2001 Telephone
Conference No. 11

June 6, 2001

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

Recruiting/Contacts/Dead Period/Transfers

1. Contact with a Basketball Prospect during the Summer Dead Period. The exception set forth in NCAA Proposal No. 2000-71 is not applicable to any prospective men's basketball student-athlete who has not signed a National Letter of Intent, even if the prospect does not have an opportunity to sign a National Letter of Intent (for example, "4-4" transfer, prospect attending an institution that does not subscribe to the National Letter of Intent). The subcommittee recommended that the Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet Subcommittee on Recruiting consider sponsoring legislation to exclude from the summer dead-period contact restrictions any contact with a men's basketball prospect enrolled in summer school prior to initial full-time enrollment (if the summer-dead period should continue to apply in the future). [Reference: Proposal No. 2000-71 (recruiting calendar -- men's basketball).]

Recruiting/Contacts/On-Campus Athletics Event

2. Contact with Prospective Student-Athlete in Conjunction with an On-Campus Athletics Event. When a prospective student-athlete being recruited in the sport of football or basketball participates in an athletics contest or event (including a noninstitutional, private camp or clinic) on a member institution's campus outside of a contact period, it is not permissible for an authorized institutional staff member to have contact with the prospect until the calendar day after his or her release from the competition. The subcommittee noted that NCAA Bylaw 13.1.7.2.2 is designed to prohibit contact in conjunction with campus events conducted outside a contact period and, thus, the prospect must depart the locale of the institution before returning the following day. Further, if a prospect is visiting an institution's campus immediately before participating in an athletics contest or event on the institution's campus, the prospect must depart the locale of the institution the calendar day before the contest or event. [Reference: Bylaw 13.1.7.2.2 (athletics events outside contact period).]

Foreign Tours/Transportation Expenses

3. Travel Expenses for Student-Athletes Related to an Institutional Summer Foreign Tour. The provisions of Bylaw 16.8.1.4 are not applicable to a student-athlete who is participating in a foreign tour. The subcommittee noted that the Division I Management Council Administrative Review Subcommittee is the appropriate authority to request relief when a student-athlete's situation necessitates that a student-athlete receive expenses from home to campus (or vice versa) before departing to or upon returning from a foreign tour. Further, it recommended that the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet consider sponsoring legislation to permit an institution to provide travel expenses to student-athletes who participate on foreign tours in accordance with Bylaw 16.8.1.4. [References: Bylaw 16.8.1.4 (travel to regular-season contest during vacation period) and Bylaw 16.9 (foreign-tour expenses).]

Personnel/Employment with Professional Sport Organization

4. Application of Proposal No. 2000-123 (athletics personnel -- employment with professional sport organization). Proposal No. 2000-123, which provides institutions with the discretion to establish their own policies regarding employment and income arrangements between its athletics department staff members and professional sport organization, does not permit an institutional coaching staff member to avoid the application of Bylaws 11 or 13 as they relate to the recruitment of prospects and the scouting of opponents. [References: Proposal No. 2000-123 (athletics personnel -- employment with professional sport organization).]