Daily Compliance Item- 12.29.16- 13.15.1.6.2

Ocean State University (OSU) Computer Science department has ordered 100 new computers for their student labs. OSU would like to donate the older computers to local high schools in need. Is this permissible?

 
Yes with conditions. NCAA Bylaw 13.15.1.6.2 states that a member institution may provide nonathletics equipment (e.g., a computer) to a high school, provided there is no athletics department involvement and the equipment is not used to benefit only the high school’s athletics program. (Adopted: 1/10/91)

 

 

Jennifer M. Condaras
Deputy Commissioner, NCAA Relations & Administration
Colonial Athletic Association

The opinions expressed in the Daily Compliance Item are the author’s and the author’s alone, and are not endorsed by The COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION or JumpForward. The Daily Compliance Item is not a substitute for a compliance office, case specific research, or the NCAA Bylaws. Do some homework, ask around, and get it right.

Daily Compliance Item- 12.21.16- 13.1.8.4- Postseason Game Event During a Dead Period

James River Institute will be playing in the FCS Football national championship game next month. One of the activities associated with this game is a kick-off banquet. Both head coaches will be asked to speak, and the event is open to the general public. If this banquet occurs during a dead period and prospect aged individuals are in attendance, is it permissible for the coaches to be there?

Yes with conditions. NCAA Bylaw 13.1.8.4 states that in football, a coach may speak at or attend a meeting or banquet (at which prospective student-athletes are in attendance) in conjunction with the institution’s appearance in a postseason contest that occurs during a dead period only if the meeting or banquet is open to the general public, it is a scheduled activity associated with the contest, and the coach does not make a recruiting presentation or have any direct contact with any prospective student-athlete (or a prospective student-athlete’s parents or legal guardians) in attendance. (Adopted: 9/15/97)

Jennifer M. Condaras
Deputy Commissioner, NCAA Relations & Administration
Colonial Athletic Association

The opinions expressed in the Daily Compliance Item are the author’s and the author’s alone, and are not endorsed by The COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION or JumpForward. The Daily Compliance Item is not a substitute for a compliance office, case specific research, or the NCAA Bylaws. Do some homework, ask around, and get it right.

Daily Compliance Item- 12.19.16- 11.01.5- Student Assistant Coach in Final Year of Degree Program

Strike Zone is an undergraduate student assistant coach for the softball team at Ocean State University. Here is Strike’s academic record:
At the conclusion of the fall semester, Strike will have a total of 8 hours left to fulfill graduation requirements. Unfortunately two of the three classes she needs are taught at the same time during the spring 2017 semester. Is it permissible for Strike to enroll in 6 hours this spring and complete the final 2 hour class this summer and graduate?

 
Yes. NCAA Bylaw 11.01.5 states that a student assistant coach is any coach who is a student-athlete who has exhausted his or her eligibility in the sport or has become injured to the point that he or she is unable to practice or compete ever again, and who meets the following additional criteria: (Revised: 1/9/96, 1/12/04 effective 8/1/04, 3/10/04, 5/26/06, 8/11/09, 4/29/10 effective 8/1/10, 8/7/14, 1/15/16 effective 8/1/16)
(a) Is enrolled at the institution at which he or she most recently participated in intercollegiate athletics;
(b) Is enrolled as a full-time graduate student within his or her five-year period of eligibility (see Bylaw 12.8) or is enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student in his or her first baccalaureate degree program, except that during his or her final semester or quarter of the degree program, he or she may be enrolled in less than a full-time degree program of studies, provided he or she is carrying (for credit) the courses necessary to complete the degree requirements;
(c) Is receiving no compensation or remuneration for coaching duties from the institution other than the financial aid that could be received as a student-athlete and expenses incurred on road trips that are received by individual team members; and
(d) Is not involved in contacting and evaluating prospective student-athletes off campus or scouting opponents off campus and does not perform recruiting coordination functions (see Bylaw 11.7.2).

Jennifer M. Condaras
Deputy Commissioner, NCAA Relations & Administration
Colonial Athletic Association

The opinions expressed in the Daily Compliance Item are the author’s and the author’s alone, and are not endorsed by The COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION or JumpForward. The Daily Compliance Item is not a substitute for a compliance office, case specific research, or the NCAA Bylaws. Do some homework, ask around, and get it right.

Daily Compliance Item- 12.15.16- 11.7.1.1, 17.02.1- Sports Psychologist Attending Practice

The Ocean State University softball coaches noticed that a few of their student-athletes have not been performing very well at practice. Thinking the issues may not be athletically related, the coaches asked a sports psychologist to evaluate these student-athletes at yesterday’s skill instruction session.

The sports psychologist watched practice but did not have any contact with the student-athletes. After practice the coaches met with this individual to try to determine what the issues might be. The sports psychologist determined these student-athletes are having trouble focusing, so she asked to meet with them one on one. The coaches are requiring the student-athletes to meet with the sports psychologist this afternoon.

Which of the following is true?

A. The sports psychologist’s presence at practice does not require the institution to count her in the coaching limitations.
B. The individual session the student-athletes will have with the sports psychologist must be considered a countable athletically related activity.
C. Both A and B are true
D. Neither A or B are true

The answer is C. NCAA Official Interpretation- Use of Sports Psychologist (I)- states that a sports psychologist may attend practice sessions without being included in the institution’s coaching limitations in a particular sport, provided the individual does not provide any technical or tactical instruction related to the sport or make or assist in making tactical decisions related to the sport during on-court or on-field practice or competition. A sports psychologist may evaluate a student-athlete during a practice session only for the purposes of assisting the student-athlete in off-court or off-field noncoaching activities (e.g., mental imagery) directly related to the sport; however, if a student-athlete is required to meet with the sports psychologist, such a meeting is considered a countable athletically related activity.

Further, an institution may require a student-athlete to meet with a sports psychologist as a permissible out-of-season conditioning activity for the purposes of assisting the student-athlete in off-court or off-field noncoaching activities (e.g., mental imagery) directly related to the sport, provided the time engaged in such sessions is included in the maximum limit of eight hours per week for countable athletically related activities outside the playing season. In bowl subdivision football, the sports psychologist does not have to count as one of the five strength and conditioning coaches permitted to work with the football program in any capacity.

[References: NCAA Bylaws 11.7.1.1 (countable coach); 17.02.1 (countable athletically related activities); 17.1.7.2 (weekly hour limitations — outside the playing season and staff interpretations, 12/12/14, Item b. which has been archived]

Jennifer M. Condaras
Deputy Commissioner, NCAA Relations & Administration
Colonial Athletic Association

The opinions expressed in the Daily Compliance Item are the author’s and the author’s alone, and are not endorsed by The COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION or JumpForward. The Daily Compliance Item is not a substitute for a compliance office, case specific research, or the NCAA Bylaws. Do some homework, ask around, and get it right.

Daily Compliance Item- 12.13.16- 13.5.4, 16.8.1- Transportation to Campus Prior to Initial Enrollment

One N. One is prospective student-athlete that will be initially enrolling full-time at Ocean State University (OSU) in January. One has been accepted and is registered with a full-time course load for the spring 2017 term. Additionally, One has been certified as a full qualifier by the NCAA Eligibility Center. One’s first competition with the team will be an away game that takes place a couple of days prior to the start of the spring term. Since the spring term will be One’s initial enrollment, is it permissible for OSU to provide transportation expenses to return to the campus with the team after the game?

Yes with conditions. NCAA Official Interpretation- 4/13/16- Transportation Prior to Enrollment After Away-From-Home Competition (I)- states that an institution may provide an incoming student-athlete who joins the institution’s team at an away-from-home competition (e.g., foreign tour, regular-season competition) with expenses to travel to the institution after the competition to begin his or her initial enrollment at the institution, provided the student-athlete is eligible for competition.

[References: NCAA Division I Bylaws 13.5.4 (transportation prior to enrollment) and 16.8.1 (permissible) and an official interpretation (07/22/93, Item No. 5), which has been archived]

Jennifer M. Condaras
Deputy Commissioner, NCAA Relations & Administration
Colonial Athletic Association

The opinions expressed in the Daily Compliance Item are the author’s and the author’s alone, and are not endorsed by The COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION or JumpForward. The Daily Compliance Item is not a substitute for a compliance office, case specific research, or the NCAA Bylaws. Do some homework, ask around, and get it right.

Daily Compliance Item- 12.12.16- 13.1.2.7- Off-Campus Contact with a PSA During an Unofficial Visit

Dee Cut is a prospective student-athlete interested in playing lacrosse at Ocean State University (OSU) next year. Dee is visiting OSU’s campus today and tomorrow on an unofficial visit. A few of the OSU lacrosse student-athletes are going to watch Monday Night Football at a restaurant near campus and ask Dee if he would like to join them. Is it permissible for the OSU student-athletes to have contact with Dee off-campus?

Yes with conditions. NCAA Staff Interpretation- 12/8/16- Off-Campus Contact Between Enrolled Student or Student-Athlete and Prospective Student-Athlete During Unofficial Visit (I)– states that during an unofficial visit, off-campus contact may occur between an enrolled student or student-athlete and prospective student-athlete, regardless of whether the visit was arranged by the athletics department, provided any off-campus contact is not at the direction of a coaching staff member (e.g., coach tells the student-athlete to take the prospective student-athlete to get ice cream off campus).

[Reference: NCAA Division I Bylaw 13.1.2.7 (student-athletes and other enrolled students)]

Jennifer M. Condaras
Deputy Commissioner, NCAA Relations & Administration
Colonial Athletic Association

The opinions expressed in the Daily Compliance Item are the author’s and the author’s alone, and are not endorsed by The COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION or JumpForward. The Daily Compliance Item is not a substitute for a compliance office, case specific research, or the NCAA Bylaws. Do some homework, ask around, and get it right.

Daily Compliance Item- 12.8.16- 13.15.2.5- Hiring a Band Comprised of Prospects

During the break between fall and spring semesters, Ocean State University (OSU) will be participating in a bowl game as well as hosting a few men’s and women’s basketball games. OSU’s band is not able to participate in all these events, so is it permissible for OSU to hire a local high school band to perform at the home basketball games?

Yes. NCAA Bylaw 13.15.2.5 states that an institution may hire a band (e.g., marching band, pep band) comprised of prospective student-athlete-aged individuals to perform at its regular-season home contests and/or postseason home or away-from-home contests, provided the band is paid commensurate with the going rate in that locale for similar services and the organization providing the band is located within 150 miles of the competition site. (Adopted: 11/1/01 effective 8/1/02)

Jennifer M. Condaras
Deputy Commissioner, NCAA Relations & Administration
Colonial Athletic Association

The opinions expressed in the Daily Compliance Item are the author’s and the author’s alone, and are not endorsed by The
COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION or JumpForward. The Daily Compliance Item is not a substitute for a compliance office,
case specific research, or the NCAA Bylaws. Do some homework, ask around, and get it right.

Daily Compliance Item- 12.7.16- 16.1.4- Student-Athlete Exchanging Award

The Ocean State University football student-athletes will receive rings for winning the Ocean Eleven Conference Championship game. A few of the student-athletes would like to exchange the ring for something else because they received a ring last year. Is it permissible to exchange the ring for another item?

No. NCAA Staff Interpretation- 12/5/13- Student-Athletes Selling Items Received for Participation in Intercollegiate Athletics (I) – states that a student-athlete may not sell, or exchange for another item of value, any item received for athletics participation. [References: NCAA Division I Bylaws 12.5.2.1 (advertisements and promotions after becoming a student-athlete); 12.1.2 (amateur status); 16.1.4 (types of awards, awarding agencies, maximum value and numbers of awards); and 16.11.2.1 (general rule)]

Jennifer M. Condaras
Deputy Commissioner, NCAA Relations & Administration
Colonial Athletic Association

The opinions expressed in the Daily Compliance Item are the author’s and the author’s alone, and are not endorsed by The
COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION or JumpForward. The Daily Compliance Item is not a substitute for a compliance office,
case specific research, or the NCAA Bylaws. Do some homework, ask around, and get it right.

Daily Compliance Item- 12.6.16- 13.1.6.2.4- Recruits Attending Bowl Game Practices During a Dead Period

Ocean State University (OSU) has been invited to participate in the Mickey Mouse Bowl game in Orlando, FL. There are several recruits in the Orlando area that would like to come watch some of OSU’s open practices, but they will occur during a recruiting dead period.
Is it permissible for the recruits to attend OSU’s practices during the dead period?

 
Yes with conditions. NCAA Bylaw 13.1.6.2.4 states that during a dead period, a prospective student-athlete may attend an institution’s bowl game practice session at the bowl site, provided the practice is open to the general public and the prospective student-athlete observes the practice only from an area reserved for that purpose for the general public. No contact between the prospective student-athlete and institutional staff members or representatives of the institution’s athletics interests may occur. [D] (Adopted: 1/10/92, Revised: 5/27/11, 10/30/14)

Jennifer M. Condaras
Deputy Commissioner, NCAA Relations & Administration
Colonial Athletic Association

The opinions expressed in the Daily Compliance Item are the author’s and the author’s alone, and are not endorsed by The COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION or JumpForward. The Daily Compliance Item is not a substitute for a compliance office, case specific research, or the NCAA Bylaws. Do some homework, ask around, and get it right.

Daily Compliance Item- 12.5.16- 14.2.1.1.1- Prospects Attending Team Review Sessions

Jim Rat is a basketball prospect that just signed a National Letter of Intent with Ocean State University (OSU). Jim is very excited about the opportunity to play for OSU and can’t wait to get started and learn the team’s plays. Jim lives near OSU’s campus and would like to sit in on film review sessions with the team. Is this permissible?

 
No. NCAA Bylaw 14.2.1.1.1 states that a prospective student-athlete shall not engage in any practice activities (e.g., review of playbook, chalk talk, film review) with a coaching staff member prior to his or her enrollment. A prospective student-athlete who has signed a National Letter of Intent or the institution’s written offer of admission and/or financial aid, or has submitted a financial deposit to the institution in response to the institution’s offer of admission shall not observe an institution’s off-field or off-court practice session (e.g., meeting, film review) that is closed to the general public. A prospective student-athlete may observe an institution’s on-field or on-court practice session (including a session that is closed to the general public), regardless of whether he or she has signed a National Letter of Intent or the institution’s written offer of admission and/or financial aid, or has submitted a financial deposit to the institution in response to the institution’s offer of admission. (Adopted: 12/12/06, Revised: 3/3/11, 5/30/13)

 
NCAA Educational Column- 2/10/16- Film Review — Prospective Student-Athletes and Coaching Staff Members (I)- provides further clarification for common questions/scenarios.

In general, a prospective student-athlete, who has not committed* to the institution, may engage in limited film review activities as part of the recruiting process. However, if the prospective student-athlete has committed* to the institution, then the prospective student-athlete may not participate in any film review activities. All questions below address the film review activities of prospective student-athletes who have not committed* to the institution.

*References to “commitment” include a signed National Letter of Intent or the institution’s written offer of admission and/or financial aid or have submitted a financial deposit to the institution in response to the institution’s offer of admission.

Question No. 1: May a coach and prospective student-athlete view the prospective student-athlete’s film (e.g., game film, highlight video, YouTube clip)? If so, may the coach provide feedback and/or instruction to the prospective student-athlete regarding his or her film during the viewing?

Answer No. 1: A coach and prospective student-athlete may view the prospective student-athlete’s film. Further, the coach may provide general feedback (e.g., general items for improvement or identifying how the prospective student-athlete fits into the program’s system) without such feedback constituting a practice activity. However, the coach may not provide the prospective student-athlete with instruction while viewing the film.

Question No. 2: May the coach and prospective student-athlete view the prospective student-athlete’s film on a regular (e.g., weekly or monthly) basis?

Answer No. 2: No. Viewing a prospective student-athlete’s film with the prospective student-athlete frequently or on a regular basis would constitute an impermissible practice activity. The coaching staff member should only view the prospective student-athlete’s film with the prospective student-athlete on a limited basis as part of the recruiting process.

Question No. 3: May a coach and prospective student-athlete view the prospective student-athlete’s film during a home visit?

Answer No. 3: Yes. However, the institution would need to account for the contact.

Question No. 4: May a coach and prospective student-athlete view the team’s game/practice film or one or more student-athlete’s game/practice film? Further, may the coach provide feedback and/or instruction to the prospective student-athlete during the viewing?

Answer No. 4: The coach and prospective student-athlete may view the team’s game/practice film or a student-athlete’s game/practice film provided the film is not created for recruiting purposes. Further, the coach may provide general feedback (e.g., general items for improvement, identifying how the prospective student-athlete fits into the program’s system or explaining how current student-athletes have improved their skills under the coach’s teaching) without such feedback constituting a practice activity. However, the coach may not provide the prospective student-athlete with instruction while viewing the film.

Question No. 5: May a prospective student-athlete observe a team’s film review session, which is closed to the general public, during an official or unofficial visit to campus?

Answer No. 5: Yes, provided the prospective student-athlete has not committed* to the institution and only observes the film review session.

Question No. 6: May a prospective student-athlete observe a team’s film review session, which is closed to the general public, on a weekly or monthly basis?

Answer No. 6: No. Observing a team’s film review session frequently or on a regular basis would constitute an impermissible practice activity. The prospective student-athlete should only observe a team’s film review session on a limited basis as part of the recruiting process.

[References: NCAA Division I Bylaws 13.4.1.7.2 (material not created for recruiting purposes) and 14.2.1.1.1 (prohibited practice activities)]

Notice about Educational Columns: Educational columns and hot topics are intended to assist the membership with the correct application of legislation and/or interpretations by providing clarifications, reminders and examples. They are based on legislation and official and staff interpretations applicable at the time of publication. Therefore, educational columns and hot topics are binding to the extent that the legislation and interpretations on which they are based remain applicable. Educational columns are posted on a regular basis to address a variety of issues and hot topics are posted as necessary in order to address timely issues.

Jennifer M. Condaras
Deputy Commissioner, NCAA Relations & Administration
Colonial Athletic Association

The opinions expressed in the Daily Compliance Item are the author’s and the author’s alone, and are not endorsed by The COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION or JumpForward. The Daily Compliance Item is not a substitute for a compliance office, case specific research, or the NCAA Bylaws. Do some homework, ask around, and get it right.