The NCAA News - News and Features

July 21, 1997

NCAA Drug-Testing Protocol, 1997-98

The NCAA Drug-Testing Protocol for 1997-98 was approved by the NCAA Executive Committee at its May meeting.

The revised protocol was created in response to 1997 Convention Proposal No. 135 and is effective August 1, 1997.

Athletics administrators may wish to pay particular attention to Section 10.0 (Non-NCAA Positive Drug Test -- NCAA For-Cause Drug Testing), which is new.

New language is underlined. Language from the previous protocol is struck through.

1.0. Medical Code.

1.1. The presence in a student-athlete's urine of a substance and/or metabolite of such substance belonging to a class of drugs currently banned by the NCAA may be cause for loss of eligibility.

1.2. Evidence of presence of a banned substance and/or metabolite will be from analysis of the student-athlete's urine and confirmation by gas chromatography/mass spect-
rometry by an NCAA laboratory.

1.3. The current NCAA list of banned-drug classes is included in this brochure. In addition, other substances may be screened to gather data for making decisions as to whether other drugs should be added to the list. The NCAA Executive Committee will be responsible for reviewing and revising the list of banned-drug classes.

1.3.1. The Executive Committee may limit testing to select banned-drug classes.

1.3.1.1. Nonchampionship and nonbowl testing will be limited to anabolic agents, diuretics, peptide hormones and analogues and urine manipulators as defined in Bylaw 31.2.3.1.

2.0. Organization.

2.1. The NCAA Executive Committee has final authority over the procedures and implementation of the NCAA drug-testing program.

2.2. The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports will recommend policies and procedures to the Executive Committee.

2.3. The NCAA staff will support, coordinate and be responsible for the general administration of the drug-testing program under the supervision of the NCAA group executive director for education services.

2.3.l. The NCAA staff will be responsible for administration of the program. This will include selection of and training of the crew chiefs who will take responsibility for respective drug-testing occasions and who will be responsible for appointing their crew members.

2.3.1.1 The NCAA staff may utilize the services of outside collection agencies to conduct drug-testing specimen collection.

2.3.2. Crew chief assignments and determination of testing sites will be part of the administrative responsibility of the NCAA staff.

2.3.3. No member of a drug-testing crew may concurrently be serving at an NCAA championship in any other capacity.

2.4. The host institution for an NCAA championship or the involved institution(s) for a nonchampionship testing event will recommend an individual to serve as site coordinator with the NCAA and the crew chief assigned to that testing site.

2.4.1. The designated site-coordinator at an NCAA championship may not concurrently serve in any other capacity (e.g. director of medical coverage).

2.5. The NCAA executive director will approve any contracts between the NCAA and drug-testing laboratories.

2.5.1. The drug-testing laboratory(ies) will be required to demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the NCAA competitive-safeguards committee, proficiency in detection and confirmation of the banned substance categories on the NCAA list of banned-drug classes. A periodic quality control check of the laboratory(ies) will be maintained.

2.5.2. Members of the NCAA competitive-safeguards committee and/or its consultants may be called upon to interpret test results.

2.6. Specimen collection by organizations other than the NCAA is not allowed at the site of NCAA championships or postseason football bowl games.

3.0. Causes for Loss of Eligibility.

3.1. According to Bylaw 14.1.4.1., each academic year the student-athlete shall sign a form prescribed by the Council in which the student-athlete consents to be tested for the use of drugs prohibited by NCAA legislation. Failure to complete and sign the consent form prior to practice or competition in Divisions I and II sports in which the Association conducts year-round drug testing and prior to competition in all other sports in Divisions I, II and III shall result in the student-athlete's ineligibility for participation (i.e., practice and competition) in all intercollegiate athletics.

3.1.1. A nonrecruited student-athlete in sports other than those involved in the Association's year-round drug-testing program may participate in preseason practice activities prior to the team's first contest or date of competition without signing the drug-testing consent form.

3.1.2. The institution shall administer the consent form individually to each student-athlete (including recruited partial qualifiers and nonqualifiers) each academic year. Details about the content, administration and disposition of the consent form are set forth in Bylaw 30.5.

3.2. All student-athletes found to be positive for a substance belonging to a banned-drug class are subject to loss of eligibility consistent with existing policies, as designated in NCAA Bylaw 18.4.1.5.

3.3. Student-athletes who fail to sign the notification form or signature form, fail to arrive at the collection station at the designated time without justification, fail to provide a urine sample according to protocol, leave the collection station before providing a specimen according to protocol, or attempt to alter the integrity or validity of the urine specimen will be treated as if there were a positive for a banned substance.

3.4. A member institution's athletics department staff members or others employed by the intercollegiate athletics program who have knowledge of a student-athlete's use of a substance on the list of banned drugs, as set forth in 31.2.3.1, shall follow institutional procedures dealing with drug abuse or shall be subject to disciplinary or corrective action as set forth in 19.6.2.2.

3.5. Causes of ineligibility may also be found in Section No. 6.3.1 of the protocol.

4.0. Championship, Institution and Student-Athlete Selection.

4.1. The method for selecting championships, institutions or student-athletes to be tested will be recommended by the NCAA competitive-safeguards committee and approved by the Executive Committee in advance of the testing occasion, and implemented by the NCAA staff and assigned crew chiefs. All student-athletes are subject to testing.

4.1.1. Student-athletes competing in Divisions I-A, I-AA or II football or Division I indoor or outdoor track and field are subject to year-round testing according to the provisions of Section No. 1.3.1.1.

4.1.2. All student-athletes are subject to NCAA testing at NCAA championships or in conjunction with postseason bowl events.

4.2. At NCAA individual/team championships events, choice of student-athletes may be based on NCAA-approved random selection or position of finish. Crew chiefs will be notified which method or combination of methods have been approved by the Executive Committee or the executive director acting for the Executive Committee.

4.3. At NCAA team championships, student-athletes may be selected on the basis of playing time, positions and/or an NCAA-approved random selection. Crew chiefs will be notified which method or combination of methods have been approved by the Executive Committee or the executive director acting for the Executive Committee.

4.4. In nonchampionship testing events, student-athletes may be selected on the basis of position, athletics financial-aid status, playing time, an NCAA-approved random selection or any combination thereof.

4.4.1. Student-athletes will be selected by the NCAA from the official institutional squad list.

4.4.1.1. Students listed on the squad list who have exhausted their eligibility or who have career-ending injuries will not be selected by the NCAA.

4.5 Persons who test positive and subsequently restore eligibility will automatically be tested at any subsequent NCAA championship at which they appear and at which drug testing is being conducted or at any subsequent nonchampionship NCAA testing event.

4.5.1. It is the responsibility of the institution to notify the drug-testing crew chief that a student-athlete who is present must be tested to satisfy the retesting requirement as outlined in Section No. 4.5.

4.6. Student-athletes may be tested before, during or after NCAA championships and certified postseason football bowl games.

4.7 If a student-athlete is suspected of manipulating specimens (e.g., via dilution), the NCAA will have the authority to perform additional tests on that student-athlete, not to exceed two consecutive negative tests.

5.0. Championship, Institution and Student-Athlete Notification.

5.1. Tournament directors and drug-testing site coordinators for NCAA championships will be notified of the drug-testing plan five to seven days before the day of testing.

5.2. For nonchampionship, on-campus drug testings, the director of athletics or designate and site coordinator will be notified two days before the day of testing.

5.3. At NCAA team championship events, immediately after any established cool-down period after the event, student-athletes selected for drug-testing will be notified by a crew member. Each student-athlete will be instructed to read and sign the Team Championship Student-Athlete Notification Form. The notification form will instruct the student-athlete to report to the collection station within one hour, unless otherwise directed by the crew chief or designate.

5.3.1. An official institutional representative must be in the collection station to certify the identity of the student-athletes selected. The institutional representative must remain in the collection station until all student-athletes have reported.

5.3.2. At NCAA team championship events, when competition begins at 9 p.m. or later local time, student-athletes may defer testing until the next morning.

5.3.2.1. Determination of the time of testing (i.e., postgame or next morning) for student-athletes will be established by the institutions no later than immediately after the game.

5.3.2.2. An official institutional representative must be in the collection station at any next-morning testing to certify the identity of the student-athletes selected for testing.

5.3.2.3. The host institution will be responsible for establishing collection sites for any next-morning tests.

5.3.2.4. If testing is conducted after final rounds at team championships, both teams will be tested postgame.

5.4. At NCAA team/individual championship events, a student-athlete will be notified of selection for drug testing immediately after competition. Any student-athlete selected for drug testing will be handed a Student-Athlete Notification Form by an official courier. The notification form will instruct the student-athlete to accompany the courier to the collection station within one hour, unless otherwise directed by the crew chief or designated.

5.4.1. If a selected student-athlete is scheduled to compete in another event during that championship, the student-athlete must defer testing until the completion of the final event.

5.4.1.1. The courier and selected student-athlete will obtain an official institutional representative's signature on the notification form to defer testing until completion of the final event of the championship. No later than one hour after completion of this final event, an institutional representative must present the student-athlete to the collection station and certify identification of the student-athlete.

5.5. The time of notification will be recorded and the student-athlete will read and sign the notification form.

5.5.1. Completed notification forms will be returned to the collection station and given to the crew chief (or designate). The student-athlete or institutional representative will be given a copy at the completion of the collection process.

5.6. A witness may accompany the student-athlete to the collection station.

5.7. At NCAA on-campus, nonchampionship testing events, the student-athlete will be notified of and scheduled for testing by the institution. The institution will notify the student-athlete of the date and time to report to the collection station and will have the student-athlete read and sign any Student-Athlete Notification Form.

5.7.1. An institutional representative must be in the collection station at all times during NCAA on-campus nonchampionship drug testings.

5.7.1.1. The institutional representative will certify the identity of student-athletes and will be responsible for security of the collection station and for student-athlete compliance with the collection protocol.

5.7.1.2. Student-athletes shall provide identification when entering the drug-testing station.

5.8. At selected championship, postseason bowl and on-campus testings, alternative methods of student-athlete notification may be used.

6.0. Specimen Collection Procedures.

6.1. Only those persons authorized by the crew chief will be allowed in the collection station.

6.1.1. The crew chief may release a sick or injured student-athlete from the collection station or may release a student-athlete to return to competition or to meet academic obligations only after appropriate arrangements for having the student-athlete tested have been made and documented on the Student-Athlete Notification Form.

6.2. Upon entering the collection station, the student-athlete will be identified by an NCAA courier or an institutional representative and the student-athlete will record time of arrival and name on the Student-Athlete Roster Form.

6.2.1. When ready to urinate, the student-athlete will select a beaker that is sealed in a plastic bag from a supply of such and will record his/her initials on the beaker's lid.

6.2.2. A crew member will monitor the furnishing of the specimen by observation in order to assure the integrity of the specimen until a specimen of at least 80 ml is provided.

6.2.3. Fluids given student-athletes who have difficulty voiding must be from sealed containers (certified by the crew chief) that are opened and consumed in the station. These fluids must be caffeine- and alcohol-free.

6.2.3.1. Drug-testing crews will not provide food to student-athletes. Student-athletes or their institutions may supply food subject to the approval of the crew chief.

6.2.4. If the specimen is incomplete the student-athlete must remain in the collection station under observation of a crew member until the sample is completed. During this period, the student-athlete is responsible for keeping the collection beaker closed and controlled.

6.2.5. Once a specimen (at least 80 ml) is provided, the student-athlete will select a numbered specimen collection kit, which includes a Student-Athlete Signature Form, from a supply of such.

6.2.5.1. The crew member who monitored the furnishing of the specimen by observation will sign the Student-Athlete Signature Form.

6.2.5.2. The student-athlete will pour at least 60 ml of the specimen into the "A bottle" and most of the remaining amount into the "B bottle," leaving a small amount in the beaker.

6.2.5.3. The student-athlete will place the cap on each bottle; the crew member will then seal each bottle in the required manner under the observation of the student-athlete and witness (if present) and seal each bottle in a plastic security container.

6.2.6. A crew member will check the specific gravity and the pH of the urine remaining in the beaker. This finding is recorded on the Student-Athlete Signature Form.

6.2.6.1. If the urine has a specific gravity below 1.010 (1.005 if measured with a refractometer), the student-athlete must remain in the station until an adequate specimen is provided.

6.2.6.1.1. After initial collection and processing of a dilute specimen, subsequent specimens will be tested for specific gravity according to 6.2.6.1.2.

6.2.6.1.2. The student-athlete will select a new beaker that is sealed in a plastic bag from a supply of such and pour a small amount of urine into the beaker. The student-athlete will provide another specimen according to 6.2.1 and 6.2.2. The student-athlete will pour a small amount of urine into an approved container. The crew member will check the specific gravity and if specific gravity is 1.010 (1.005 if measured with a refractometer) or greater, the specimen will be processed and sent to the laboratory. If the specific gravity is below 1.010 (1.005 if measured with a refractometer), the specimen will be discarded.

6.2.6.2. If the urine is alkaline (greater than 7.5), additional specimens will be collected and sent to the laboratory. No more than three alkaline specimens per student-athlete will be collected and sent to the laboratory. The student-athlete must remain in the station until an adequate specimen is collected or until three alkaline specimens have been collected.

6.2.7. Final determination of specimen adequacy will be made by the laboratory.

6.2.7.1. If the laboratory determines that a student-athlete's specimen is inadequate for analysis, the NCAA may collect another specimen.

6.2.7.2. If a student-athlete is suspected of manipulating specimens (e.g., via dilution), the NCAA will have the authority to perform additional tests on that student-athlete, not to exceed two consecutive negative tests.

6.3. The student-athlete and witness (if present) will sign the Student-Athlete Signature Form, certifying that the procedures were followed as described in the protocol. Any deviation from the procedures must be described and recorded on the Student-Athlete Signature Form at that time. If deviations are alleged, the student-athlete will be required to provide another specimen.

6.3.1. Failure to sign the Student-Athlete Notification Form or the Student-Athlete Signature Form, to arrive at the collection station at the designated time without justification or to provide a urine specimen according to protocol is cause for the same action(s) as evidence of use of a banned substance. The crew chief will inform the student-athlete of these implications (in the presence of witnesses) and record such on the Student-Athlete Signature Form. If the student-athlete is not available, the crew chief will notify the NCAA official responsible for administration of the event or an institutional representative. The student-athlete will be considered to have withdrawn consent and will be ineligible on that basis.

6.3.2. The crew member will sign the Student-Athlete Signature Form, give the student-athlete or a designee a copy and secure all remaining copies. The compiled Student-Athlete Signature Forms constitute the "Master Code" for that drug testing.

6.3.2.1. The laboratory's copy of the Student-Athlete Signature Form does not contain the name of the student-athlete.

6.4. All sealed specimens will be secured in an NCAA shipping case. The crew chief will put the laboratory copy of the Student-Athlete Signature Form in the case, and prepare the case for forwarding.

6.5. After the collection has been completed, the specimens will be forwarded to the laboratory, the remaining supplies returned, and all copies of all forms forwarded to the designated persons.

7.0 Chain of Custody.

7.1. An NCAA forwarder's agent will receive the shipping case(s) at the collection station and deliver them to the air carrier.

7.2. A laboratory employee will record that the shipping case(s) have been received.

7.3. The laboratory will record whether the numbered seal on each plastic security container arrived intact.

7.3.1. If a specimen arrives at the laboratory with security seals not intact, the NCAA may collect another specimen.

8.0. Notification of Results and Appeal Process.

8.1. The laboratory will use a portion of specimen A for its initial analysis.

8.1.1. Analysis will consist of sample preparation, instrument analysis and data interpretation.

8.1.2. The laboratory director or designated certifying scientist will review all results showing a banned substance and/or metabolite(s) in specimen A.

8.1.3. By facsimile, the laboratory will inform the NCAA group executive director for education services or a designate of the results by each respective code number. Subsequently, the laboratory will mail the corresponding written report to the NCAA group executive director for education services or designate.

8.2. Upon receipt of the results, the NCAA group executive director for education services or a designate will break the number code to identify any individuals with positive findings.

8.2.1. For NCAA individual/team championships, if a member institution has not heard from the NCAA within 30 days after the specimen was provided, the test results will be assumed to be negative.

8.2.2. For student-athletes who have a positive finding, the NCAA group executive director for education services or a designate will contact the director of athletics or a designate by telephone as soon as possible. The telephone contact will be followed by "overnight/ signature required" letters (marked "confidential") to the chief executive officer and the director of athletics. The institution shall notify the student-athlete of the finding.

8.2.2.1. The NCAA group executive director for education services or a designate will, during the telephone conversation, advise the director of athletics that specimen B must be tested within 24 hours after the telephone notification, that any appeal must be held on the same day that specimen B results become known and that the student-athlete may be present at the opening of specimen B.

8.2.2.2. The institution will be given the option to have the student-athlete represented at the laboratory for the opening of specimen B. Notification by the institution of intent to have the student-athlete represented must be given to the NCAA within 12 hours of the initial notification.

8.2.2.3. If the institution desires representation but cannot arrange for such representation in 24 hours, the NCAA will arrange for a surrogate to attend the opening of specimen B.

8.2.2.3.1. The surrogate will not otherwise be involved with the analysis of the specimen.

8.2.2.4. The student-athlete, institution's representative or the surrogate will attest by signature as to the code number on the bottle of specimen B, that the security seals have not been broken, and that there is no evidence of tampering.

8.2.2.5. Sample preparation for specimen B analysis will be conducted by a laboratory staff member other than the individual who prepared the student-athlete's specimen A.

8.2.2.6. Specimen B findings will be final subject to the results of any appeal. By facsimile, the laboratory will inform the NCAA of the results. Subsequently, the laboratory will mail the corresponding written report to the NCAA group executive director for education services or designate.

8.2.2.7. A positive finding may be appealed by the institution to the competitive-safeguards committee or a subcommittee thereof. The institution shall notify the student-athlete of the positive test and of the right to appeal.

8.2.2.7.1. The institution shall appeal if so requested by the student-athlete.

8.2.2.7.2. Such an appeal will be conducted by telephone conference on the date that the laboratory's test results of specimen B are known, with the student-athlete being given the opportunity to participate therein. The student-athlete may have others available to participate on the call on his/her behalf.

8.2.2.7.3. Copies of the report from the laboratory that contain results from the A specimen and B specimen will be forwarded to the director of athletics before the appeal call.

8.2.2.7.4. A technical expert may serve as a consultant to the committee in connection with such appeals.

8.2.2.7.5. Notification by the institution of intent to appeal must be given to the NCAA within 12 hours of the initial notification.

8.2.2.7.6. The crew chief may serve as a consultant to the committee in appeal phone calls involving matters of collection protocol.

8.2.3. Time constraints regarding notification of results, B specimen testing and appeal may be modified by the institution and by the NCAA upon mutual agreement of both.

8.3. The NCAA will notify the institution's chief executive officer and director of athletics of the findings and the result of any appeal. This notification will be initiated by telephone to the director of athletics. This will be followed by another "overnight/signature-required" letter (marked "confidential") to the chief executive officer and the director of athletics. It is the institution's responsibility to inform the student-athlete. At this point, normal NCAA eligibility procedures will apply.

8.3.1. The NCAA may release the results of a student-athlete's final positive test to the involved institution's conference office upon the approval of the institution.

8.4. The NCAA group executive director for education services will send a confidential report of aggregate findings to the NCAA executive director for reporting to the Executive Committee. No report of aggregate data will be otherwise released without the approval of the NCAA Executive Committee.

8.5. The following is a recommended statement concerning a positive testing that results in a student-athlete's ineligibility. If inquiries are received, this statement could be released:

"The student-athlete in question was found in violation of the NCAA eligibility rules and has been declared ineligible."

9.0. Restoration of Eligibility.

9.1. Student-athletes will be tested by the NCAA in order to be considered for eligibility restoration.

9.2. Student-athletes who are ruled ineligible as a result of an NCAA positive drug test will be subject to testing by the NCAA at any time during their period of ineligibility. In addition, these student-athletes will be subject to a mandatory exit test before the last month of their minimum period of ineligibility (e.g., the 11th month of a minimum of one-year suspension), with the results of the retests provided to the NCAA Eligibility Committee.

9.2.1. Institutional requests for exit retesting should be submitted to the NCAA director of sports sciences.

9.2.2. Institutional requests for restoration of a student-athlete's eligibility should be submitted to the NCAA director of eligibility pursuant to Bylaw 14.12. Requests for restoration of eligibility will not be considered until after the student-athlete submits to the mandatory exit test and the results have been received by the NCAA Eligibility Committee.

9.2.3. Retests for restoration of eligibility are conducted by the NCAA at the institution's expense.

10.0. Non-NCAA Positive Drug Test -- NCAA For-Cause Drug Testing.

10.1. Student-athletes who test positive in conjunction with drug testing administered by other athletics organizations must declare such positive results to their institutions.

10.1.1. Other athletics organizations are defined as national and international sport governing bodies and national and international Olympic committees.

10.1.2. Positive drug tests for substances belonging to NCAA Banned-Drug Classes (Bylaw 31.2.3.1 (a-d and f-g) and Bylaw 31.2.3.1.1) must be declared.

10.1.2.1 Positive drug tests for substances belonging to NCAA Banned Drug Class, Street Drugs (Bylaw 31.2.3.1-e), need not be declared.

10.2. The athletics director shall promptly notify in writing the NCAA's director of sports sciences regarding a student-athlete's disclosure of a previous positive drug test.

10.3. Such student-athletes shall be required to submit to a drug test administered by the NCAA for the banned drugs listed in Bylaw 31.2.3.1 (a-d and f-g) and Bylaw 31.2.3.1.1.

10.3.1. The institution will notify the student-athlete of the date and time to report for the NCAA drug testing and will have the student-athlete read and sign any Student-Athlete Notification Form.

10.3.2. An institutional representative must be present at all times during such NCAA drug testing.

10.3.3. The institutional representative will certify the identity of the student-athlete and will be responsible for student-athlete compliance with the collection protocol.

10.3.3.1. The student-athlete shall provide identification when entering the drug-testing station.

10.4. Protocol regarding specimen collection procedures, chain of custody, and notification of results and appeal process is outlined in Section Nos. 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0 respectively.

10.5. A student-athlete who is tested by the NCAA and tests positive for a substance on the NCAA's list of banned drugs shall be declared ineligible for further participation in postseason and regular-season competition in accordance with the ineligibility provisions in Bylaws 31.2.3 and 18.4.1.5.