Telephone Conference No. 9
April 2, 2003

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

Benefits and Expenses/Travel Expenses

1. Travel to NCAA Championships, NGB Championships in Emerging Sports and Postseason Bowl Games During a Vacation Period from a Location Other Than a Student-Athlete's Home. It is not permissible to use the formulas set forth in NCAA Bylaw 16.8.1.5.1.1 to determine the amount of permissible travel expenses that may be provided to a student-athlete for competition during a vacation period in which the student-athlete travels to a location other than home (that is, legal residence). Further, the subcommittee noted that if the student-athlete travels home during the vacation period, either before or after the competition, the institution may use the formulas set forth in Bylaw 16.8.1.5.1.1. Finally, if a student-athlete does not travel home during the vacation period but uses team transportation for one leg of travel (that is, event site to campus or vice versa), the student-athlete is responsible for any other leg of transportation which the student-athlete does not travel with the team. [References: Bylaws 16.8.1.2 (competition while representing institution), 16.8.1.5.1 (general rule) and 16.8.1.5.1.1(exceptions).]

Telephone Conference No. 10
April 9, 2003

Recruiting/Recruiting Advertisement

1. Institution Placing Advertisement in Athletics Publication. The subcommittee confirmed that it is not permissible for an institution to buy space for or arrange the placement of an athletics recruiting advertisement (that is, an advertisement designed to solicit the enrollment of prospects to participate in the institution's athletics program) in any publication. Further, the subcommittee determined that it is not permissible for an institution to place any type of advertisement (athletics or nonathletics) in game programs related to the athletics participation of prospects, in recruiting publications or in any publication (or single issue of a publication) that is devoted primarily to reporting on the athletics participation of prospects. The committee noted that it is permissible for institutions to place advertisements related to the institution's educational programs as well as advertisements containing information related to the institution's athletics programs in athletics publications [other than game programs, recruiting publications or any publication (or single issue of a publication) that is devoted primarily to reporting on the athletics participation of prospects]. [References: NCAA Bylaw 13.4.4.1 (recruiting advertisements) and 10/08/92 official interpretation, Item No. 3, which has been archived.]

Financial Aid/Initial Counter/Men's Basketball

2. Earning an Additional Initial Counter when Initial Counter Status is Delayed. In determining whether an institution qualifies for an additional initial counter in men's basketball, an institution may include a student-athlete who graduates, but whose initial counter status is delayed until the following academic year, only during the academic year in which the student-athlete is included in the initial counter limitations. For example, a student-athlete who graduates during the 2002-03 academic year but is not included in the institution's initial counter limitations until the 2003-04 academic year may not be included in the institution's number of graduating student-athletes for the 2002-03 academic year. However, the student-athlete may be included as a graduate during the 2003-04 academic year. [References: Bylaws 15.5.4.1 (men's basketball) and 15.5.4.1.2 (additional initial counter).]