In-Person Meeting No. 5
November 11, 1999

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

Scouting of Opponents/Videotapes

Scouting of Opponents Ñ Use of Commercial Entity to Facilitate Videotape Exchange. It is permissible in all sports for an institution to obtain videotapes of a future opponentÕs athletics contests for scouting purposes from a commercial entity that provides videotape recording/dubbing services, provided:

a. The future opponent has contracted with the commercial entity to make videotape copies of its athletics contests;

b. The future opponent pays all fees and costs associated with such recording/dubbing services;

c. The institution requesting the videotape pays no fees or expenses to obtain the videotape of the future opponentÕs athletics contests, except for providing a blank videotape and paying postage costs;

d. All original videotapes to be copied and provided to other institutions are received by the commercial entity directly from the future opponent; and

e. The commercial entity does not analyze the videotape or provide any other services that could be construed as scouting activities.

[References: NCAA Bylaws 11.6.1.1 (basketball, football and womenÕs volleyball prohibition); and 11.6.1.3 (cost of exchanging films in any sport).]