The NCAA News - News and Features

December 15, 1997

Legislative assistance

1997 Column No. 45NCAA Bylaws 16.8.1.4.1 and 16.8.1.4.1.1

Travel to regular-season contests
during vacation period --

NCAA Divisions I and II

NCAA Divisions I and II institutions should note that pursuant to NCAA Bylaw 16.8.1.4.1, an institution may provide team transportation for a student-athlete to travel from campus to the site of a regular-season contest that occurs during a vacation period and back to campus.

In addition, pursuant to Bylaw 16.8.1.4.1.1, if a student-athlete travels to a site other than the event site (e.g., he or she goes home for the holidays) during the vacation period, the institution may provide the cost of round-trip transportation for the student-athlete to travel from campus to the event site and back to campus even if the student-athlete does not travel with the team (e.g., the student goes home for the holidays and travels to the event site from home). The student-athlete shall pay only the additional cost associated with traveling to a site other than the event site.

* Expenses for regular-season competition during vacation period.

It is permissible for an institution to purchase a ticket to cover any of a student-athlete's transportation expenses (e.g., expenses from home to the event and back to campus) in conjunction with regular-season competition during a vacation period provided the student-athlete reimburses the institution the value of any portion of the trip from the campus to the student-athlete's home and back to campus for which the student-athlete has not paid. Under such circumstances, the student-athlete must reimburse the institution prior to his or her departure for the competition. [Reference: November 29, 1994, NCAA Interpretations Committee.]

* Institution providing cash to student-athletes for team entertainment related to away-from-home contests.

It is not permissible for an institution to provide cash to student-athletes for team entertainment in conjunction with away-from-home contests, except as permitted in Bylaws 16.8.1.5 (NCAA championships and certified postseason bowl contest) and 16.9.1 (foreign tour). Accordingly, an institution may not provide cash to a student-athlete for team entertainment related to a regular-season contest that occurs during a vacation period. [Reference: January 30, 1992, NCAA Interpretations Committee.]

NCAA Council action

Division I women's volleyball dead period

During its August 1996 meeting, the NCAA Council approved an amendment to Bylaw 30.11.7.6, which relates to the dead period in Division I women's volleyball that surrounds the National Collegiate Division I Women's Volleyball Championship. The previous standard indicated that the dead period lasted from the Wednesday prior to the Division I Women's Volleyball Championship game to noon the day after the game. The new standard extends the end of the dead period in Division I women's volleyball from noon on the day after the Division I Women's Volleyball Championship game to midnight December 31 (an extension of approximately 10 days). This year's Division I Women's Volleyball Championship is conducted December 18 and 20, 1997, in Spokane, Washington. Accordingly, the dead period this year runs from 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, December 17, through midnight December 31, 1997.

This material was provided by the membership 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 or Kristen L. Davis, membership services representatives, at the NCAA national office. This information is available on the Collegiate Sports Network.