The NCAA News - News and Features

March 2, 1998

Interpretations

Division I

Conference No. 1
January 27, 1998

Acting for the NCAA Division I Management Council, the Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet Subcommittee on Legislative Review/Interpretations issued the following interpretations:

Football/Exemptions

1. Conference Representation in Preseason Exempted Football Contests -- Division I. In the sport of football, it is not permissible for more than one team from any Division I conference to participate in any of the preseason exempted football events during an academic year. For example, if a member institution of a particular conference participates in the National Football Foundation benefit game, no other member institution of that conference could participate in any of the other preseason exempted football events during the same academic year. [Reference: NCAA Bylaw 30.10.2.10 (conference representation)]

Transfer -- Discontinued/
Nonsponsored-Sport Exception

2. Discontinued Sport -- Transfer -- Division I. A transfer student may use the discontinued/nonsponsored-sport exception to the one-academic-year-in-residence requirement only after the date the sport was scheduled to be discontinued. For example, if an institution announces during the fall semester that it will discontinue the sport of baseball at the end of the academic year, a student-athlete who transfers prior to the end of the academic year (e.g., midyear) is not permitted to use the discontinued/nonsponsored-sport exception. [References: 14.5.5.3.7 (discontinued/nonsponsored-sport exception) and a previous official interpretation, former NCAA Interpretations Committee, 4/27/89, Item No. 9]

Publicity/Press Conferences

3. Functions Organized by Booster Groups Surrounding the National Letter of Intent Signings. Functions that are designed to celebrate the institution's signees in the applicable sport, at which the institutional coaching staff members appear and discuss prospects who have signed commitments to attend the institution, would not be contrary to the provisions of 13.11.8.2, provided:

a. The institution previously has released communications of a prospect's commitment to attend the institution to media outlets normally used by the institution and by the educational institutions currently and formerly attended by the prospect;

b. The function or activity is not held in conjunction (simultaneously) with an announcement to the public of the prospect's signing commitment; and

c. The function is closed to the working media.

[Reference: 13.11.8.2 (press conferences)]

Learning Disabled/Initial Eligibility

4. Definition of "Quantitatively and Qualitatively." The standard that learning-disabled students are expected to acquire the same knowledge, both quantitatively and qualitatively, as students in other core courses in order to use such courses to meet the initial-eligibility core-curriculum requirements means that such courses are "substantially comparable qualitatively and quantitatively to similar core-course offerings in that academic discipline." [Reference: 14.3.1.3.4 (courses for students with disabilities)]

Learning Disabled/Initial Eligibility

5. Core Courses for Learning-Disabled Students. Students with learning disabilities may use courses that are taught at a level below the high school's regular academic instructional level (e.g., special-education courses) to meet the initial-eligibility core-curriculum requirements, provided the students in such classes are expected to acquire the same knowledge, both quantitatively and qualitatively, as students in other core courses. [References: 14.3.1 (eligibility for financial aid, practice and competition) and 14.3.1.3.4 (courses for students with disabilities)]

Division II

January 13, 1998

Acting for the Division II Legislation Committee, the Interpretations Subcommittee issued the following interpretations:

Playing and Practice Seasons

1. Preseason, Off-Campus Intrasquad Activities -- Division II. A member institution may not conduct preseason, off-campus activities (competition or practice) if such activities meet any of the definitions of organized competition per NCAA Bylaw 14.2.5.3 (e.g., activities publicized in advance, admission is charged). [References: 14.2.4.5.3 (organized competition) and 17.1.6.5.2 (preseason, off-campus intersquad games prohibition)]

Summer Baseball Leagues

2. Involvement of Institution's Coach and Two-Year College Prospect in NCAA-Funded Summer Baseball Leagues -- Division II. An institution's baseball coach may serve as a coach of a team in an NCAA-funded summer baseball league that has a two-year college prospect as a team member, inasmuch as the league is considered competition that is organized and administered by the applicable governing body or athletics authority (e.g., NCAA) in accordance with 13.12.3.4. [References: 13.12.3.4 (state, regional, national and international training programs), 30.14.2 (eligibility for participation) and a previous offi-cial interpretation, NCAA Interpretations Committee 11/29/94, Item No. 2]

Highlight Film/Recruiting Videotape/
Printed Recruiting Materials

3. Prospect Viewing Videotape/Film During Recruiting Visit. A prospect may tour an institution's athletics hall of fame or museum during a recruiting trip and view videotape/films related the institution's athletics programs (even if such videotape/films do not meet the definition of a highlight film), provided the facility is open to the general public on a year-round basis and the videotape/film has been developed for the purpose of showing to the general public (as opposed to the recruitment of prospects). [References: 13.4.2 (Divisions I and II video materials) and 13.4.2.1 (highlight film/videotape)]

Transfer/Discontinued Sport

4. Discontinued Sport -- Transfer. A transfer student-athlete may use the discontinued/nonsponsored-sport exception to the one-academic-year-residence requirement only after the date the sport was scheduled to be discontinued. For example, if an institution announces during the fall semester that it will discontinue the sport of baseball at the end of the academic year, a student-athlete who transfers prior to the end of the academic year (e.g., midyear) is not permitted to use the discontinued/nonsponsored-sport exception. [References: 14.5.5.3.7 (discontinued/nonsponsored-sport exception) and official interpretation, Interpretations Committee, 4/27/89, Item No. 9]