Q: How can an institution prepare its student-athletes for NCAA championship drug testing?

A: Although all student-athletes participating in the championship have signed an NCAA Drug-Testing Consent Form, there are other steps a school can take to prepare its student-athletes. All institutions have a copy of the NCAA drug-testing video. The 12-minute tape explains the process of NCAA drug testing and should be shown to student-athletes before the championship. Contact NCAA education outreach if you do not have a current (1998) copy of the video. The 2002-03 NCAA Drug-Testing Program booklet, which contains the NCAA drug-testing protocol and the list of banned-drug classes, and the banned-drug poster are excellent references. The protocol and list of banned-drug classes are also on the NCAA Web page at www.ncaa.org/health-safety.

* * *

Q: How can a student-athlete find out whether a medication or supplement is banned?

A: Student-athletes should ask their athletic trainer or team physician about any medication or supplement product they plan to take to determine if it is banned. If the athletic trainer or team physician is unsure whether a substance is banned, they should contact the Dietary Supplement Resource Exchange Center (REC) at www.drugfreesport.com/rec. Effective May 1, the REC will require a password to access the NCAA REC site. All NCAA head athletic trainers received the password from the REC in an April 14, 2003, memorandum.

Warning: Some "dietary supplements" contain banned substances.

* * *

Q: When is drug testing conducted at the championship?

A: Drug testing can occur at any phase of an NCAA championship, from first rounds to finals. Testing is conducted immediately after the event (for example, a game or a race) at that site.

* * *

Q: How long does testing take?

A: If a student-athlete immediately provides an adequate specimen, the process takes about 10 minutes. If the student-athlete is unable to provide a specimen or provides a diluted or alkaline specimen, he or she will stay in the drug-testing station until an adequate specimen is provided.

* * *

Q: What if an athlete is detained in the testing station for a long time?

A: Institutions should be aware of the possibility that NCAA drug testing may be conducted after their championship event and should make travel arrangements accordingly. The NCAA Executive Committee has determined that if a student-athlete participating in a championship is detained in drug testing more than two hours, the team may depart. An institutional representative should stay with the student-athlete. The institution may request reimbursement from the NCAA for overnight expenses and transportation back to the campus for the student-athlete and the institutional representative.

* * *

Q: What drugs does the NCAA test for at NCAA championships?

A: The NCAA testing involves urinalysis for these banned-drug classes: stimulants (for example, cocaine, amphetamines, ephedrine and Ecstasy), anabolic agents (anabolic steroids, androstenedione and clenbuterol), diuretics, street drugs (heroin and marijuana), peptide hormones (EPO, for example) and urine manipulators. Student-athletes also should know about the NCAA's position on blood doping and the restrictions on the use of anesthetics and beta 2 agonists.

* * *

Q: What about dietary supplements?

A: The NCAA has issued warnings about the use of dietary supplements. Because of the lack of regulation in the production, distribution and sale of these products, the purity of these products is unknown; some may contain banned substances. Student-athletes should check with their team physician or athletic trainer before considering taking any of these products. Some supplements, such as ephedrine (ma huang), DHEA, androstenedione and norandrostenedione, are banned by the NCAA but are sold over the counter.

The REC is another excellent resource regarding supplements.

* * *

Q: When will institutions be informed whether their student-athletes will be tested at the championship?

A: No announcement of whether drug testing is being conducted at the site will be made at prechampionship meetings. This is new for 2002-03 championships.

At individual/team championships (for example, tennis, outdoor track and field), drug-testing couriers will notify student-athletes of their selection for drug testing and also will notify the student-athlete's coach or another institutional representative on site before the student-athlete is escorted to drug testing.

At team championships (for example, baseball, softball or lacrosse), a drug-testing crew member will provide immediately after the event a list of student-athletes selected for drug testing to an institutional representative.

* * *

Q: In addition to preparing student-athletes for possible drug testing at the championship site, how else should a school prepare for NCAA drug testing?

A: Schools should expect drug-testing to occur and plan accordingly. Host institutions for NCAA championships will be informed a few days in advance that drug testing is being conducted. They should follow instructions in the NCAA drug-testing site coordinator manual.

Also, in team championships, all schools will be required to submit at the prechampionship meeting a list of all student-athletes on the team who are present at the event. This list should be given to the NCAA championship liaison or a championship sports committee member present at the prechampionship meeting and will be used for drug-testing selection.

* * *

Q: Will the student-athletes or the schools be asked to submit information about medications at the championship site?

A: No. The drug-testing crews do not ask for any information about medications student-athletes are taking. This information should be kept on file at the institution and may be presented for consideration of a medical exception (waiver) in the case of a positive drug test.

* * *

Q: What is the notification process for championships?

A: In team championships, an NCAA drug-testing crew member will notify the student-athletes with the assistance of an institutional representative (for example, coach or athletic trainer). An institutional representative must be present during student-athlete arrival at the drug-testing station in order to identify the student-athletes. Read Section Nos. 5.3 and 5.3.1 of the 2002-03 NCAA drug-testing protocol for more information. For NCAA individual/team championships, official couriers will notify selected student-athletes.

* * *

Q: What is the policy on late-night testing?

A: At NCAA team championship events, when competition begins at 9 p.m. or later local time, an institution may defer testing until the next morning. Read Section Nos. 5.3.2 and 5.3.2.1 of the 2002-03 NCAA drug-testing protocol for more information about this process.

* * *

Q: Will the NCAA test for specimen concentration at the site of drug testing?

A: Yes. NCAA drug-testing crews will be using special hand-held instruments to measure urinary specific gravity. The instruments are refractometers, and their use improves the accuracy of the specific-gravity measurement. If the urine has a specific gravity below 1.005, when measured with a refractometer, the student-athlete must remain in the station until an adequate specimen is provided. The crew also tests for specimen pH.

* * *

Q: What if we have additional questions about NCAA drug testing?