August 2, 2000

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

Benefits/Expenses for Practice and Competition

1. Incidental Expenses at NCAA Championships, NGB Championships in Emerging Sports and Certified Bowl Games Conducted in the Locale of the Participating Institution. An institution participating in an NCAA championship or NGB championship in an emerging sport conducted in the locale of the institution (i.e., the proximity of the competition site to the institution does not necessitate travel) may provide $20 per day to each member of the squad to cover unitemized incidental expenses during a period not to exceed the maximum number of days of per diem allowed for the involved championship as established by the applicable sport committee. In the sport of football, an institution participating in a certified bowl game conducted in the locale of the institution may provide $20 per day to each member of the squad for a period not to exceed 10 days, beginning not earlier than the day that the institution's football team begins official practice for the bowl game. [Reference: NCAA Bylaw 16.8.1.6 (incidental expenses at NCAA championships, NGB championships in emerging sports and certified bowl games).]

October 11, 2000

Recruiting/Administrative Assistants

1. Noncoaching Athletics Department Staff Members with Sport-Specific Responsibilities. A noncoaching athletics department staff member with sport-specific responsibilities (for example, basketball administrative assistant, director of football operations) may not attend any on- or off-campus athletics event (for example, high-school contest, evaluation camp) in that sport in which prospective student-athletes are participating unless:

(a) The staff member is an immediate family member (or legal guardian) of a prospect involved in the activity; or

(b) The activity is a competition (as opposed to a camp) conducted in the locale of the institution.

In the case of (a) and (b) above, the staff member's attendance shall not be for evaluation purposes, the staff member shall not have direct contact with any prospect participating in the activity and the staff member shall not act as an institutional recruiter (for example, by reporting back to the institution's coaching staff about the performance of a prospect, by speaking to a prospect's parents or coach). [References: NCAA Bylaws 11.7.1.1.1 (countable coach), 11.7.1.1.1.1 (noncoaching activities), 11.7.4.3 (off-campus contact and evaluation of prospects), 13.1.2.1 (general rule), 13.1.2.1.1 (off-campus recruiters) and 13.1.2.2 (general exceptions).]

Benefits/Conference Championship Awards

2. Conference Championship Awards. The subcommittee confirmed that it is permissible for a conference to provide awards related to a student-athlete's participation in a conference championship in the applicable sport only as follows:

A student-athlete who is a member of an institution's team that wins a regular-season conference championship may receive a conference championship award after the conclusion of the regular season, provided the student-athlete was eligible to represent the institution in intercollegiate competition during the regular season and the limitations set forth in Bylaws 16.1.4.4 and 16.1.4.4.1 are satisfied.

A student-athlete who is a member of an institution's team that wins a postseason conference championship may receive a conference championship award after the conclusion of the postseason championship event, provided the student-athlete was eligible to represent the institution in the postseason championship event and the limitations set forth in Bylaws 16.1.4.4 and 16.1.4.4.1 are satisfied.

A student-athlete who is a member of an institution's team that participates in a postseason conference championship conducted by the conference may receive a special event participation award, provided the student-athlete is eligible to represent the institution in the postseason conference championship event and the limitations set forth in Bylaws 16.1.4.2 and 16.1.4.2.1 are satisfied. The award may not be provided until after the regular season has concluded and the teams and student-athletes eligible to participate in the postseason championship event have been identified. [References: Bylaws 16.1.4.2 (NCAA championships/regional or national awards and special events), 16.1.4.2.1 (number and value of awards), 16.1.4.4 (conference championship) and 16.1.4.4.1 (regular-season conference champion versus postseason conference champion); 02/16/00 official interpretation, Item No. 2.]