The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- January 18, 1999

Division I interpretations

Conference No. 13
December 22, 1998

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

Proposal No. 98-92

1. Issues related to the application of Proposal No. 98-92. The subcommittee reviewed the application of Proposal No. 98-92 and determined the following:

a. Beginning with the 2000-01 academic year, it is permissible for Division I institutions to start a new cycle (i.e., "wipe the slate clean") as it relates to permissible participation opportunities in certified basketball events;

b. Beginning with the 2000-01 academic year, the four-year cycle (during which Division I institutions may participate in not more than two certified events, with not more than one of those events to be conducted outside the continental United States) is a continuous cycle (i.e., an institution may not participate in more than two certified events during any given four-year period).

c. Beginning with the 2000-01 academic year, participation in an institutional foreign tour does not count as one of the two permissible certified events in which a Division I institution's basketball team may participate in a given four-year period. The subcommittee noted, however, that Proposal No. 98-92 continues to preclude an institution from engaging in such a tour during any year in which it participates in one of the certified events. [Reference: New 17.5.5.3 (Certified Events --- Division I), Proposal No. 98-92.]

Correspondence/Telephone Calls/Football/
Chief Executive Officer

2. Chief executive officer preparing general correspondence/making telephone calls to football prospects. It is not permissible for an institution's chief executive officer to initiate telephone calls or general correspondence to football prospective student-athletes; however, it is permissible for the chief executive officer to return telephone calls and/or respond to correspondence from football prospective student-athletes (subsequent to the permissible period for making telephone calls or sending correspondence) with no limitations on the content of the conversation or correspondence. The subcommittee referred to the Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet Subcommittee on Recruiting the issue of whether it wishes to sponsor legislation to permit individuals outside the athletics department (e.g., chief executive officer, faculty members) or noncoaching athletics administrators (e.g., athletics director) to engage in "recruiting coordination" activities with football prospective student athletes. [Reference: 11.7.2.3 (Football Recruiting Coordination Functions -- Division I-A), 11.7.3.3 (Football Recruiting Coordination Functions -- Division I-AA), 13.1.2.4-(a) (Institutional Staff Members -- Off-campus Contacts), 13.1.3.4.1 (Permissible Callers -- Institutional Staff Members), 13.4.1-(a) (Divisions I and II -- Printed Recruiting Materials -- Correspondence) and a former Interpretations Committee decision [Reference: August 25, 1994 Item No. 8-(c)].]