Daily Compliance Item- 3.17.17- 16.8.1.1- Incidental Money at NCAA Championships

MARCH MADNESS

Ocean State University (OSU) men’s basketball team is participating in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament this weekend. OSU would like to provide incidental money to the student-athletes traveling to the tournament while they are at the competition site.

Is this permissible?

Yes with conditions. NCAA Bylaw 16.8.1.1 states that an institution may provide $30 per day to each member of a team to cover unitemized incidental expenses during travel and practice for NCAA championship events or national governing body championship events in emerging sports, during a period limited to the maximum number of days of per diem allowed for the involved championship or, for postseason bowl games, for a period not to exceed 10 days. The $30 per day may be provided only after the team departs for or reports to the site of the championship or postseason bowl contest. [R] (Adopted: 10/21/13, Revised: 8/7/14)

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- 3.16.17- 11.6.1- Student-Athletes Observing NCAA Tournament Games

March Madness

The Ocean State Men’s Basketball team will be participating in the NCAA tournament on Friday. They do not play until the evening session, so a few of the student-athletes would like to go watch some of the earlier games to see the teams they could play later on in the tournament.

Is this permissible?

Yes. NCAA Staff Interpretation- 3/17/14- Institution’s Team Observing Opponent’s Competition (I) – states that it is not permissible for an institution to pay expenses for the institution’s team to scout a future opponent as entertainment in conjunction with practice or competition. However, it is permissible for an institution’s team to observe future opponents participating in the same event at the same site, even if there are expenses associated with the observation.

[References: NCAA Bylaws 11.6.1 (off-campus, in-person scouting prohibition); 16.7 (entertainment in conjunction with practice or competition); and staff interpretation (09/27/13, Item No. e, 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- 3.14.17- 10.02.1- Sports Wagering

MARCH MADNESS!

With this week commencing NCAA postseason basketball tournaments, all institutional/conference staff members (including full-time, part-time, and student workers) are reminded that it is not permissible to engage in any gambling activity that involves intercollegiate athletics or professional athletics, through the internet, a bookmaker, a parlay card, or any other method employed by organized gambling.

This prohibition also includes participation in all (e.g., NCAA, NIT) Tournament Bracket sheets in which an entry fee is required and money or any item of tangible value may be won. Previous NCAA major infractions cases involving staff members’ participation in organized gambling activities have resulted in a number of institutional corrective actions, including termination of employment.

For more information concerning sports wagering, please visit the NCAA’s interactive sports wagering website at http://www.dontbetonit.org.

NCAA Bylaw 10.02.1 Sports Wagering
Sports wagering includes placing, accepting or soliciting a wager (on a staff member’s or student-athlete’s own behalf or on the behalf of others) of any type with any individual or organization on any intercollegiate, amateur or professional team or contest. Examples of sports wagering include, but are not limited to, the use of a bookmaker or parlay card; Internet sports wagering; auctions in which bids are placed on teams, individuals or contests; and pools or fantasy leagues in which an entry fee is required and there is an opportunity to win a prize. (Adopted: 4/26/07 effective 8/1/07)

NCAA Bylaw 10.02.2 Wager
A wager is any agreement in which an individual or entity agrees to give up an item of value (e.g., cash, shirt, dinner) in exchange for the possibility of gaining another item of value. (Adopted: 4/26/07 effective 8/1/07)

NCAA Bylaw 10.3 SPORTS WAGERING ACTIVITIES
The following individuals shall not knowingly participate in sports wagering activities or provide information to individuals involved in or associated with any type of sports wagering activities concerning intercollegiate, amateur or professional athletics competition: (Adopted: 4/26/07 effective 8/1/07)

(a) Staff members of an institution’s athletics department;
(b) Non-athletics department staff members who have responsibilities within or over the athletics department (e.g., chancellor or president, faculty athletics representative, individual to whom athletics reports);
(c) Staff members of a conference office; and
(d) Student-athletes.

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- 3.13.17- 11.6.1- Scouting at NCAA Tournament First Four Games

MARCH MADNESS

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT- SCOUTING

Now that the tournament bracket has been set for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, here is a reminder regarding coaches scouting the four first round games being played on March 14-15 in Dayton, OH. Although Bylaw 11.6.1 does allow an institution’s coaching staff to scout since the teams are considered potential opponents, not future opponents, there is a rule in the men’s basketball championship policies that precludes scouting during the first round games in Dayton.

Coaches’ Scouting Seats – First Four Games- No in-person scouting of any games in Dayton are permissible either by the teams playing in Dayton, or by the teams which the Dayton winners will play in the First Round. Therefore, no scouting seats are set aside courtside at the First Four.

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- 3.10.17- 11.4.2.2- Reassigning an IAWP

Ocean State University (OSU) is looking to make some changes with the men’s basketball coaching staff. One of the assistant coaches is an individual associated with a prospect (IAWP) and was hired in July 2015. Since this assistant has been a countable coach for the last 2 seasons, is it permissible for OSU to reassign him to a non-coaching staff position?

Yes. NCAA Official Interpretation- 3/8/17- Individual Associated with a Prospective Student-Athlete — Men’s Basketball Countable Coach Reassignment (I)– states that an individual associated with a prospect must be a countable coach at the institution for at least the previous two full seasons to apply the reassignment exception. Further, a season is defined as the time between the institution’s start of on-court preseason practice and the institution’s last regular-season contest.

NCAA Bylaw 11.4.2.2 states that an institution may reassign an individual associated with a prospective student-athlete from a countable coaching staff position to a noncoaching staff position or strength and conditioning staff position, provided the individual has been a countable coach at the institution for at least the previous two academic years. (Adopted: 4/28/16)

[References: NCAA Division I Bylaws 11.4.2 (individual associated with a prospective student-athlete — men’s basketball), 11.4.2.1 (application), 11.4.2.2 (exception — reassignment), 13.8.3.2.2 (exception — reassignment), Bylaw 17.3.1 (length of playing season), 17.3.2 (preseason practice — on-court practice), 17.3.2.1 (men’s basketball) and 17.3.4 (end of playing season)]

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- 3.9.17- 12.3.1.3- Benefits From a Prospective Agent

Cylinder is a men’s basketball student-athlete at Ocean State University. Cylinder is a junior and likely to be drafted by the NBA after the 2016-17 academic year. Cylinder is going to participate in permissible tryout opportunities after the season and has been approached by several agents. Cylinder has informed the agents that he cannot enter into any type of verbal or written agreement with them without jeopardizing his eligibility. Several of the interested agents would like to give Cylinder a new pair of sneakers to use for the tryouts. Is this permissible? If not, is it permissible to provide the sneakers to Cylinder’s younger brother?

No, it is not permissible to provide any benefits to Cylinder or any of his friends and/or family members. NCAA Bylaw 12.3.1.3 states that an individual shall be ineligible per Bylaw 12.3.1 if he or she (or his or her relatives or friends) accepts transportation or other benefits from: (Revised: 1/14/97)

(a) Any person who represents any individual in the marketing of his or her athletics ability. The receipt of such expenses constitutes compensation based on athletics skill and is an extra benefit not available to the student body in general; or

(b) An agent, even if the agent has indicated that he or she has no interest in representing the student-athlete in the marketing of his or her athletics ability or reputation and does not represent individuals in the student-athlete’s sport. (Adopted: 1/14/97)

A very useful document to assist men’s basketball student-athletes with eligibility remaining is the annual NBA Draft memo from the NCAA Staff. This document can be found on NCAA.org.

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- 3.8.17- 17.1.7.6.3.1- Activities After Midnight

Due to the inclement weather, the Ocean State University Baseball Team was not able to begin its home game until 9:30pm. If the game is still being contested at midnight, is it permissible to continue or do they have to wait and resume the next day after 5am?

The teams may continue the game. NCAA Bylaw 17.1.7.6.3.1 states that countable athletically related activities may occur between midnight and 5 a.m. under the following circumstances: (Adopted: 1/16/10)

(a) During participation in a conference championship or an NCAA championship;
(b) Participation in any competition that begins before midnight and concludes after midnight; or (c) Participation in a promotional practice activity (e.g., first practice of the season).

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.