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.

Daily Compliance Item- 3.3.17- 15.2.8- Summer Aid Agreement

Ocean State University (OSU) administrators are reviewing student-athletes’ records to determine which student-athletes need to enroll in summer school. If OSU provides those student-athletes athletic aid to attend summer school, do they need to provide them with a written aid agreement?

No. NCAA Official Interpretation- 7/30/12- Notification of Summer Financial Aid Award (I)– states that an institution that is providing a financial aid award to a student-athlete for attendance at the institution’s summer session is not required to provide the recipient with a written statement of the amount, duration, conditions or terms of the award. [References: NCAA Division I Bylaws 15.2.8 (summer financial aid) and 15.3.2.3 (written statement requirement); a staff interpretation (5/31/12, Item c) and an official interpretation (10/14/92, Item No. 5-c-(4)) which have 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- 3.2.17- 13.15.1.9- Academic Expenses for Prospects

Ocean State University (OSU) athletic academic advisors are monitoring OSU’s incoming recruits to make sure they complete all requirements meet NCAA initial eligibility requirements. If any of the recruits need to retake the SAT, can OSU provide expenses to attend a test preparation class?

No. NCAA Bylaw 13.15.1.9 states that an institution shall not provide academic expenses or services (e.g., tutoring, test preparation) to assist a prospective student-athlete in completing initial-eligibility or transfer-eligibility requirements or in improving his or her academic profile in conjunction with a waiver request. [R] (Adopted: 4/23/08)

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.

BONUS Daily Compliance Item- 3.1.17- 17.1.8(b)- Practicing After Conference Champ.

If the Ocean State University (OSU) women’s basketball team does not make it to the championship game in the Ocean Eleven’s Conference Tournament this weekend, they will likely not make it to the NCAA Tournament. The team’s conference record could be under 500, but the coaches believe they will be selected to participate in the Women’s NIT.

Can the OSU women’s basketball team continue to practice to prepare for the postseason?

Yes. NCAA Bylaw 17.1.8(b)- NCAA or NAIA Championships Participation in Team Sports- states that neither practice for nor participation in any NCAA or NAIA championship event (including play-in contests conducted pursuant to NCAA championships) is considered part of the institution’s declared playing season. A member institution that has reason to believe it is under consideration for selection to participate in an NCAA championship event may continue to practice (but may not compete against outside competition) beyond its last regular-season contest, including the conference championship (if any), without counting such practice against the institution’s declared playing-season limitation until it is determined by the appropriate committee whether the institution will be selected to participate in the NCAA championship competition. An institution that is not selected to participate in the NCAA championship may continue to practice or compete until the end of that championship only if it has time remaining .

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- 3.1.17- 15.5.9.1.1- Multi-Sport Student-Athletes and Athletic Aid

Jav A. Lin is a freshman track student-athlete at Ocean State University (OSU). Jav is receiving a full athletic scholarship during the 2016-17 academic year. The OSU football coaches have talked to Jav about playing football next year.

If Jav plays football during the 2017-18 academic year and receives athletic aid, does he have to count as an initial counter in the sport of football since he received athletic aid the previous year for a different sport?

Yes. NCAA Bylaw 15.5.9.1.1 states that a counter who previously has not been counted in football shall be considered an initial counter even though the student-athlete already has received countable financial aid in another sport.

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.