National Collegiate Athletic Association

Latest News

« back to 2011 | Back to NCAA News Archive Index

Division II legislative actions

Division II legislative actions at the 2011 NCAA Convention:

Proposal No. 2011-1 – NCAA Membership – Active Membership – Conditions and Obligations of Membership – Application of Rules to All Recognized Varsity Sports – Elimination of Emerging Sports Timetable

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011

Source: Presidents Council.

Intent: To eliminate the timetable for application of legislation to emerging sports for women.

Convention action: Adopted.

Proposal No. 2011-2 – Division Membership – Definitions and Applications – Emerging Sports for Women – Removal of Squash

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011.

Source: Presidents Council.

Intent: To remove squash as an emerging sport for women and to eliminate other specified legislation associated with the sport (e.g., playing and practice season regulations, minimum contest and participant requirements) for sports sponsorship.

Convention action: Adopted.

Proposal No. 2011-3  − Division Membership – Eligibility for National Collegiate Championships – Elimination of Two-Thirds Majority Eligibility Requirement

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011.

Source: Presidents Council

Intent: To eliminate the requirement that, in those sports in which two-thirds or more of the institutions sponsoring the sport are members of the same division, an institution is required to meet that division’s and its own division’s institutional and individual  eligibility requirements (or the more stringent rule if both divisions’ rules address the same issue).

Convention action: Adopted.

Proposal No. 2011-4  − Playing and Practice Seasons – Wrestling – Number of Dates of Competition – Annual Exemptions – National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011.

Source: Presidents Council.

Intent: In wrestling, to specify that the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals shall be exempted from the maximum number of dates of competition.

Convention action: Adopted.

Proposal No. 2011-5  − Playing and Practice Seasons – Start Date for Conditioning Activities, Preseason Practice and First Date of Competition – Basketball, Swimming and Diving, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field, and Wrestling

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011.

Source: Presidents Council.

Intent: In basketball, swimming and diving, indoor and outdoor track and field and wrestling, to specify that weight training, conditioning and skill instruction shall not begin before Sept. 7 or the institution’s fourth day of classes for the fall term, whichever is earlier; further, in swimming and diving, indoor and outdoor track and field, and wrestling to specify that an institution shall not commence preseason practice or the first date of competition before Sept. 7 or the institution’s fourth day of classes for the fall term, whichever is earlier.

Convention action: Adopted, 280-4-0.

Proposal No. 2011-6  − Playing and Practice Seasons – Baseball, Golf, Lacrosse, Rowing, Softball and Tennis --  First Date of Conditioning Activities, Practice and Competition in the Nonchampionship Segment – Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field – First Date of Conditioning Activities, Practice and Competition – Sept. 7 or Fourth Day of Classes

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011.

Source: Presidents Council.

Intent: In baseball, golf, lacrosse, rowing, softball and tennis, to specify that an institution shall not commence weight training, conditioning, skill instruction or practice and competition in the nonchampionship segment before Sept. 7 or the fourth day of classes, whichever is earlier; further, in indoor and outdoor track and field, to specify that an institution shall not commence weight training, conditioning, skill instruction or practice and competition before Sept. 7 or the institution's fourth day of classes for the fall term, whichever is earlier.

Convention action: Adopted, 278-5-1.

Proposal No. 2011-7 – Playing and Practice Seasons – Weekly Hour Limitations – Outside of Playing Season – Weight Training, Conditioning, Team Activities and Skill Instruction – Sports Other Than Football

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011

Source: Presidents Council.

Intent: To modify the weekly hour limitations outside of the playing season, as follows: (a) in winter and spring championship sports, to permit a student-athlete to participate in a maximum of two hours of team activities per week as part of the permissible eight hours of countable athletically related activities that may occur during the academic year outside of the playing season from the beginning of the institution's academic year through the day before the first permissible practice date; and (b) in fall championship sports other than football, to permit a student-athlete to participate in a maximum of two hours of team activities per week as part of the permissible eight hours of countable athletically related activities that may occur during the academic year outside of the playing season from the first day of classes in the second term of the institution's academic year through February 15; further, to specify that outside of the playing season after the Division II championship to one week before the beginning of the institution's final examination period, a student-athlete may participate in not more than two hours per week of skill instruction as part of the permissible eight hours of required countable athletically related activities that may occur during the academic year outside of the playing season.

Convention action: Adopted, 267-17-1.

Proposal No. 2011-8  − Playing and Practice Seasons – Definitions and Applications – Strength and Conditioning Workouts July 1 Through End of Institution’s Summer Vacation Period

Effective date: Immediately.

Source: Lone Star Conference and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.

Intent: To specify that a strength and conditioning coach who performs such duties for all of the institution's intercollegiate teams may design, conduct and monitor specific workout programs for student-athletes July 1 through the end of the institution's summer vacation period, provided such workouts are administered at the request of the student-athlete; further, to reorganize the definitions and applications section of the playing seasons legislation relating to the permissible activities of strength and conditioning personnel.

Convention action: Defeated, 117-167-2.

Proposal No. 2011-9 – Playing and Practice Seasons – Winter Break – Seven Consecutive Calendar Days During the Period of Dec. 20 Through Dec. 30

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011.

Source: Pennsylvania State and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conferences

Intent: To specify that an institution shall establish a winter break of seven consecutive calendar days during the period of Dec. 20 through Dec. 30 during which a student-athlete shall not participate in any voluntary athletically related activities on campus, unless the facility is open to the general student body; further, in basketball, swimming and diving, indoor track and field and wrestling, to specify that a student-athlete shall not participate in any countable athletically related activities for seven consecutive calendar days, as determined by the institution, during the period of Dec. 20 through Dec. 30.

Convention action: Defeated, 100-184-1.

Proposal No. 2011-10  − Playing and Practice Seasons – Track and Field, Indoor/Outdoor – Number of Dates of Competition – Maximum Limitations – Institutional – Competition That Exceeds Two Days

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011.

Source: Presidents Council.

Intent: In indoor and outdoor track and field to specify that (1) an institution that participates in a meet that exceeds two days in duration may count the first two days of the competition as a single date of competition, but must count any additional days as separate dates of competition; (2) an institution that participates in multiple competitions on the same date that it participates in a competition that exceeds two days may select either day (but not both days) as one institutional date of competition; and (3) if the institution participates in a separate event on the selected date, such participation will not result in an additional date of competition; however, participation in a separate event at a separate site on the date not selected will result in a second date of competition if the institution has the minimum number of student-athletes participating on that day.

Convention action: Adopted.

Proposal No. 2011-11 – Playing and Practice Seasons and Eligibility – Wrestling – First Date of Practice and Competition and No Outside Competition Between Beginning of Academic Year and Nov. 1

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011

Source: Presidents Council.

Intent: In wrestling, to specify that a student-athlete shall not participate in outside competition (on a team or as an individual) between the beginning of the institution's academic year and Nov. 1; further, to specify that an institution shall not commence practice sessions prior to October 10 and shall not engage in its first date of competition with outside competition prior to Nov. 1.

Convention action: Adopted, 133-5-142.

Proposal No. 2011-12  − NCAA Membership – Definitions and Applications – Affiliated and Corresponding Membership – Requirements for Affiliated Membership and Elimination of Corresponding Membership

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011

Source: Presidents Council

Intent: To eliminate corresponding membership; further, to modify the requirements for affiliated membership, as specified.

Convention action: Adopted.

Proposal No. 2011-13 – Institutional Control and Division Membership – Self-Study and Evaluation – Audit of Institutional Self-Study Report, Minimum Financial Aid and Minimum Sports-Sponsorship Reports

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011, for an institution that completes the Institutional Self-Study Guide (ISSG) report on or after June 1, 2011, and the minimum financial aid and minimum sports-sponsorship reporting for the 2010-11 academic year by Aug. 15, 2011, and thereafter.

Source: Presidents Council.

Intent: To specify that the report of the Institutional Self-Study Guide (ISSG) and supporting documentation shall be available for review and examination by the NCAA Division II Membership Committee; to specify that the Membership Committee shall have the authority to conduct an audit of the information contained in an institution's minimum financial aid report and minimum sports-sponsorship report; further, to amend the committee's duties, as specified.

Convention action: Adopted, 260-21-5.

Proposal No. 2011-14  − Amateurism and Eligibility – Participation in Major Junior A Ice Hockey Prior to Initial Collegiate Enrollment – Exceptions to Participation in Organized Competition – Men’s Ice Hockey Competition

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011.

Source: Northeast-10, East Coast and Peach Belt Conferences

Intent: To specify that an individual who participates in competition as a representative of an ice hockey team in the United States or Canada classified by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association as a Major Junior A team prior to full-time initial college enrollment shall be charged a season of competition and the individual shall be required to serve an academic year in residence on enrollment at a Division II institution; further, to specify that for a maximum of one year, participation in organized competition shall be excepted in men's ice hockey, provided such participation is part of competition sanctioned by the United States Hockey Association or the international equivalent.

Convention action: Adopted, 101-11-142

Proposal No. 2011-15 – Recruiting – Official (Paid) Visit – Limitations of Official Visit – Elimination of Limitation on Number of Official Visits

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011.

Source: Presidents Council.

Intent: To eliminate the limitation on the number of official visits that a prospective student-athlete may take to Divisions I and II institutions, while retaining the restriction that not more than one official visit is permitted to any single institution.

Convention action: Adopted, 246-35-2

Proposal No. 2011-16  − Recruiting – Sports Camps and Clinics – Institution’s Sports Camps and Clinics – Employment of Prospective Student-Athletes

Effective date: Immediate.

Source: Presidents Council.

Intent: To permit an institution to employ a prospective student-athlete at institutional sports camps and clinics provided: (1) compensation paid to the prospective student-athlete is for work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality for similar services; (2) the employment does not begin before the completion of the prospective student-athlete's senior year of high school and the prospective student-athlete has completed all competition for the academic year in his or her sport; (3) the prospective student-athlete shall only perform duties that are of a general supervisory nature in addition to any coaching or officiating assignments; and (4) a prospective student-athlete who only lectures or demonstrates may not receive compensation for his or her appearance.

Convention action: Adopted, 215-64-4, as amended by 2011-16-1

Proposal No. 2011-16-1  − Recruiting – Sports Camps and Clinics – Institution’s Sports Camps and Clinics – Employment of Prospective Student-Athletes Who Have Signed National Letter of Intent or Written Offer of Admission and/or Financial Aid

Effective date: Immediate.

Source: South Atlantic Conference.

Intent: To amend Proposal No. 2011-16 to specify that a prospective student-athlete who has signed a National Letter of Intent or written offer of admission and/or financial aid may only be employed at an institutional sports camp or clinic by the institution with which the prospective student-athlete signed a written commitment; further, to specify that a prospective student-athlete who has not signed a National Letter of Intent or written offer of admission and/or financial aid may be employed at any institutional camp or clinic.

Convention action: Adopted, 145-136-3.

Proposal No. 2011-17  − Recruiting – Recruiting Calendars – Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Football and All Other Sports Which Use the National Letter of Intent Program – Dead Period Surrounding National Letter of Intent Signing Date for Prospective Student-Athletes Who Are Eligible to Sign and Quiet Period for All Other Prospective Student-Athletes

Effective date:  Immediate.

Source: Northeast-10 and Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conferences.

Intent: To specify that the dead periods that occur prior to the initial date for signing the National Letter of Intent are only applicable to prospective student-athletes who are eligible to sign the National Letter of Intent; further, to specify that for prospective student-athletes who are not eligible to sign the National Letter of Intent, the 48 hours prior to the initial date for signing the National Letter of Intent shall be a quiet period.

Convention action: Defeated, 97-184-1.

Proposal No. 2011-18  − Eligibility – Freshman Academic Requirements – Core-Curriculum Requirements – Nontraditional Courses

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011, for student-athletes initially enrolling full-time in a collegiate institution on or after Aug. 1, 2011.

Source: Presidents Council.

Intent: To specify that for purposes of using a nontraditional course to satisfy NCAA core-course requirements, the course must be one in which the instructor and the student have ongoing access to one another and regular interaction with one another for purposes of teaching, evaluating and providing assistance to the student throughout the duration of the course; the student's work (e.g., exams, papers, assignments) is available for review and validation; and a defined time period for completion of the course is included.

Convention action: Adopted, 270-8-2.

Proposal No. 2011-19 – Eligibility – Two-Year College Transfers – Eligibility for Competition, Practice and Athletics Aid – Partial Qualifiers and Nonqualifiers – Transferrable English and Math

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011, for student-athletes initially enrolling full-time in a collegiate institution on or after Aug. 1, 2011.

Source: Presidents Council.

Intent: To specify that in order for a transfer student from a two-year college who was a partial qualifier or a nonqualifier to be eligible for competition, practice and athletics aid during his or her first academic year in residence, he or she must have successfully completed six semester or eight quarter hours of English and three semester or four quarter hours of math at the two-year college that are transferable toward any baccalaureate degree program at the certifying institution; further, to specify that remedial English and math courses may not be used by a student-athlete to satisfy this provision of the two-year college transfer rule.

Convention action: Adopted, 190-86-3.

Proposal No. 2011-20  − Eligibility – Two-Year College Transfers – Eligibility for Competition, Practice and Athletics Aid – All Other Qualifiers, Partial Qualifiers and Nonqualifiers – Exception – Previous Four-Year Collegiate Attendance – Graduation After One Semester or Quarter

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011, for a two-year college transfer student-athlete with previous four-year collegiate attendance enrolling at a Division II institution on or after Aug. 1, 2011.

Source: Presidents Council.

Intent: To establish an exception to the two-year college transfer rule for all other qualifiers, partial qualifiers and nonqualifiers to specify that a student who transfers from a four-year college to a two-year college and then to the certifying institution is eligible for competition, practice and athletics aid during his or her first year at the certifying institution, provided the student attended the last two-year college as a full-time student for only one semester or quarter and graduated from that two-year college.

Convention action: Adopted.

Proposal No. 2011- 21 – Eligibility – Seasons of Competition – Criteria for Determining Season of Eligibility – Alumni Game, Fundraising Activity or Celebrity Sports Activity

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011.

Source: Presidents Council.

Intent: To specify that a student-athlete may engage in outside competition in either one alumni game, one fundraising activity or one celebrity sports activity during a season without counting such competition as a season of competition, provided the event is exempted from the institution's maximum number of contests or dates of competition as permitted in the particular sport per NCAA Bylaw 17.

Convention action: Adopted.

Proposal No. 2011-22 – Eligibility – Seasons of Competition: 10-Semester/15-Quarter Rule – Criteria for Determining Season of Eligibility – Exception – Baseball, Softball, and Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse – Participation During Nonchampionship Segment

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011

Source: Pennsylvania State and Northeast-10 Conferences.

Intent: In baseball, softball and men's and women's lacrosse, to permit a student-athlete to engage in outside competition during the institution's nonchampionship segment without using a season of competition, provided the student-athlete is academically eligible at the beginning of the academic year.

Convention action: Adopted, 281-51-6.

Proposal No. 2011-23  − Enforcement – Penalties – Penalties, Disciplinary Measures and Corrective Actions – Penalty Structure for Secondary and Major Violations

Effective date: Immediate, for any institution that receives a Notice of Inquiry after the conclusion of the Division II Business Session on Jan. 15, 2011.

Source: Presidents Council.

Intent: To amend the penalty structure for secondary and major violations, as follows: (1) clarify that the NCAA enforcement staff has the authority to impose appropriate penalties involving secondary violations; (2) combine the list of presumptive penalties and disciplinary measures for major violations; and (3) restructure the penalties for secondary and major violations, as specified.

Convention action: Adopted.

Proposal No. 2011-24  − Division II Membership – Division II Membership Process – Institution Providing Erroneous Information During the Membership Process – Restricted Membership and Appeal Process

Effective date: Aug. 1, 2011

Source: Presidents Council.

Intent: To specify that an institution that provides erroneous information to the Membership Committee during the membership process that is material, intentional and fallacious, and would have impacted the committee’s decision to move the institution forward in the membership process, shall be subject to restricted-membership status for a period of one academic year for its entire athletics program  (both men’s and women’s sports) following the time of discovery; further, to specify that the NCAA Division II Management Council shall hear and act on an institution’s appeal of a decision made by the committee.

Convention action: Adopted.