The NCAA News - News and Features

August 18, 1997

Interpretations Committee minutes

Conference No. 6
July 17, 1997

Acting for the NCAA Council, the committee issued the following interpretations:

Promotional Activities

1. Items Associated With Commercial Sponsor Appearing in Institutional Promotional Item. A student-athlete with remaining eligibility may not appear on an institution's printed promotional item (e.g., picture, poster, calendar) that includes a reproduction of a product with which a commercial entity is associated if the commercial entity's officially registered regular trademark or logo also appears on the item. For example, an apparel company's officially registered trademark or logo may not appear on a poster of an institution's basketball team, if the team members are wearing the apparel company's shoes in the poster. [References: NCAA Bylaws 12.5.1.1-(b) (permissible -- institutional, charitable, educational or nonprofit promotions); 12.5.1.4-(b) (commercial advertisement); and 12.5.2.1 (advertisements and promotions subsequent to enrollment)]

Playing and Practice Season/Multi-Day Competition

2. Counting Multi-Day Competitions (Divisions I, II and III). In sports (e.g., skiing, wrestling, and Division I track and field) that allow two-day competitions to count as a single date of competition, an institution that participates in a competition that exceeds two days in duration may count the first two days of the competition as a single date of competition but must count any additional days as separate dates of competition. [References: 17._.5.1 (maximum limitations -- institutional) and 17.17.5.1.1 (skiing meet)]

Publicity

3. Introduction of Prospects at Event Conducted By an Outside Organization (Divisions I, II and III). The principles outlined in 13.11.5 are not applicable to an intercollegiate event that is not being conducted, promoted or administered by a member institution or conference. Thus, it is permissible for an outside organization to recognize high-school scholar athletes at half time of an intercollegiate event, provided a member institution or conference is not involved in any manner in arranging for the publicity of the prospects. [Reference: 13.11.5 (introduction of prospect)]

Financial Aid/Summer

4. Financial Aid To Attend Institution's Summer Term or Summer School (Division I). The committee confirmed that the phrase "during the student-athlete's previous academic year" as stated in 15.2.7.1.1 relates to the student-athlete's previous academic year at the certifying institution. For example, if a student-athlete has attended an institution during an academic year(s) and received athletically related financial aid and has transferred and attended a second institution during the next academic year, it is permissible for the student-athlete to return to the first institution and receive athletically related financial aid to attend its summer session, provided the aid he or she receives is in proportion to the amount of athletically related aid received during the student's last academic year in residence at that institution. [References: 15.2.7.1.1 (enrolled student-athletes) and a previous Interpretations Committee decision (Reference: 4/26/91, Item No. 8)]