Daily Compliance Item- 1.9.17- 13.6.6.1, 13.6.7.7- Meals for Prospect Aged Sibling on Official Visit

Cadence is a prospective student-athlete that is being recruited by Ocean State University (OSU) to play football. Cadence is taking an official visit to OSU’s campus this weekend and is bringing his parents and younger brother. Since Cadence’s brother is a sophomore in high school, is it permissible for OSU to provide him meals during the official visit?

Yes with conditions. NCAA Staff Interpretation- 1/5/17- Prospective Student-Athlete’s Prospect-Aged Sibling Receiving Meals and/ or Lodging While Accompanying the Prospective Student-Athlete on an Official Visit (I)- states that it is permissible for an institution to provide meals and/or lodging during an official visit to the sibling of a prospective student-athlete, who is also prospect-aged or is being recruited by the institution without constituting an official visit for the prospective student-athlete’s sibling, provided no recruitment of the sibling occurs during the visit and he or she is included in the four permissible family members’ meals.

[References: NCAA Division I Bylaws 13.6.6.1 (lodging for additional persons) and 13.6.7.7 (meals on official visit)]

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- 10.25.16- 13.6.7.7- Meals In Transit to an Official Visit

Jump Ball is a prospective student-athlete who is being recruited to play basketball next year at Ocean State University (OSU). Jump is going to take an official visit to OSU’s campus this weekend. Jump will be leaving for the airport right after practice Friday evening and will not have an opportunity to eat dinner before traveling. Is it possible for OSU to stop along the way to campus so Jump can get some food to take to his hotel room?

Yes. NCAA Staff Interpretation- 10/5/16- Meals in Transit from the Airport and Lodging in the Locale Before an Official Visit Begins (I)- states that the following issues related to meals and lodging for prospective student-athletes and up to four family members accompanying the prospective student-athlete while in transit to an official visit have been confirmed:

(a) A prospective student-athlete and up to four family members accompanying the prospective student-athlete may receive a drive-thru or “to-go” meal while in transit with an athletics department staff member from the major airport or bus or train station nearest the institution without beginning the 48-hour official visit period.

(b) A prospective student-athlete and up to four family members accompanying the prospective student-athlete may receive a “sit-down” meal at the major airport or bus or train station nearest the institution while accompanied by an athletics department staff member at the time of arrival for an official visit or a “sit-down” or “drive-in” meal in route to the institution’s campus with an athletics department staff member, even if such a meal occurs outside a 30-mile radius of the institution’s campus; however, such a meal begins the 48-hour official visit period.

(c) A prospective student-athlete and up to four family members accompanying the prospective student-athlete may receive a meal at or in the vicinity of their place of lodging without beginning the 48-hour official visit period in instances in which they arrive in the locale of the institution too late to begin the official visit that day, provided no athletics department staff members or student-athletes are present during the meal.

[References: NCAA Bylaws 13.6.4.1 (48-hour period defined), 13.6.4.1.2 (lodging in locale of the institution before visit), 13.6.6 (accommodations on official visit), 13.6.7.7 (meals on official visit), and 13.6.6.1 (lodging for additional persons); official interpretations (10/19/12, Item Nos. 5 and 6), 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- 9.22.16- 13.4.1.5, 13.4.1.8- Materials Created for Recruiting Purposes

The men’s basketball coaches at Ocean State University (OSU) are putting together some materials to send to those recruits who will be visiting campus the next few weeks. One of the items they want to send is a video that was produced by the OSU admissions office that includes a virtual tour of the campus. The coaches, however, would like to add text to the background of the video to include the recruit’s name and the dorm he would likely be staying in as a student-athlete at OSU.

Is it permissible for the coaches to edit the video to include information specific to the recruit?

No. NCAA Staff Interpretation- 9/21/16- Text, Images or Video Layered for Recruiting Purposes With Otherwise Permissible Video (I)- states that if text, images or video are layered (e.g., superimposed in the background or foreground) for recruiting purposes with an otherwise permissible video, the resultant material is impermissible to show to, play for or provide to a prospective student-athlete because it constitutes video that has been created for recruiting purposes.

[References: NCAA Bylaws 13.4.1.4 (printed recruiting materials) 13.4.1.5 (electronic correspondence) 13.4.1.8 (video/audio materials)]

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- 8/2/13- 13.1.3.1.4- Women’s Basketball Recruiting Model

Ima M. Patient, head women’s basketball coach at Ocean State University, wants to take advantage of the new recruiting rules for their sport as they plan out their recruiting strategy for the year.  They are very interested in Allee Oop, a rising junior in high school, and would like to start telephoning her as of August 1st.

Is this permissible?

 

No.  NCAA Bylaw 13.1.3.1.4 states that in women’s basketball, telephone calls to an individual (or the individual’s relatives or legal guardians) may not be made before September 1 at the beginning of the individual’s junior year in high school. Thereafter, an institution may make telephone calls to a prospective student-athlete at its discretion. (Adopted: 4/22/98, Revised: 11/1/01 effective 4/1/02, 4/28/05 effective 8/1/05, 10/17/05, 1/19/13 effective 8/1/13)

With the adoption of NCAA Proposal 13-1, several pieces of recruiting legislation in the sport of women’s basketball have changed as of August 1st.

Daily Compliance Item- 5/28/13- 11.7.4.3- Baton Rule

With the spring evaluation period coming to an end, the football coaches at Ocean State University want to make sure they get in a few last recruiting trips.  The total number of permissible recruiters is on the road recruiting today and the first assistant coach will complete his recruiting activities at noon.  Another assistant coach will replace him and begin recruiting at 1pm today.  The first assistant coach would like to recruit again tomorrow.  Does he have to return to campus prior to engaging in additional recruiting activities?

Yes.  NCAA Bylaw 11.7.4.3 states that it is permissible for a coach to leave campus to engage in off-campus contact or evaluation before another coach who is off campus actually returns to campus, provided the total number of coaches recruiting on behalf of the institution at any time does not exceed the permissible number.  The coach being replaced must complete his or her recruiting activities before another coach may begin any off-campus recruiting activity.  Further, the replaced coach may not engage in additional recruiting activities until after he or she has returned to the institution’s campus.

Please note with the adoption of RWG-11-4, the limitation on the number of coaches who may recruit off-campus at any one time has been eliminated.  This legislation as an August 1, 2013 effective date.

Daily Compliance Item- 3/27/13- 13.1.6.2- Recruiting Conversations During a Camp/Clinic

Ocean State University (OSU) baseball coaches will be conducting instructional camps at the conclusion of the season.  There will be a few prospective student-athletes attending that have verbally committed to OSU.  Since these prospects will not be enrolling in summer school at OSU, the coaches would like for them to participate in academic interviews with advisors in their intended majors during the camp.

Is this permissible?

No.  NCAA Staff Interpretation 3/25/13- Recruiting Conversations at Camps and Clinics (I)- states that a camp or clinic is considered an athletics competition or athletics event. Therefore, a host institution’s coaching staff member may not engage in recruiting activities other than recruiting conversations with prospective student-athletes participating in the institution’s camp or clinic until after the completion of the camp or clinic. Any recruiting activities that occur after completion of the camp or clinic are subject to applicable recruiting calendar restrictions.

 

[References: NCAA Bylaws 13.1.6.2 (practice or competition site); 13.12.1.5 (recruiting calendar exceptions); and (10/02/92) staff interpretation which has been archived]

Daily Compliance Item- 2/18/13- 13.11.3.3- Coaching a Training Program & Recruiting

One of the assistant women’s soccer coaches at Ocean State University (OSU) is the head coach for a regional soccer training club.  The club team will be competing in a national tournament later this month.  The OSU coach will be coaching the team but would also like to recruit while attending the tournament. The OSU coach’s expenses will be paid for by the training club.

Is this permissible?

 

No.  NCAA Educational Column- 2/14/13-Institution Providing Recruiting Expenses to Coach While Acting in Capacity for State, Regional, National or International Training Programs (I)– states that Division I institutions should note that an institution’s coach may participate in recognized state, regional, national or international training programs or competition organized and administered by the applicable governing body, provided the coach is selected by the applicable governing body and the participants are selected by an authority or a committee of the applicable governing body that is not limited to athletics department staff members affiliated with one institution.

The following information is intended to assist the membership with the application of legislation governing state, regional, national or international training programs (“training program”).

Question No. 1: May an institution’s coach engage in recruiting activities while attending competition in conjunction with the coach’s role in a training program if the coach is receiving expenses from the training program?

Answer: No. If the training program is paying expenses associated with the coach attending the competition (e.g., transportation, lodging, meals), the institution’s recruiting activities would be subsidized by the training program. Such subsidization is not permitted. However, the training program may pay expenses that are unique to the coach’s participation in the training program or compensate the coach for his or her participation (e.g., fees associated with event participation, going rate for coaching services) without subsidizing institutional recruiting activities. Providing such expenses or compensation is permissible because such expenditures (or compensation) would not have been necessary had the coach attended the competition solely for recruiting purposes.

Question No. 2: May an institution’s coach engage in recruiting activities while attending competition in conjunction with the coach’s role in a training program if the training program will not provide expenses, but expenses may be reimbursed by the institution?

Answer: Normally, it would not be permissible for a coach to use his or her funds for recruiting on behalf of the institution. However, the coach may engage in recruiting activities and receive reimbursement of expenses first outlayed by the coach, provided the expenditures are preapproved in general (e.g., recruiting trip is preapproved, as opposed to each specific expenditure being preapproved) and the preapproval is consistent with institutional policies. Under this scenario, the expenses are permissible because the institution has control over the funds expended for recruiting activities on its behalf.

Institutions should note that, while it is permissible for institutional funds to support a national team or training program, it is not permissible to make a donation, directly or indirectly, to a local training center that involves a student-athlete from that institution or any prospective student-athletes.

Question No. 3: Does the analysis change if the coach is acting on behalf of a local sports club instead of a state, regional, national or international training program while attending the competition?

Answer: Yes. An institution is not permitted to sponsor or subsidize a local sports club. Therefore, the institution is not permitted to provide any expenses that would offset expenses otherwise incurred by the local sports club, including the cost of the coach’s attendance in his or her capacity as the local sports club coach. In contrast, an institution is permitted to contribute to a national team or a state, regional, national or international training program.

 

[References: NCAA Division I Bylaws 13.11.1 (prohibited activities), 13.11.2.4.3 (institutional sponsorship of local sports clubs), 13.11.3.3 (state, regional, national or international training programs) and 13.14.1 (institutional control); staff interpretation (8/7/92, Item No. 9-a-[5]), staff interpretation (8/22/07, Item No. 3), and educational columns (3/1/12, Item No. 3) and (11/7/12, Item No. 1)]

Daily Compliance Item- 1/7/13- 13.2.5- Loan for Prospect

Wheel Route is a senior in high school and will be signing a National Letter of Intent next month with Ocean State University (OSU) to play football.  Wheel attends a private high school with a tuition cost of $12,000 a year.  Wheel’s parents both work but have struggled to pay for his high school educational expenses.  The coaches at OSU have offered to help Wheel get a loan to pay off the tuition bill.

Is this permissible?  No.  NCAA Staff Interpretation- 10/22/97- Educational Loans to Prospects- states that the provisions of NCAA Bylaw 13.2.5 do not permit an institution to arrange a loan for a prospect for the purpose of paying off an educational debt (e.g., high-school tuition) incurred prior to initial, full-time collegiate enrollment. [Reference: 13.2.5 (loans to prospects)]

 

This legislation is applicable to Division I and II.

Daily Compliance Item- 12/20/12- 13.1.7.9.4- non-scholastic teams

Head Football Coach at Ocean State University is interested in a few prospects that are home schooled.  The coach would like to go watch their game this weekend that will include two non-scholastic teams that are comprised of home schooled individuals.  Although these teams compete against high schools, they do not operate under the auspices of a scholastic governing body.

Is it permissible for the coach to attend?

 

No.  NCAA Educational Column- 12/19/12-Teams of Prospective Student-Athletes Not Organized Under the Auspices of a Scholastic Governing Body — Basketball and Bowl Subdivision Football (I)– states that NCAA Division I institutions should note that a team made up of prospective student-athletes (e.g., home school or academy team) that is not organized or administered under the auspices of a scholastic governing body is considered a nonscholastic team.

Pursuant to NCAA Division I Bylaw 13.1.7.8, in basketball, evaluations of live athletics activities are limited to regularly scheduled high school, preparatory-school and two-year college contests/tournaments and practices, and regular scholastic activities involving prospective student-athletes enrolled only at the institution where the regular scholastic activities occur. Additionally, at specified times (e.g., April), evaluations may also occur at certified events that may include nonscholastic teams.

Pursuant to Bylaw 13.1.7.9.4, in bowl subdivision football, all live athletics evaluations are limited to regularly scheduled high school, preparatory-school and two-year college contests and practices, regular scholastic activities involving prospective student-athletes enrolled only at the institution at which the regular scholastic activities occur and events that are organized and conducted solely by the applicable state high school athletics association, state preparatory school association or state or national junior college athletics association.

The following questions and answers are designed to assist the Division I membership with the application of legislation related to nonscholastic teams.

Question No. 1: What does “under the auspices of a scholastic governing body” mean?

Answer: A team that is organized and administered under the auspices of a scholastic governing body is one that is conducted subject to the rules and regulations of the governing body, including any disciplinary action for violations of such rules. In addition, such a team is eligible for events, including championship events, that are conducted by the governing body (e.g., state high school championships). Institutions should note that a team that is affiliated with a scholastic institution but not subject to the rules and regulations of a scholastic governing body would be considered nonscholastic for purposes of applying the evaluation legislation.

Question No. 2: If a team is not organized and administered under the auspices of a scholastic governing body, is it permissible to evaluate a prospective student-athlete at a practice activity?

Answer: Generally, no, in basketball and bowl subdivision football, it is not permissible to evaluate prospective student-athletes who are members of nonscholastic teams while they are engaged in practice for their nonscholastic teams.

Question No. 3: Is it permissible for a men’s basketball coach to attend a nonscholastic team’s practice at a certified event?

Answer: Yes, as long as the event, and nonscholastic team, meet the stipulation set forth in Bylaw 13.18, and the practice has been scheduled by the event organizer as a regular part of the event.

Question No. 4: Is it permissible to observe competition between teams of home-schooled prospective student-athletes that are competing in state or national tournaments?

Answer: Yes, as long as the tournaments are conducted and administered under the auspice of a governing body that establishes eligibility requirements for such competition (e.g., Texas Home School State Basketball Championships, National Christian Home School Championships).

Question No. 5: Is it permissible to evaluate at an event that includes a nonscholastic team competing against a scholastic team?

Answer: Yes, however, it would not be permissible to evaluate a prospective student-athlete that is on a nonscholastic team during a competition with another nonscholastic team, unless such competition occurs during a certified event.

 

[References: Bylaws 13.1.7.8 (basketball evaluations), 13.1.7.8.1 (men’s basketball), 13.1.7.8.2 (women’s basketball), 13.1.7.8.3 (coaches’ attendance at basketball events), 13.1.7.9.4 (scholastic and nonscholastic activities — bowl subdivision football) and 13.18 (basketball even certification — men’s basketball); and official interpretation (09/20/2012, Item No. 1)]

 

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.