Conference Call No. 25
November 17, 2004

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

Recruiting/Off-Campus Contact

1. Off-Campus Contacts During April of a Prospective Student-Athlete's Junior Year. The committee confirmed that only prospective student-athletes who are home-schooled may be contacted in person by institutional coaching staff members in April of their junior year at a location other than a high school. For a home-schooled prospective student-athlete, the contact during April of his or her junior year may only occur at the prospective student-athlete's home. [Reference: NCAA Division I Bylaw 13.1.1.1 (contactable prospects -- high-school prospects).]

Publicity/Use of a Prospect's Photograph

2. Use of a Prospective Student-Athlete's Photograph in an Institution's Printed Promotional Items. It is permissible for an institution to use a prospect's photograph in printed institutional items (for example, season-ticket brochure) that promote a sport's season in which the prospect will participate as a student-athlete, provided the prospect has signed a National Letter of Intent or the institution's written offer of admission and/or financial aid and the prospect's name or photograph is not used in any promotional items that involve the purchase or receipt of commercial advertising (for example, season-ticket advertisement in newspapers or on a billboard). [References: Division I Bylaws 13.11.7 (photograph of prospect) and 13.11.8 (media releases regarding signing).]

Revision of previous interpretation

Following is an October 18, 2004, Management Council revision of two previous Council-approved interpretations:

Progress-Toward-Degree Requirements for Transfer Student-Athletes. The NCAA Division I Management Council used its authority set forth in NCAA Constitution 5.4.1.2.3 to modify two previous Council-approved interpretations and agreed that on transfer to the certifying institution, a student-athlete who initially enrolled full-time at any collegiate institution on or after August 1, 2003, must meet the following progress-toward-degree requirements based on attendance at a foreign institution, domestic four-year college or a two-year college for the specified time:

• Equivalent of one semester/one quarter, six semester or six quarter hours of academic credit;

• Equivalent of one academic year (for example, two semesters/three quarters): 24 semester or 36 quarter hours of academic credit;

• Equivalent of three semesters/four quarters: 30 semester or 42 quarter hours of academic credit; or

• Equivalent of four semesters/six quarters and thereafter, applicable percentage-of-degree requirements.

Further, for a transfer student-athlete from a foreign institution, it is not necessary for the institution to certify that the student-athlete has completed six hours of academic credit in the previous term of full-time enrollment. However, for a transfer student-athlete from a domestic four-year college or two-year college, an institution must certify that the student-athlete has completed six hours of academic credit in the previous term of full-time enrollment, regardless of when the student-athlete enrolls in the NCAA Division I institution (for example, fourth semester, eighth semester). [References: NCAA Bylaws 14.4.1 (progress-toward-degree requirements), 14.4.3.1 (fulfillment of credit-hour requirements), 14.4.3.1.1 (transfer) and 14.4.3.2 (fulfillment of percentage-of-degree requirements); a 2/20/03 official interpretation, Item No. 3, and a 2/20/03 official interpretation, Item No. 4, which have been archived.]