The NCAA News - News & Features

Legislative assistance

1996 Column No. 34
Correction -- NCAA Bylaw 11.7.3.2

Off-campus contact and evaluation of prospects -- Division I-AA football

NCAA Division I-AA institutions should note that page 4 of the 1996-97 NCAA Coaches Recruiting Guide for Division I Football incorrectly states that in Division I-AA, a total of seven coaches, which may include the head coach and not more than one restricted-earning coach, may be involved in off-campus recruiting activities during the academic year. Bylaw 11.7.3.2 in the 1996-97 NCAA Manual correctly states that there is a limit of nine coaches who can engage in off-campus contacts and evaluations of prospects, which may include the head coach and any of the assistant coaches or restricted-earnings coaches. However, there continues to be a limit of seven coaches (including the head coach) who may contact and evaluate prospects off campus during any one calendar week (defined as Sunday through Saturday).

NCAA Bylaw 15.5.3.3.1 -- Academic honor awards

NCAA Division II institutions are reminded that academic honor awards administered to student-athletes per Bylaw 15.5.3.3.1 may be exempted from the institution's equivalency computations. In this regard, a student is considered to have received an academic honor award if he or she meets the conditions of Bylaw 15.5.3.3.1-(a) and either Bylaw 15.5.3.3.1-(b) or 15.5.3.3.1-(c). Accordingly, the award the student receives must be part of the institution's normal arrangements for academic scholarships, awarded independently of athletics interests and in amounts consistent with the pattern of all such awards made by the institution. In addition, under Bylaw 15.5.3.3.1-(b), the recipient must (a) be ranked in the upper 20 percent of the high-school graduating class; or (b) have achieved a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.500 (based on a maximum of 4.000); or (c) presented a minimum ACT score of 100 or a minimum SAT score of 1140. If the recipient has not met the conditions of Bylaw 15.5.3.3.1-(b), he or she still may qualify for an academic honor award pursuant to Bylaw 15.5.3.3.1-(c) by having completed at least one academic year in college and achieved a cumulative grade-point average of 3.300 (on a 4.000 scale) for all academic work completed during the student's collegiate enrollment resulting in degree credits at the awarding institution.

Please note that academic honor awards should be distinguished from those honorary academic awards referenced in Bylaw 15.02.6. For example, Divisions I and II institutions are permitted to exempt honorary academic awards from equivalency computations, while academic honor awards (which also may be exempted from equivalency computations) apply only to Division II. While Divisions I and III institutions must include the value of the honorary academic award in determining the student's cost of attendance, Division II institutions are not required to count the value of the honorary academic award in either the individual's full grand-in-aid limit or cost-of-attendance limit. Finally, honorary academic awards must be based on the student's academic record at the awarding institution, and may not relate in any way to the student's academic performance while in high school. An award that originally was based on a student's high-school academic record, and in subsequent years is renewed based on the student's continued academic performance while in college, does not meet the conditions of an honorary academic award. Accordingly, such an award would be considered institutional financial aid and countable toward the Division I or II institution's equivalency limits.

This material was provided by the legislative services staff as an aid to member institutions. If an institution has a question or comment regarding this column, such correspondence should be directed to Richard C. Perko, legislative assistant, at the NCAA national office. This information is available on the Collegiate Sports Network.