OSU’s policy allows students to change their major at any point during the fall semester.  If Spot changes his major now, will his hours have to count toward Biology or Environmental Science for purposes of meeting NCAA progress toward degree requirements at the conclusion of the semester? Spot’s credit hours can count toward Biology or Environmental Science.  NCAA Staff Interpretation- 11-10-89- Change of degree program during term time– states that in regard to a student-athlete who is permitted to change his or her designated degree program during term time in accordance with institutional policy and determined that the degree credits the student-athlete earns during that term can be applicable toward the degree previously sought or toward the new desired degree for satisfactory progress purposes.

Daily Compliance Item- 9/26/14- 13.6.2.6.5- Multiple Sport Recruit’s Official Visit

Andy Athlete is highly touted prospect being recruited by Ocean State University (OSU) in the sports of football and track.  Andy is going to take an official visit to OSU’s campus this weekend and meet with both coaching staffs.  Does the visit have to count against the 56 visit limit in the sport of football since he is also being recruited by the track and field coaches?

Yes.  NCAA Bylaw 13.6.2.6.5 states that a prospective student-athlete in football and one or more other sports (including basketball or baseball) shall be counted against the visit limitation in football. A prospective student-athlete in basketball and one or more other sports (other than football) shall be counted against the visit limitation in basketball. A prospective student-athlete in baseball and one or more other sports (other than football or basketball) shall be counted against the visit limitation in baseball.  [D] (Revised: 1/12/99 effective 8/1/99, 10/29/09)

 

Daily Compliance Item- 9/25/14- 12.8.3.1.4- Alumni Game

The Ocean State University softball team is going to participate in an alumni game this fall.  The coaches plan to redshirt two of the freshmen student-athletes, so if they participate in this game and no other competition for the remainder of the 2014-15 academic year, can they still receive a redshirt status? 

Yes with conditions.  NCAA Bylaw 12.8.3.1.4 states that a student-athlete may engage in outside competition in either one alumni game, one fundraising activity or one celebrity sports activity during a season without counting such competition as a season of competition, provided the event is exempted from the institution’s maximum number of contests or dates of competition as permitted in the particular sport per Bylaw 17. (Adopted:  1/16/10 effective 8/1/10, Revised: 7/31/14)

Daily Compliance Item- 9/24/14- 12.1.2.1.6, 16.02.3- Preferential Treatment vs. Extra Benefit

DID YOU KNOW…

  There is a difference between extra benefits and preferential treatment?

  *The provision of extra benefits involve institutional staff members or boosters

  *Preferential treatment occurs when institution does not have knowledge of the treatment, benefit or services being provided to the individual

 

Clay Court is a tennis student-athlete at Ocean State University (OSU).  Clay asks his coach to call the pro at a country club in his hometown, so that he can have some free time on one of the indoor courts during the Christmas holiday.  The coach arranges for Clay to hit balls free of charge.  This country club offers student discount rates throughout the year.

  Does this arrangement constitute a violation?

  Yes, other college students are not able to play for free.  They pay a discounted rate.

  Is this an extra benefit or preferential treatment?

  This arrangement is an extra benefit because of the coach’s involvement.

  Would this arrangement still be a violation if the coach was not involved?

  Yes, the violation would be preferential treatment.

  12.1.2.1.6 Preferential Treatment, Benefits or Services.

Preferential treatment, benefits or services because of the individual’s athletics reputation or skill or pay-back potential as a professional athlete, unless such treatment, benefits or services are specifically permitted under NCAA legislation. 

16.02.3 Extra Benefit.

An extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution’s athletics interests to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete’s relative or friend a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation. Receipt of a benefit by student-athletes or their relatives or friends is not a violation of NCAA legislation if it is demonstrated that the same benefit is generally available to the institution’s students or their relatives or friends or to a particular segment of the student body (e.g., foreign students, minority students) determined on a basis unrelated to athletics ability.

Daily Compliance Item- 9/23/14- 13.1.2.2(f)- Use of an Interpreter

Ocean State University men’s basketball coaches are finalizing their home visits for the remainder of the fall semester.  One of their recruit’s parents do not speak english.  Can the coaches bring an interpreter with them to the home visit? Yes with conditions.  NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.2(f) states that it is permissible to have an interpreter present during an institution’s in-person, off-campus contact with a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete’s parents (or legal guardians), provided that if the institution is involved in making the arrangements for the use of the interpreter, the interpreter must be a faculty member or a professional interpreter. It is not permissible for the interpreter to be an enrolled student-athlete, a family member of an enrolled student-athlete or a representative of the institution’s athletics interests. (Adopted: 1/11/97)

Daily Compliance Item- 9/22/14- 13.7.2.1.7- Academic Interviews

Wheel Route is a football prospect that will be visiting Ocean State University’s (OSU) campus this weekend for an unofficial visit.  Wheel is interested in pursuing a major in criminal justice and would like to speak to an academic advisor in that department while visiting campus.  Is is permissible for OSU to arrange such a meeting for Wheel?

 

Yes.  NCAA Bylaw 13.7.2.1.7 states that an athletics department staff member may arrange academic interviews for a prospective student-athlete on an unofficial visit.

 

Daily Compliance Item- 9/19/14- Current Event

U.S. senators demand answers from Power Five schools

Three U.S. senators continued their pressure on major-college athletics programs Thursday when they announced they have written a letter to the CEOs of each of the schools in the five power conferences, demanding responses to questions in 10 areas of athlete welfare.

The five-page letter, from Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), comes a little more than two months after the Senate Commerce Committee — which Rockefeller chairs — held a hearing in Washington at which NCAA President Mark Emmert appeared and absorbed criticism from a variety of committee members, including McCaskill and Booker.

The senators say in the letter they “have grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of meaningful progress by the NCAA and its member institutions” in addressing what they termed “weak protections currently given to student-athletes … under the auspices of the NCAA and its amateurism model” regarding health care, academics and financial coverage of athletes’ full cost of attending college.

Citing Emmert’s testimony concerning pending changes in the NCAA’s Division I governance structure that would give the power conference schools greater autonomy in rules making, the senators added, “We intend to monitor your progress to see whether the very schools and conferences that are often blamed for much of the problems plaguing intercollegiate athletics today effectively utilize the new flexibility you have been granted to implement meaningful reforms to better protect student-athletes.”

The senators asked each of the school CEO’s to provide responses to a lengthy and detailed list of questions by Oct. 17.

The questions cover areas, including:

•Awarding of multiyear athletic scholarships, which is allowed under NCAA rules but not widely done, according to survey published earlier this week by CBSSports.com.

•Provision of health care coverage to athletes.

•Adoption and enforcement of concussion protocols.

•Time limitations on athletes’ sports-related activities.

•Monitoring of athletes’ academic progress.

•Campus policies related to interpersonal violence, including but not limited to sexual assault and domestic violence, and schools’ support of policies prohibiting the involvement of athletics departments in the handling of allegations of such violence.

•The school’s position on allowing athletes to seek compensation “similar to how Olympic athletes are compensated.

“Some of the questions will require fairly detailed responses from the schools. For instance, regarding multiyear scholarships the senators want the schools to “explain any and all applicable qualifiers, conditions and limitations to such scholarships.” And regarding athletes’ health-care coverage, the senators want “details on the scope of the coverage, such as cost-sharing and the length of time such coverage will be provided.”

The senators also want each school to explain how it calculates the full cost of attendance — a figure that can be based on a wide array of variables.

This article was selected for educational purposes only.

Daily Compliance Item- 9/18/14- 16.1.5.4- Student-Athlete Contribution to Award

The Ocean State University (OSU) men’s soccer team won the Ocean Eleven’s Conference Tournament last year.  A few of the student-athletes wanted to upgrade the quality of their championship rings, so they each paid an extra $150 to get nicer ones. Is this permissible? No.  NCAA Bylaw 16.1.5.4 states that the value of an award may not exceed specified value limits, and a student-athlete may not contribute to its purchase in order to meet those limits. This is an actual fact pattern of a secondary rules violation.  The institution was required to request reinstatement for the involved student-athletes’ eligibility.

Daily Compliance Item- 9/17/14- 15.3.1.3- Retroactive Aid

Crease Man is a lacrosse student-athlete at Ocean State University (OSU).  Crease’s coach decided to provide her with a full athletic scholarship during the 4th week of classes.  Can OSU provide her the full amount or does it have to be prorated based on the remaining charges for that term?

The scholarship will have to be prorated.  NCAA Bylaw 15.3.1.3 states that institutional financial aid awarded to an enrolled student-athlete after the first day of classes in any term may not exceed the remaining room and board charges and educational expenses for that term and may not be made retroactive to the beginning of that term.