review of 2015 ncaa convention voting. rejected proposals

Review of 2015 NCAA Convention Voting

Rejected Proposals

2015-7: Full-Time Director of Athletics with No Coaching Duties• Intent: To specify that an active member institution shall certify

annually that it employs a full-time director of athletics with no coaching responsibilities.

• Would have specified that an individual who serves an active member institution as a full-time director of athletics and a coach may continue to serve the institution in those positions provided the individual held both positions at the institution on July 31, 2015.

• Rationale For Rejection: Originally passed by the membership, upon Reconsideration, points were made that this was too much of an overreach to demand how schools staff certain positions (i.e., autonomy), and also that smaller schools might have difficulty funding a stand-alone AD with no coaching duties.

2015-19: Conference Challenge Event – Baseball, Soccer, Softball and Women’s Volleyball• Intent: In baseball, soccer, softball and women’s

volleyball, would have permitted a maximum of two contests played as part of a conference challenge event to be exempted annually from the maximum number of contest limitations, as specified.

• Rationale For Rejection: Most points against this legislation dealt with “Life In The Balance” concerns as well as the fact that these four sports aren’t well matched up due to the number of contests they each play, and perhaps separately they would have a chance of getting passed. Rejected despite support from National SAAC.

Approved Proposals

2015-1: Participation of Signed PSAs in Institutional Fundraisers or Promotional Activities

• Intent: To specify that a PSA may participate in institutional fundraisers prior to his or her initial collegiate enrollment, provided the PSA has graduated from high school and has signed a NLI or a written offer of admission and/or financial aid.

• Effective Date: IMMEDIATE.

• Sponsor: Legislation Committee.

2015-1: Participation of Signed PSAs in Institutional Fundraisers or Promotional Activities

• PSA has to have graduated from high school before participating in an institutional fundraiser and/or promotional activity.

• Institutions can pay actual and necessary expenses for the PSA to participate in an institutional fundraiser and/or promotional activity, but not for any part of enrollment.

• Freshmen: Only Full Qualifiers, or NLI signees who have not yet had their final EC determination

• Two-year Transfers: Only NLI signees who meet transfer regulations

• Four-year Transfers: Only scholarship signees

2015-2: Impact of Violations of Recruiting Contact and Evaluation Legislation

• Recommendation: To specify that violations of the recruiting contact and evaluation legislation shall be considered de minimis and will not impact a PSA’s eligibility.

• Effective Date: August 1, 2015.

• Sponsor: Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee.

2015-2: Impact of Violations of Recruiting Contact and Evaluation Legislation• Currently, violations are reported and then the PSA has

to go through the student-athlete reinstatement process, and is ineligible to compete and perhaps practice until reinstated by the NCAA.

• Under this legislation, the PSA’s eligibility should not be affected by a violation.

• “De Minimis” is considered to be an institutional violation that does not affect a PSA’s eligibility.

• In 2013-14, there were 26 SA Reinstatement requests associated with violations, and all 26 were fully reinstated without conditions.

• Institutions will still be required to report violations.

2015-3: Permission to Contact and One-Time Transfer Exception – Hearing Requirements• Recommendation: To specify that if a member

institution denies a student-athlete’s written request to permit another institution to contact the student-athlete about transferring or denies a written request for a release in conjunction with the application of the one-time transfer exception, the institution shall provide the student-athlete the opportunity to actively participate (e.g., appear in person or via telephone) in the hearing.

2015-3: Permission to Contact and One-Time Transfer Exception – Hearing Requirements• Recommendation: To specify that if the

institution fails to respond to the student-athlete’s written request or fails to conduct the hearing or provide written results within the specified time period, permission to contact or the transfer release shall be granted by default and the institution shall provide the written permission or release to the student-athlete.



2015-3: Permission to Contact and One-Time Transfer Exception – Hearing Requirements• Requires institutions to respond within 14 days to ALL SA

permission to contact/one-time transfer exceptions, not just denials.

• If permission is denied, requires institutions to have a hearing AND provide written results of the hearing to the SA within 30 days of the request for a hearing; currently, there only needs to be a hearing with 30 days…the results can come later.

• The SA will have to be allowed the opportunity at “active participation” in the hearing.

• Even if the SA “wins” the hearing, they still need to meet all other transfer requirements to be eligible at their new school.

• Entire process still doesn’t begin until SA requests IN WRITING permission to contact other schools.

2015-4: Post-High School Tryouts

• Recommendation: To specify that the one tryout limitation applies separately to the period in which the PSA is in high school and to the period beginning September 1 after the PSA’s completion of high school.

• Effective Date: Immediate.


2015-4: Post-High School Tryouts• Previously, PSA’s could have had only one tryout per

sport at an institution…ever• Completion of high school is defined as graduation

or GED• Currently enrolled student-athletes would still be

limited to one tryout per academic year; however could not do a summer/fall dual tryouts before/during freshman year.

• The type of situation where this legislation would typically occur is when a PSA does a tryout in high school, attends another college, and then is looking to transfer to WSC; under this legislation, the PSA could do a second tryout.

2015-5: Participation in Foreign Tours• Recommendation: To modify the foreign tour

legislation, as follows:

• To specify that a student-athlete shall not participate in more than one foreign tour for a particular institution in a particular sport;

• To specify that in order to be eligible for a foreign tour that takes place between terms (e.g., winter break, summer), a student-athlete must be certified as academically and athletically eligible for the following academic term;

2015-5: Participation in Foreign Tours, continued• Recommendation:

• To specify that a student-athlete who has exhausted eligibility in a term immediately preceding the foreign tour may participate, provided the student-athlete would have been otherwise eligible for competition (e.g., would have met progress-toward-degree requirements), or has graduated; and

• To specify that an incoming student-athlete may represent the institution on a foreign tour in the summer prior to initial full-time enrollment provided the PSA has signed a NLI or written offer of admission and/or financial aid.

2015-5: Participation in Foreign Tours, continued• Recommendation:

• An incoming student-athlete in his or her first year of collegiate enrollment must have received a final academic and amateurism certification by the NCAA Eligibility Center.

• Incoming transfer student-athletes must have received an amateurism certification and be otherwise eligible .



2015-5: Participation in Foreign Tours, continued• Incoming freshman SA’s need to have an NLI AND be

completely certified through the NCAA Eligibility Center. Incoming transfer SA’s need to be certified through the EC and officially meet all transfer requirements.

• An incoming SA can partake in the 10 permissible days of practice, once cleared by the Athletic Training Room

• Participation in a foreign tour will not trigger the use of a season of competition.

• A SA can only take one foreign tour during their athletic career at a school.

• All travel of a foreign tour must take place when fall and spring semesters are not in session.

2015-6: Establishment of National Collegiate Championship in Sand Volleyball• Recommendation: In sand volleyball, to

establish a National Collegiate Championship and to establish a six person sand volleyball committee.• First championship will occur spring 2016.

• Effective Date: • Establishment of Committee – Immediate.• Championship – August 1, 2016.

• Sponsor: Committee on Women’s Athletics.

2015-6: Establishment of National Collegiate Championship in Sand Volleyball

• With D-II and D-III both adopting this legislation (D-I already has), the first National Collegiate Championship in Sand Volleyball will take place in Spring 2016.

• D-II could eventually have their own championship in Sand Volleyball if 40 D-II schools sponsor the sport; until then, they could stay in the National Collegiate Championship.

• National Collegiate Championships come from the D-I budget

2015-8: Full-Time Compliance Administrator with No Coaching Duties

• Intent: To specify that an active member institution shall certify annually that it employs a full-time compliance administrator with no coaching responsibilities.


• Sponsor: Membership Committee.

2015-8: Full-Time Compliance Administrator with No Coaching Duties• The full-time compliance officer can still have other non-

coaching responsibilities on campus (game management, sport oversight, faculty, etc.).

• If there are multiple compliance officers at a school, then a person can have both compliance and coaching duties; however, the senior ranking compliance officer will not be permitted to coach.

• A compliance office with coaching duties cannot be named interim compliance administrator or vice versa without a waiver from the NCAA Division II Membership Committee.

• No “grandfathering” available for this proposal.

2015-9: Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Representation on Management Council• Intent: To specify that the composition of the

NCAA Division II Management Council shall include two representatives of the NCAA Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

• To specify that the representatives from the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee shall have one vote on the Council.


• Sponsor: Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

2015-10: Student-Athlete Advisory Committee – Convention Vote

• Intent: To specify that the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee shall be entitled to one vote at the NCAA Division II Convention business session.


• Sponsor: Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

2015-11: Recruiting – Publicity After Commitment

• Recommendation: To eliminate the restrictions on publicity related to a PSA after he or she has signed a NLI or the institution’s written offer of admission and/or financial aid.



2015-11: Recruiting – Publicity After Commitment

• A PSA is be permitted to attend the celebratory event and be treated as an Unofficial Visit – even if boosters are in attendance, although other recruiting rules about boosters not providing any “extra benefits” to the PSA’s remain in place.

• A coach still is not be permitted to attend an off-campus press conference where the PSA will be signing/announcing a college choice.

• A PSA is still not permitted to sign an NLI while on a campus visit in the presence of media.

2015-12: Local Sports Club Expenses• Recommendation: To specify that a coaching staff

member may receive expenses from an institution for engaging in recruiting activities on behalf of the institution while serving in his or her capacity as a local sports club coach.

• To specify that a coaching staff member may recruit on behalf of the institution while receiving expenses from a local sports club.



2015-12: Local Sports Club Expenses• Slush funds are defined as monies from outside

organization, agency or group for the use of recruiting PSA’s.

• Previously, institutions were not permitted to pay a coach’s actual and necessary expenses to attend a contest in which the coach’s local sports club was participating as that is considered sponsorship of the club. Likewise, the coach who was receiving expenses from the sports club for activities related to those duties may not have engaged in any recruiting activities.

2015-12: Local Sports Club Expenses• This legislation now allows institutions and local

sports clubs to share the coach’s actual and necessary expenses.

• The coach is now permitted to receive payment directly from the sports club, but the coach must follow all institutional procedures for approval of recruiting activity.

• An institution is not permitted to make a donation directly to the local sports club to cover the coach’s expenses; the institution is still limited to providing expenses directly to the coach.

2015-13: Meals Incidental to Participation

• Recommendation: To specify that an institution may provide meals and snacks to student-athletes as a benefit incidental to participation in intercollegiate athletics.



2015-13: Meals Incidental to Participation

• This is not designed as an “end around” financial aid board costs (i.e., not replacing typical breakfast, lunch and dinner costs); it is for additional nutritional needs of the SA’s.

• Snacks/meals can be provided outside of the playing season during the academic year.

• The Occasional Meal legislation remains in effect as is.

2015-14: Team Entertainment – In Conjunction with Practice or Competition

• Intent: To specify that an institution, conference or the NCAA may provide reasonable entertainment (but may not provide cash for such entertainment) to student-athletes in conjunction with practice or competition.



2015-14: Team Entertainment – In Conjunction with Practice or Competition

• Currently, team entertainment is only permitted during an institutional vacation period or away-from-home competition.

• “Reasonable Team Entertainment” is up to each institution to determine.

• If the entertainment activity has an athletics nexus (i.e., ropes course, paintball), then it must count in the weekly CARA limits.

• SA’s cannot miss class to take part in an entertainment activity in conjunction with practice.

• SA’s will be permitted to miss class in order to attend an entertainment activity with a home competition if they are compelled to report “on call” at a certain time, although institutional policies may still apply preventing that.

• Institutions can determine what is an entertainment activity.

2015-15: Expenses for Participation in Practice, Competition and Noncompetitive Events• Recommendation: To specify that an institution,

conference or the NCAA may provide actual and necessary expenses to a student-athlete to represent the institution in practice and competition (including expenses for activities/travel that are incidental to practice or competition) and for a student-athlete to represent the institution in noncompetitive events (e.g., goodwill tours, media appearances, student-athlete advisory committee meetings).



2015-15: Expenses for Participation in Practice, Competition and Noncompetitive Events• SA’s still will not be permitted to miss class for practice

(except under conditions laid out under Bylaws 17.1.6.6.1, 17.1.6.6.1.1, and any institutional policies).

• Institutions will be permitted to determine appropriate times of departure and return (i.e., the 48-hour/36-hour restrictions will be eliminated).

• Institutions will be permitted to determine what are actual and necessary expenses for the SA’s participation at the event; however, cash can only be given to the SA if it corresponds with the institution’s policies

• Institutions will still be prohibited from providing travel expenses during the seven-day Winter Break

2015-16: Summer Conditioning Workouts – Fall Sports• Intent: In fall championship sports (including golf

and tennis, for those institutions that conduct the championship segment during the fall term), to specify that June 1 through the conclusion of an institution’s summer vacation period, strength and conditioning personnel may design and conduct workout programs for student-athletes, as specified.

• Effective Date: June 1, 2015.

• Sponsors: Great Lakes Valley Conference and Northern Sun Conference.

2015-16: Summer Conditioning Workouts – Fall Sports

• Previously, only football student-athletes were permitted to have their summer workouts conducted by an institution’s strength & conditioning coach. The S&C coach must (and this remains in effect for the new legislation):• perform those duties for at least one other team

for the institution,• be certified through a nationally certified S&C

program,• and maintain current certification in first aid, CPR

and AED use.

2015-16: Summer Conditioning Workouts – Fall Sports• “Designing and Conducting” a workout implies that

the S&C coach is actively involved, in person, in the workout activity.

• Coaching staff members who are not S&C coaches will not be permitted to be present during a fall sport’s SA workout in the summer.

• This proposal will not allow institutions to require fall sport SA’s to remain on campus during the summer.

• WSC sports included in this proposal include men’s cross country, women’s cross country, women’s soccer and volleyball (football already has this as a permissible activity).

2015-17: Team Activities Outside the Playing Season

• Intent: In sports other than football, to permit a student-athlete to participate in a maximum of two hours of team activities per week as part of the permissible eight hours of countable athletically related activities that may occur during the academic year outside the playing season.


• Sponsors: Great Lakes Valley Conference and Lone Star Conference.

2015-17: Team Activities Outside the Playing Season

• Team activities may include practice sessions for the entire team, as well as instruction provided by a coach to a number of student-athletes that exceeds the group-size limitations currently set forth in the skill instruction legislation.

• For all sports (other than football), the change would effectively eliminate the “small group only” time periods throughout the school year.

• Skill instruction would still be permitted; translation: greater flexibility for programs to determine their “8/2” periods throughout the school year.

• This proposal does not change the “8/2” limitations of out-of-season CARA (i.e., maximum of eight hours a week, with a maximum of two hours of team activities and/or skill instruction).

2015-18: Competition Start Date – Spring Sports• Intent: In baseball, golf, lacrosse, rowing, sand

volleyball, softball and tennis, to specify that in years when February 1 falls on a Saturday, Sunday or Monday, a member institution shall not engage in its first contest or date of competition with outside competition in the championship segment before the Friday preceding February 1.


• Sponsors: Peach Belt Conference and South Atlantic Conference.

2015-18: Competition Start Date – Spring Sports• Spring championship sports (baseball and

softball) are affected by this.• Will not affect the start date for practice.• First permissible date of competition for the

foreseeable future follows:• 2014-15: 1/30/15• 2015-16: 1/29/16• 2016-17: 2/1/17• 2017-18: 2/1/18• 2018-19: 2/1/19• 2019-20: 1/31/20

Emergency Legislation

Medical Clearance Prior To Voluntary Summer Workouts• Intent: To specify that prospective and current

student-athletes must undergo a medical examination prior to participation in permissible voluntary summer conditioning workouts designed by institutional strength and conditioning personnel, voluntary individual workout sessions in individual sports or voluntary workouts pursuant to the sport-specific safety exceptions


• Sponsors: President Council

Medical Clearance Prior To Voluntary Summer Workouts• For any SA’s entering beginning their initial season of

eligibility at the institution as well as students who are trying out for a team, they will be required to undergo a medical examination or evaluation administered or supervised by a physician, and it must take place within six months prior to participation in any practice, competition or out-of-season conditioning activities.

• Translation: Until they are cleared by the Athletic Training Room, they cannot take place in voluntary summer workouts.

• For returning SA’s, if they have been eligible to participate in CARA during the academic year, they can take part in summer workouts as well. (i.e., if a fall sport SA was cleared by the ATR in 2014-15, they should be okay to partake in Summer 2015 workouts).

Questions

review of 2015 ncaa convention voting. rejected proposals

Documents