Several Ocean State University (OSU) track and field student-athletes have qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championship. Most of these student-athletes will also be enrolled in summer school while they are participating in this post-season event.

If the student-athletes are receiving athletic aid to attend summer school, is OSU permitted to provide them financial assistance for participating in the NCAA championship?

Yes with conditions. NCAA Staff Interpretation- 5/13/11- Summer Financial Aid and Vacation Period Expenses (I)- states that a student-athlete who is enrolled in an institution’s summer term, and is required to remain on campus for organized practice sessions (e.g., practice in preparation for an NCAA championship), may receive financial aid in accordance with the summer financial-aid legislation and vacation-period expenses, provided the student-athlete does not receive vacation-period expenses, in combination with any room and board financial aid, in excess of the full cost of room and board (as determined for financial aid purposes) during the time in which the student-athlete is required to remain on campus for practice or competition.

[References: NCAA Bylaws 15.2.8.1.2 (enrolled student-athletes), 16.5.2 (vacation-period expenses) and staff interpretation (04/12/1991, Item Ref d), which has been archived]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.

Ocean State University (OSU) is reviewing several options regarding potential awards to the men’s and women’s basketball teams for participation in the NCAA Final Four. Some of the quotes they received include administrative fees such as shipping and handling. Does OSU have to include such costs when determining if the award fits within the NCAA maximum limits?

No. NCAA Staff Interpretation- 2/6/09- Administrative Fees Associated with Awards (I)– states that administrative fees (e.g., tooling charges, tax, shipping and handling) for awards (e.g.,national championship rings) that are separate from the value of the award do not need to be included when calculating the value of the award. [References: NCAA Division I Bylaw 16.1.5.1 (assignment of normal retail value)]

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.

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.

The Ocean State University field hockey team won the NCAA Championship this year. The NCAA will be providing each member of the team with a championship gift. There are two student-athletes on the team that did not attend the championship. One has been academically ineligible all year and the other is serving a year in residence for transferring.

Can the NCAA provide a gift to these two student-athletes?

No. NCAA Official Interpretation- 12/12/94- National or Conference Championship Awards to Ineligible Student-Athletes- states that it is not permissible for an institution or conference (or organization approved by either) to provide awards in recognition of conference or national championships to student-athletes who were not eligible to represent the institution in intercollegiate competition during the applicable sport season. [References: 16.1.4.3 (conference and national championships) and staff minute 12/07/88, item c]

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.

Flip Turn is a senior swimming student-athlete at Ocean State University (OSU). This weekend Flip has the opportunity to be the first female in OSU history to break 5 school records in one year. When she reaches this milestone, the coaches would like to give Flip a small keepsake item for her accomplishment.

Is this permissible?

Yes. NCAA Staff Interpretation- 9/13/13- Recognition of Accomplishments in a Particular Contest or Event (I)– states that an institution may provide a memento of nominal value (e.g., game ball, t-shirt, hat, etc.), which may not include cash or cash equivalents, to a student-athlete in recognition of an accomplishment in a particular contest or event as a benefit incidental to participation.

[References: 16.1.4 (types of awards, awarding agencies, maximum value and numbers of awards) and a staff interpretation (11/27/96, item a), 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.

Ocean State University (OSU) is conducting its annual cross country banquet at the end of the month. Stride, a junior student-athlete on the team, achieved First Team All-America honors this year, so her parents and two siblings would like to attend the banquet. Is it permissible for OSU to provide complimentary admissions to Stride’s family members?

Yes. NCAA Bylaw 16.6.1.6 states that an institution may provide complimentary admissions to an institutional awards banquet for the family members of any student-athlete being honored at the banquet. [R] (Adopted: 11/1/00, Revised: 1/19/13 effective 8/1/13)

As a reminder, NCAA Bylaw 16.02.4 states that for purposes of Bylaw 16, a family member is an individual with any of the following relationships to a student-athlete: spouse, parent or legal guardian, child, sibling, grandparent, domestic partner or any individual whose close association with the student-athlete is the practical equivalent of a family relationship. (Adopted: 1/19/13 effective 8/1/13)

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.

The Ocean State University (OSU) volleyball team will be participating in Ocean Eleven’s Conference tournament next weekend. Because the girls will not be able to go home for Thanksgiving, one of the local student-athlete’s parents would like to host the team for an early Thanksgiving dinner this Sunday.

 
Is it permissible for the parents to host a dinner for the OSU team at their house?
Yes. NCAA Bylaw 16.11.1.7 states that an institution may provide or arrange for the following benefits for a student-athlete: [R] (Adopted: 4/26/01, 4/24/03 effective 8/1/03, 4/13/09, 4/26/12, 1/19/13 effective 8/1/13, 8/7/14)

 
(a) The use of a return ticket at any time after the conclusion of a foreign tour;

(b) Receipt of frequent flier points and/or miles earned while traveling to and from intercollegiate practice and/or competition;

(c) Participation in receptions and festivities associated with championships, conference tournaments or all-star events hosted by and conducted on the institution’s campus;

(d) Occasional meals to team members provided by a student-athlete’s family member at any location;

(e) Telephone calls in emergency situations as approved by the director of athletics (or his or her designee);

(f) Reasonable tokens of support and transportation, housing and meal expenses in the event of injury, illness, or death of a family member or another student-athlete;

(g) Fundraisers for student-athletes (or their family members) under the following extreme circumstances:

(1) Extreme circumstances should be extraordinary in the result of events beyond the student-athlete’s control (e.g., life-threatening illness, natural disaster);

(2) The proceeds must be designated for a specific purpose (e.g., payment of medical bills, purchase of medical equipment, replacement of items lost in a fire, etc.)

(3) The proceeds may be given directly to the beneficiaries, with receipt kept on file by the institution, which must include the amount of expenses incurred and the total amount received; and

(4) The excess proceeds must be given to a not-for-profit organization with the receipt kept on file by the institution.

(h) The payment of admission costs or a meal for any student-athlete being honored at a nonathletics awards ceremony.

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.

With Saturday’s win, Ocean State University (OSU) football team has qualified to participate in a bowl game. The Director of Football Operations at OSU is researching travel options for the potential bowl games they could be selected for in mid to late December.

OSU has two prospects that will be initially enrolling at OSU in January. Can OSU pay expenses for these individuals to attend the bowl game?

No. NCAA Bylaw 16.8.2.1 states that in bowl subdivision football, an institution may not provide expenses (e.g., travel, room and board, entertainment, incidental expenses, etc.) to a student-athlete who is a midyear enrollee (freshman or transfer) for participation in a postseason bowl game that occurs before or during the student-athlete’s initial term of full-time enrollment at the institution. [R] (Adopted: 4/28/05 effective 8/1/05, Revised: 12/15/06)

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.

Ocean State University (OSU) men’s soccer team is participating in the second round of the NCAA tournament this weekend. A lot of parents are traveling to the game and asked if OSU can help secure rooms for them at the same discounted price that the team is receiving.

Is is permissible for OSU to secure rooms for student-athletes’ family members at a discounted price?

Yes. NCAA Bylaw 16.6.1.2 states that an institution may reserve or secure lodging at any postseason event (other than a conference event) at a reduced or special rate for the family members of a student-athlete who is a participant. It is not permissible for an institution to cover any portion of the cost of lodging, including any cost associated with reserving or securing lodging. [R] (Adopted: 10/28/99, Revised: 1/19/13 effective 8/1/13, 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.

Flick is a field hockey student-athlete at Ocean State University (OSU). Flick’s birthday is this weekend, so the coaches would like to have snacks after the game on Saturday for the team and any family members that are in town for the game.
Is this permissible?

Yes. NCAA Bylaw 16.6.1.5 states that an institution may provide the family members of a student-athlete with reasonable food and drinks in conjunction with educational meetings or celebratory events (e.g., senior night) and on an occasional basis for other reasons. [R] (Adopted: 4/27/00 effective 8/1/00, Revised: 4/25/02 effective 8/1/02, 1/16/10, 1/19/13 effective 8/1/13, 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.