The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- December 6, 1999

Legislative assistance

Involvement of NCAA Institution's Coach and Two-Year College Prospect in Sanctioned Summer Baseball Leagues -- Division III

NCAA Division III institutions should note that during its June 11 in-person meeting, the NCAA Division III Committee on Interpretations and Legislation determined that an institution's baseball coach may not coach an NCAA-funded summer baseball league team that has a team member who is a two-year college prospective student-athlete, inasmuch as the league is not considered competition that is organized and administered by the applicable governing body or athletics authority in accordance with NCAA Bylaw 13.12.3.4. [References: Bylaws 13.12.3.4 (state, regional, national or international training programs); 30.14.2 (summer baseball -- eligibility for participation); official interpretation, 01/29/98, Item No. 1; and an official interpretation of the former NCAA Interpretations Committee, 11/28/94, Item No. 2.]

Calculating Practice Opportunities -- Division III

Division III institutions should note that during its September 15 telephone conference, the Division III Committee on Interpretations and Legislation determined that Division III institutions should count backward from the institution's first scheduled regular-season intercollegiate contest when using the practice opportunity formula in determining the first permissible preseason practice date in those sports that use the practice-opportunity formula. It is not permissible to count backward from the permissible preseason scrimmage(s) when calculating the first permissible preseason practice date. [References: Bylaws 17.02.11.1 (practice opportunities), 17.10.2.2 (first practice date -- Division III football), 17.10.5.2-(i) (annual exemptions -- Division II preseason scrimmage), 17.18.2 (preseason practice -- Division III soccer) and 17.18.5.1.1 (scrimmages/exhibition games -- Division III soccer).]

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

Divisions I and II institutions should note that pursuant to 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 (for example, 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 (for example, 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.

Amateur Sports Act

The NCAA Olympic Sports Liaison Committee wishes to make NCAA institutions aware of the provisions contained in Section 206 of the Amateur Sports Act. It has come to the attention of the committee that the majority of member institutions are unaware of this Federal law and how to comply with its standards.

As set forth in Section 206 of the Amateur Sports Act, any amateur sports organization that wishes to conduct international amateur athletics competition to be held in the United States or sponsor international amateur athletics competition to be held outside the United States must receive a sanctioning of such competition from the appropriate national governing body (NGB) of the involved sport.

For example, if a member institution wishes to conduct a foreign tour to England in the sport of soccer, the institution needs to have received prior approval from the U.S. Soccer Federation. Further, if an NCAA institution competes against an international team in the United States, the institution also must receive prior approval from the applicable NGB in that sport.

For specific information on how to obtain sanctioning from national governing bodies, please contact the U.S. Olympic Committee headquarters at 719/632-5551.

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 Kristen Davis or Lisa Roesler, membership services representatives, at the NCAA national office. This information is available on the College Sports Network.