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

Promotional Activities/Co-sponsorship

1. Use of a Student-Athlete's Name or Picture on a Nonprinted Promotional Item. It is permissible for a student-athlete's name or picture to appear on a nonprinted promotional item (for example, autographed football) that also includes a commercial entity's trademark or logo, provided the only trademark or logo appearing on the item belongs to the commercial entity that manufactured the item, the commercial entity is not a co-sponsor of the promotional activity and all other conditions of NCAA Bylaw 12.5.1.1 are satisfied. The subcommittee noted that a commercial entity becomes a co-sponsor if the commercial entity is involved, directly or indirectly, in advertising or promoting the activity. [Reference: Bylaw 12.5.1.1 (institutional, charitable, educational or nonprofit promotions).]

Recruiting/Local Sports Club

2. Staff Members' Involvement with Local Sports Clubs. The subcommittee reviewed the provisions of Bylaw 13.12.2.4 as they relate to the involvement of institutional coaches and noncoaching staff members with local sports clubs and determined the following:

a. A member institution's coaching staff member may be involved with a local sports club located in the institution's home community that includes prospects participating in a sport other than the coach's sport, provided those prospects live within a 50-mile radius of the member institution's campus. For example, an institution's men's soccer coach is permitted to coach a local club team in the sports of men's golf or women's soccer, provided all prospects participating on the team reside within 50 miles of the institution.

b. Athletics department staff members who are not included in the institution's coaching limitations (for example, director of athletics, academic advisor, director of volleyball operations) may be involved with a local sports club located in the institution's home community that includes prospects participating in any sport regardless of whether those prospects live within a 50-mile radius of the institution. The subcommittee noted that it is not permissible for these noncoaching staff members to engage in any recruiting activities on behalf of the institution while participating in any activities with a local sports club team. [Reference: Bylaw 13.12.2.4 (local sports clubs).]

Permissible Benefits/Medical Expenses/Summer/Conditioning

3. Providing Medical Expenses for Enrolled Student-Athletes in the Summer. An institution may provide medical expenses (including rehabilitation and physical therapy expenses) for any student-athlete who sustains an injury while participating in voluntary conditioning activities during the summer that are conducted by an institution's strength and conditioning coach with department-wide duties. The subcommittee noted that it remains impermissible for an institution to provide medical expenses for injuries sustained by a student-athlete engaging in voluntary summer conditioning activities that are not conducted by the strength and conditioning coach with department-wide duties. [References: Bylaw 16.4.1 (permissible medical expenses) and Proposal No. 99-74-1 (playing and practice seasons -- voluntary workouts).]

Recruiting/Precollege Expenses

4. Employment of Prospective Student-Athletes at Institutional Athletics Events/Facility. An institution's athletics department may not employ any group consisting of prospects (for example, athletics team, high-school athletics booster group, nonathletics high-school group), except as provided in Bylaw 13.2.4.1. However, it is permissible for a department of the institution (other than the athletics department) or an independent, third-party entity (for example, an entity to which the athletics department has contracted out the responsibility of hiring groups to work for the institution) to employ a group of prospects to work at the institution's athletics contests or nonathletics events taking place in athletics facilities, provided: (1) the opportunity for employment is available to other groups in general; (2) the group is not selected for a recruiting purpose; and (3) the athletics department has no involvement in the selection process. [References: Bylaws 13.2.4.1 (employment of prospects subsequent to senior year) and 13.16.1 (prohibited expenses).]

Summer Financial Aid/Basketball/Proposal No. 99-120-C

5. Summer Financial Aid to Basketball Prospects -- Remedial, Tutorial or Noncredit Courses Before Enrollment. Remedial, tutorial and noncredit courses may be used to satisfy the minimum six-hour credit requirement set forth in Proposal No. 99-120-C, provided the courses are considered by the institution to be prerequisites for specific courses acceptable for any degree program and are given the same academic weight as other courses offered by the institution. [References: Bylaw 14.4.3.4.6 (remedial, tutorial or noncredit courses) and Proposal No. 99-120-C.]

Eligibility/Basketball/Midyear Transfers

6. Midyear Transfer in the Sport of Basketball Returning to Original Institution. A "4-2-4" or "4-4-4" midyear transfer student who qualifies for the "return-to-original-institution" exception set forth in Bylaw 14.5.5.3.9 or 14.5.6.1-(a) is not subject to the provisions of Proposal No 99-125-A inasmuch as such a transfer student previously has been enrolled at the certifying institution. [References: Bylaws 14.5.5.3.9 (return to original institution without participation exception) and 14.5.6.1 ("4-2-4" college transfers -- exceptions).]