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Q: What is the Special Assistance Fund?
The Special Assistance Fund is a fund sent to conference offices in Division I to assist Division I student-athletes with special financial needs.
Q: Why was the Special Assistance Fund originally implemented?
The fund was designed to provide needy student-athletes with financial assistance for items of an essential nature (e.g. winter coats) or emergency needs.
Q: Who is eligible to use the Special Assistance Fund?
There are several different types of student-athletes who are eligible to use this fund.
Q: Who is not eligible to use the Special Assistance Fund?
The following student-athletes are not eligible to apply for the fund:
Q: How often does a student-athlete apply or qualify for the fund?
A student-athlete must qualify for the fund on an annual basis.
Q: What can this fund be used for?
The following are permissible uses for the fund:
Q: What expenses can this fund not be used for?
The following are non-permissible uses for the fund:
Q: Who is responsible for administering the fund?
The responsibility for administration and oversight of the Special Assistance Fund lies with each institution's conference.
Q: How much money is available for use by student-athletes?
Each July, approximately $10 million is distributed to Division I conferences to use in financing this fund.
Q: What is amateurism?
An individual loses his/her amateur status and becomes ineligible for intercollegiate competition in a particular sport if he/she engages in any of the following:
Q: May an individual raise money for his/her club team (e.g., gymnastics, soccer, track club)?
An individual may not raise money for personal expenses, however, he/she may participate in fundraising opportunities that will benefit the entire team or sport club.
Q: May an individual and/or an individual's team have a commercial sponsor (e.g., Pepsi-Cola, Nike)?
It would not be permissible for an individual to receive actual and necessary expenses or any other form of compensation to participate in athletics competition (while not representing an educational institution) from a sponsor other than an individual upon whom the athlete is naturally or legally dependent or the nonprofessional organization that is sponsoring the competition. However, an individual would not jeopardize his or her amateur status by participating on an amateur team that has a commercial sponsor.
Q: May an individual be involved in a commercial advertisement for the Olympics?
Prior to the first time an individual enrolls in a collegiate institution, he/she may receive payments for displaying athletics skill in a commercial advertisement, provided:
Q: In what other ways can an individual be involved in the promotion of Olympic and other national/international competitions?
Promotional items (e.g. posters, postcards, film, videotape) which bear the name or picture of the student-athlete and related to national or international events (i.e. Olympic, Pan American, World Championships, World Cup, World University Games) may be sold or distributed by the national or international sports governing body sponsoring these events or its designated third-party distributors. In addition, a national governing body may sell player/trading cards that bear the name or picture of an individual who is a member of the Olympic/national team in that sport, provided all of the funds generated through the sale of the cards are deposited directly with the applicable Olympic/national team.
Q: May an individual receive payment for training expenses?
An individual may receive actual and necessary expenses [including grants but not prize money, when the recipient has qualified for the grant based on his or her performance in a specific event(s)] to cover developmental training, coaching, facility usage, equipment, apparel, supplies, comprehensive health insurance, travel, room and board without jeopardizing the individual's eligibility for intercollegiate athletics, provided the expenses are approved and provided directly by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) or the appropriate national governing body (NGB) in the sport (or,for foreign individuals, the equivalent organization of that nation).
Q: May an individual receive payments based on their performance?
Yes, an individual would be able to accept funds that are administered by the United States Olympic Committee through its Operation Gold program. However, an individual would not be able to accept similar type funds that are administered by foreign national governing bodies.
Q: From whom may an individual receive expenses for competition?
An individual may receive expenses from an outside team or organization that are not in excess of actual and necessary travel, room and board expenses, and apparel and equipment for competition and practice held in preparation for competition. An individual would be able to receive expenses from those whom he/she is legally or naturally dependent or the nonprofessional organization that is sponsoring the competition as long as the expenses are not in excess of actual and necessary expenses for travel, room and board, and apparel and equipment for the competition.
Most people think a "full ride" is good for four years. However, when a student's athletics ability is taken into consideration, financial aid may not be awarded for a period longer than one academic year.
During the period of an award, an institution may reduce or cancel a student-athlete's athletics scholarship only if the student-athlete:Please note: Any reduction or cancellation of aid is permissible only if such action is taken for proper cause by the regular disciplinary or financial aid authorities of the institution and the student-athlete has been provided written notice of an opportunity for a hearing.
- Renders himself or herself ineligible for intercollegiate competition;
- Fraudulently misrepresents any information on an application, letter of intent or financial aid agreement;
- Engages in serious misconduct warranting substantial disciplinary penalty; or
- Voluntarily withdraws from a sport at any time for personal reasons.
Q: When does an institution have to notify a student-athlete whether their athletics financial aid will be renewed, reduced or cancelled for the next academic year?
The decision of whether to renew, reduce or cancel athletics' financial aid must be made on or before July 1.
Q: Is verbal notification of renewal/nonrenewal of athletics financial aid sufficient?
No. Institutions must notify on or before July 1, in writing, each student-athlete who received an award the previous academic year and has eligibility remaining in the sport in which financial aid was awarded whether the grant has been renewed or not renewed for the ensuing academic year.
Q: Is a letter from the coach sufficient notification of nonrenewal of athletics financial aid?
Notification of financial aid renewals and nonrenewals must come from the institution's regular financial aid authority and not from the institution's athletics department.
The institution is required to:
- Inform the student-athlete in writing that he or she, on request, shall be provided a hearing before the institutional agency making the award;
- Have established reasonable procedures for promptly hearing such a request; and
- Shall not delegate the responsibility for conducting a nonrenewal hearing to the university's athletics department or its faculty athletics committee.
NCAA institutions are required to provide student-athletes with a hearing if they believe their aid was cancelled without cause. Such an appeal hearing must be held promptly and with the institutional agency that handles such matters. Generally, at most institutions, student-athletes are required to submit such an appeal request in writing.
Playing and Practice Limitations (NCAA Bylaw 17)
It is not uncommon for student-athletes, dripping with sweat and muscles aching, to think to themselves during practice: "How long can coach keep us out here?" Well, hopefully, the information provided below can serve as a resource to student-athletes who simply want to know how much and how long they can practice and/or compete on a given day, week, or season.
The term used to describe NCAA playing and practice limitations is "countable athletically related activities". Countable athletically related activities include, but are not limited to, practice (everything from chalk-talk to on-field activities), competition, required training activities (running, lifting weights, etc.), or any use of your school's athletics facilities at the direction of or under the supervision of a coach. Activities that are not considered practice include, but are not limited to, study hall, fundraising, community services, academic meetings, training room activities, and meetings with coaches that are of a non-athletic nature.
The playing (i.e., practice and competition) season for a particular sport is the period of time between the team's first officially recognized practice session and the last practice session or competition, whichever occurs later. Some sports (other than football, basketball and some winter sports) may have their seasons separated into two distinct segments. An example of this occurs when teams participate in their nontraditional season during the fall. The nontraditional season is then concluded and resumed later in the spring with the traditional season, which is concluded with the NCAA Championship for that particular sport. Further, all institutions must determine when their playing seasons will occur before the season begins, and this information must be in writing and kept on file in the athletics department.
In Divisions I and II, student-athletes are limited to practicing no more than four (4) hours per day and no more than 20 hours per week during the playing season. However, there are exceptions to these limitations for multi-sport and golf student-athletes.Outside of the playing season, student-athletes are limited to no more than eight (8) hours per week of certain countable athletically related activities. Those activities may only be required conditioning, physical-fitness classes, and individual skill-related instruction. Further, only two (2) of the eight hours may be spent in individual skill instruction with a coach. Please note, student-athletes may not be required to participate in any countable athletically related activities during any of their school's vacation periods (e.g., summer) that occur outside of the playing and practice season.
A "day" is defined as a calendar day (i.e., 12:01 a.m. to midnight). However, any activities on the day of a competition count as three hours, regardless of how long. Nevertheless, practice may not be conducted at any time after competition, except for between contests during a multievent competition (e.g., double-headers, rounds of golf). A "week" is defined as any seven consecutive days to be determined by the institution.
Yes. During the playing season, all countable athletically related activities are prohibited during one calendar day per week. However, a travel day can count as a day off, as well as a day that competition is canceled before it begins, and a vacation day can also be used. Further, student-athletes do not get a required day off per week during post season championships or bowl games, during preseason practice, or during institutionally designated periods when classes are not in session.
No. No class time may be missed for practice activities, except when a team is traveling to an away-from-home contest and the practice is in conjunction with the contest.
In the event that there appear to be actions contrary to the aforementioned information, a student-athlete should inform an athletics department staff member. Generally, the institution's compliance coordinator is a helpful point of contact. A student-athlete is also at liberty to call the NCAA Membership Services staff at 317-917-6222 if he or she needs clarification on any NCAA regulations.
Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 is a federal law that states: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."
Title IX applies to all educational institutions, both public and private, that receive federal funds. Almost all private colleges and universities must abide by Title IX regulations because they receive federal funding through federal financial aid programs used by their students.
Athletics programs are considered educational programs and activities. There are three basic parts of Title IX as it applies to athletics:
- Participation: Title IX requires that women and men be provided equitable opportunities to participate in sports. Title IX does not require institutions to offer identical sports but an equal opportunity to play;
- Scholarships: Title IX requires that female and male student-athletes receive athletics scholarship dollars proportional to their participation; and
- Other benefits: Title IX requires the equal treatment of female and male student-athletes in the provisions of:
- equipment and supplies;
- scheduling of games and practice times;
- travel and daily allowance/per diem;
- access to tutoring;
- coaching;
- locker rooms, practice and competitive facilities;
- medical and training facilities and services;
- housing and dining facilities and services;
- publicity and promotions;
- support services and
- recruitment of student-athletes.
Although it is the application of Title IX to athletics that has gained the greatest public visibility, the law applies to every single aspect of education, including course offerings, counseling and counseling materials, financial assistance, student health and insurance benefits and/or other services, housing, marital and parental status of students, physical education and athletics, education programs and activities, and employment.
An institution must meet all of the following requirements in order to be in compliance with Title IX:
- For participation requirements, institutions officials must meet one of the following three tests. An institution may:
- Provide participation opportunities for women and men that are substantially proportionate to their respective rates of enrollment of full-time undergraduate students;
- Demonstrate a history and continuing practice of program expansion for the underrepresented sex;
- Fully and effectively accommodate the interests and abilities of the underrepresented sex; and,
- Female and male student-athletes must receive athletics scholarship dollars proportional to their participation; and,
- Equal treatment of female and male student-athletes in the eleven provisions as mentioned above.
Title IX benefits everyone - girls and boys, women and men. The law requires educational institutions to maintain policies, practices and programs that do not discriminate against anyone on the basis of gender. Elimination of discrimination against women and girls has received more attention because females historically have faced greater gender restrictions and barriers in education. However, Title IX also has benefited men and boys. A continued effort to achieve educational equity has benefited all students by moving toward creation of school environments where all students may learn and achieve the highest standards.
Institutions are responsible for complying with federal laws. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education enforces Title IX. OCR has the authority to develop policy on the regulations it enforces. In regard to athletics programs, OCR developed an Intercollegiate Athletics Policy Interpretation that was issued December 11, 1979. The 1979 Policy Interpretation remains current policy. On April 2, 1990, OCR issued an athletics policy document called "Title IX Athletics Investigator's Manual" that has assisted athletics departments with enforcement and compliance issues with Title IX. Anyone may file an OCR complaint, and the identity of the party who files the complaint will be kept confidential.
Title IX compliance is assessed through a total program comparison. In other words, the entire men's program is compared to the entire women's program, not just one men's team to the women's team in the same sport. The broad comparative provision was intended to emphasize that Title IX does not require the creation of mirror image programs. Males and females can participate in different sports according to their respective interests and abilities. Thus, broad variations in the type and number of sports opportunities offered to each gender are permitted.
No. The only provision that requires that the same dollars be spent proportional to participation is scholarships. Otherwise, male and female student-athletes must receive equitable "treatment" and "benefits."
The Javits Amendment stated that legitimate and justifiable discrepancies for nongender related differences in sports could be taken into account (i.e., the differing costs of equipment or event management expenditures). A male football player needs protective equipment such as pads and a helmet, and a female soccer player needs shin guards. Title IX does allow for a discrepancy in the cost of the equipment as long as both the football and soccer player received the same quality of equipment. However, a woman's ice hockey player must receive the same protective equipment that a men's ice hockey player would receive, inasmuch as the protective equipment is the same.
Title IX does not require identical athletics programs for males and females. Rather, Title IX requires that the athletics programs meet the interests and abilities of each gender. Under Title IX, one team is not compared to the same team in each sport. OCR examines the total program afforded to male student-athletes and the total program afforded to female student-athletes and whether each program meets the standards of equal treatment. Title IX does not require that each team receive exactly the same services and supplies. Rather, Title IX requires that the men and women's program receive the same level of service, facilities, supplies and etc. Variations within the men and women's program are allowed, as long as the variations are justified.
Under Title IX there are no sport exclusions or exceptions. Individual participation opportunities (number of student-athletes participating rather than number of sports) in all men and women's sports are counted in determining whether an institution meets Title IX participation standards. The basic philosophical underpinning of Title IX is that there cannot be an economic justification for discrimination. The institution cannot maintain that there are revenue productions or other considerations that mandate that certain sports receive better treatment or participation opportunities than other sports.
Title IX does not require reductions in opportunities for male student-athletes. One of the purposes is to create the same opportunity and quality of treatment for both female and male student-athletes. Eliminating men sports programs is not the intent of Title IX. The intent of Title IX is to bring treatment of the disadvantaged gender up to the level of the advantaged group.
Compliance with Title IX is a shared responsibility of an entire institution, from top-level administration to individual staff members. Title IX mandates that institutions or other recipients of federal funds designate at least one employee as a Title IX coordinator to oversee compliance efforts. Institutions also are required to investigate any complaints of sex discrimination. In addition, all students and employees must be notified of the name, office address and telephone number of the designated Title IX coordinator. A student-athlete who has questions about Title IX specific to the their institution may find the following individuals on their campus a good resource:
- Senior woman administrator;
- Director of athletics;
- Faculty athletics representative;
- Compliance coordinator;
- The legal counsel; or
- Equal Employment Opportunities office.
You just need to ask. It has become easier for anyone to find out if an institution is in compliance with Title IX. In 1994, the U.S. Congress passed the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act, which requires all colleges and universities to report each year on athletics participation numbers, scholarships, program budgets and expenditures, and coaching salaries by gender. Information may be obtained by contacting your institution's athletics department and requesting this information. The results are identified by gender, and a reader may use this information to assist in assessing an institution's compliance with Title IX.
A student-athlete (or his or her parents) may not be contacted by another institution's athletics department staff member without first obtaining written permission from the student-athlete's current athletics director. This written permission usually is sent directly to the other institution, and is not given to the student-athlete. However, a student-athlete may write a letter to another institution expressing his or her interest in transferring. The original institution must provide the student-athlete with the opportunity for a hearing before a committee outside the athletics department (e.g., office of student affairs) if written permission to contact the second institution is not granted. The other institution shall not encourage the student-athlete to transfer, and may not provide the student-athlete with financial aid until he or she has attended the institution for one academic year if the release is not granted.
The general rule for all student-athletes transferring from one four-year institution to another four-year institution is that they must spend one academic year in residence at the school to which they transfer before they may be eligible for competition. However, you may be eligible immediately upon transfer if you meet one of several transfer exceptions. [Note: During a student-athlete's initial year of collegiate enrollment, he or she only may use a transfer exception if they have been certified by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse as a qualifier.]The most common transfer exception is the One-Time Transfer Exception. To be eligible to use this exception:
- A student-athlete must be transferring to another four-year institution to participate in sports other than Division I basketball, Division I men's ice hockey and Division I football (unless the student-athlete is transferring from Division I-A to Division I-AA);
- The student-athlete's first transfer from one four-year college to another four-year college;
- The student-athlete must have been eligible academically had he or she remained at their previous institution;
- The student-athlete must obtain a written release from the current institution stating that they have no objection to the student-athlete's use of the exception. [Note: Student-athletes transferring from an NCAA Division III institution using this exception may not receive athletically related financial aid during their first academic year in residence on transfer.]
No. Contrary to popular belief, the departure of a coaching staff member does not grant a student-athlete relief from the residence requirement on transferring.However, there is a transfer exception for student-athletes transferring from institutions that discontinue a sport, never sponsored the sport while the student-athlete was in attendance, or reclassified the sport from NCAA Division I to Division III.
There also are other transfer exceptions (e.g., nonrecruited student exception, return to original institution without participation exception, two-year nonparticipation exception, military service/church mission exception, etc.) that student-athletes may qualify for and should consult their institution's compliance coordinator or call the NCAA membership services staff for more information.
During the term of a student-athlete's financial aid award (usually the academic year), an institution may not reduce or cancel a student-athlete's financial aid simply because he or she asked for a written release to transfer. Institutional aid only may be reduced or cancelled during the term of the award if the student-athlete becomes ineligible for intercollegiate competition, provides fraudulent information on any applications or letters of intent, engages in serious misconduct that warrants disciplinary penalty by the institution's regular disciplinary authority (e.g., not the head coach) or voluntarily withdraws from the team.
No. As a "4-2-4" transfer, a student-athlete must make a certain amount of academic progress while at the two-year college to be eligible on transferring to the second four-year college. The student-athlete must earn 24 semeter/36 quarter hours of credit (with a 2.000 grade-point average) at the two-year college that may be transferred to a degree at the four-year college. One calendar year must pass since the student-athlete left the first four-year college before the student-athlete competes at the second four-year college. The student-athlete also must graduate from the two-year college. Please note that there are some exceptions to this transfer regulation that a student-athlete may qualify for and should consult their institution's compliance coordinator of call the NCAA membership services staff for more information.
A student-athlete immediately will be eligible to compete if he or she transfers to a Division III institution without ever previously participating (e.g., practice or competition) in intercollegiate athletics. A student-athlete must have been academically and athletically eligible had they remained at the previous four-year institution if the student-athlete ever participated in intercollegiate athletics. As a "4-2-4" transfer to a Division III institution, a student-athlete must have been academically and athletically eligible had he or she remained at the previous four-year college, or he or she must have earned 24 semester/36 quarter hours while enrolled full-time at a two-year college for two semesters/three quarters.
Generally, a student-athlete only enrolled in a part-time program of studies will not be considered a transfer student. However, the student-athlete will have triggered transfer if he or she enrolls full-time and attends just one class as a full-time student (even if he or she later drops down to part-time status). A student-athlete also will be considered a transfer student if he or she practices or competes at an institution or receives institutional financial aid during the academic year or summer.
In NCAA Division I, a student-athlete who receives a transfer exception to the residence requirement and transfers midyear is not eligible to compete during the segment that concludes with the NCAA championship at the next institution if he or she competed during that same segment during the same academic year at the previous four-year institution.
In the event that there appears to be actions contrary to the aforementioned information, a student-athlete should inform an athletics department administrator. A student-athlete may wish to contact his or her institution's athletics director, associate athletics director, senior woman administrator, compliance coordinator or faculty athletics representative for assistance. A student-athlete also may call the NCAA membership services at 317/917-6222 if he or she needs clarification on any NCAA regulations.
This summary is being updated. Please check back for more information on continuing eligibility.
Student-Athlete Avenues of Assistance
Many times student-athletes have questions on athletics departments, conferences, university policies and NCAA rules, but do not know who or where to turn to for help. This document is designed for use by student-athletes in those instances. In addition to the Frequently Asked Questions section of the Web site, the following information may assist student-athletes in identifying individuals who may assist them with sensitive or difficult issues. The individuals on this list have a direct relationship with student-athletes or all students on their campuses. Finally, at the end of this section is a progressive list of issues and people with whom student-athletes should feel comfortable discussing those issues.
Key individuals in the athletics department:
Key individuals outside the athletics department:
| ISSUE | POSSIBLE RESOURCE |
| Playing and practice season issues (e.g., 20-hour rule, voluntary workouts) | Coach Compliance coordinator Athletics director Senior woman administrator Faculty athletics representative Campus student-athlete advisory committee |
| Missed class time due to schedule | Coach Athletics director Senior woman administrator Compliance coordinator Faculty athletics representative Campus student-athlete advisory committee |
| Excused absence policy for extra-curricular activities | Coach Faculty athletics representative Academic advisor Student affairs office Athletics director Senior woman administrator Campus student-athlete advisory committee |
| NCAA rules interpretations | Coach Compliance coordinator Athletics director Senior woman administrator Faculty athletics representative NCAA membership services staff members |
| General student welfare issues (e.g., hazing, drug/alcohol use) | Coach Athletics director Senior woman administrator Faculty athletics representative Student affairs office Campus student-athlete advisory committee NCAA Lifeskills coordinator |
Division I Governance Structure
Association-wide committees deal with issues that affect all members of the Association and perform duties necessary to the ongoing operation of the Association. Association-wide committees are comprised of members from each of the Association's divisions.
Common committees deal with issues that apply to more than one division of the Association. Common committees perform duties necessary to the ongoing operation of the applicable divisions and are comprised of members from the applicable divisions.
Federated committees deal with issues that apply to a specific membership division. Federated committees perform duties necessary to the ongoing operation of that division and are comprised only of members from that division.
The chief governing body of the NCAA is the NCAA Executive Committee, which is comprised of institutional chief executive officers (e.g., university presidents and chancellors). The Executive Committee is charged with overseeing Association-wide issues and ensuring that each division operates consistent with the basic purposes, fundamental policies and general principles of the Association.
During the major restructuring of the NCAA in 1997, the one-school, one-vote principle for approving legislation was replaced in Division I with a system based on conference representation. Legislation is adopted by the 18-member NCAA Division I Board of Directors (rather than a vote of all Division I members at the NCAA Annual Convention). In addition, the committee structure in Division I includes cabinets responsible for academic affairs, eligibility and compliance, and championships and competition.
The Board of Directors includes 18 members and is comprised exclusively of institutional chief executive officers. The following tasks are part of the Board of Directors' responsibilities:
a. Establish and direct general policy.
b. Establish a strategic plan.
c. Adopt administrative bylaws and regulations.
d. Adopt operating bylaws and rules and/or delegate limited legislative powers to the NCAA Division I Management Council.
e. Delegate to the Management Council responsibilities for specific matters it deems appropriate.
f. Ratify, amend or rescind the actions of the Management Council.
g. Ensure that there is gender and ethnic diversity among its membership, the membership of the Management Council and the membership of each of the other bodies in the administrative structure.
h. Require bodies in the administrative structure to alter (but not expand) their membership to achieve diversity.
i. Approve an annual budget.
j. Approve regulations providing for the administration of championships.
k. Advise the Executive Committee concerning the employment of the Association's chief executive officer and concerning the oversight of his or her employment.
The Management Council includes 49 members comprised of athletics administrators (e.g., athletics directors, senior woman administrators, assistant athletics directors and conference administrators), faculty athletics representatives and institutional administrators to whom athletics departments report or have other significant duties regarding athletics with seven committees and subcommittees comprised of Management Council members. Those committees and subcommittees that report to the Management Council are listed below:
a. Administrative Committee.
b. Administrative Review Subcommittee.
c. Budget Subcommittee.
d. Governance Subcommittee Membership.
e. Subcommittee.Selection Review.
f. SubcommitteeStrategic Planning Subcommittee.
The following tasks are part of the Management Council's responsibilities:
a. Adopt operating bylaws and rules, subject to ratification by the Board of Directors.
b. Take final action on matters delegated to it by the Board of Directors.
c. Make recommendations to the Board of Directors on matters that it deems appropriate.
d. Make interpretations of the bylaws.
e. Suggest policies to the Board of Directors that are necessary to ensure proper management.
f. Review recommendations of the substructure.
g. Appoint the members of the substructure (e.g., cabinets and committees).
h. Review and approve policies and procedures governing the enforcement program.
i. Recommend championship policies and fiscal, competitive and academic policies to the Board of Directors.
j. Develop and administer the annual budget with the approval of the Board of Directors.
k. Advise the Board of Directors on the performance of the Association's chief executive officer (e.g., president).
l. Coordinate the strategic planning activities.
m. Identify and examine trends and problems of intercollegiate athletics.
n. Review and evaluate activities.
o. In conjunction with the Association-wide research committee:(1) Evaluate, supervise and coordinate research activities.
(2) Make recommendations to the Joint Management Council/Board of Directors Budget Committee regarding expenditures of funds for research projects.
(3) Make recommendations concerning research topics in intercollegiate athletics.p. In conjunction with the Association-wide NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee, review issues related to the interests of ethnic minority student-athletes, NCAA minority programs and NCAA policies that affect ethnic minorities.
q. In conjunction with the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics, study and make policy recommendations concerning opportunities for women in athletics at the institutional, conference and national levels, as well as other issues directly affecting women's athletics.
Yes. The NCAA Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet and the NCAA Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet both report to the Management Council. The other NCAA Division I and Association-wide committees that report to the Management Council are listed below:
a. Division I Athletics Certification.
b. Division I Football Issues.
c. Honors.
d. Division I Infractions.
e. Division I Infractions Appeals.
f. Memorial Resolutions.
g. Minority Opportunities and Interests.
h. Postgraduate Scholarship.
i. Research.
j. Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
k. Walter Byers Scholarship.
l. Women's Athletics.
The Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet is one of two cabinets that reports to the Management Council. The cabinet is composed of 34 members with six subcommittees that are comprised of cabinet members. The six subcommittees are listed below:
a. Agents and Amateurism.
b. Continuing Eligibility.
c. Initial-Eligibility Issues.
d. Legislative Review/Interpretations.
e. Recruiting.
f. Student-Athlete Reinstatement.The following tasks are part of the cabinet's (or subcommittee designated by it) responsibilities:
a. Be responsible for review and consideration of those portions of the Division I legislation that relates to principles of sound academic requirements.
b. Work with the common Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse Committee concerning issues related to the certification of initial eligibility for athletics competition in Division I and work with the Division II governance structure to assure that consistent information is available to prospective student-athletes.
c. Be responsible for the compilation and disclosure of information concerning the graduation-rates of student-athletes.
d. Study and make policy or legislative recommendations to the Management Council concerning relationships between the Association and its members and the nation's two-year colleges, as represented by established regional and national organizations.
e. Study and make recommendations to the Management Council concerning the recruiting process in intercollegiate athletics.
f. Determine interpretations of all legislation. The cabinet shall not have the authority to alter an existing Management Council interpretation. Its decision shall be binding unless overturned by an appeal to the Management Council at its next regularly scheduled meeting.
g. Incorporate new legislation and interpretations in the NCAA Manual for the division and approve the publication of supplementary compilations of interpretations, as necessary.
h. Have the authority to determine all matters pertaining to the policies and procedures for the restoration of eligibility of a student-athlete who is ineligible for intercollegiate competition as a result of a violation of NCAA legislation and for waivers of legislation that the committee has been authorized to grant by the division. The procedures and processing of such appeals or requests shall be established by the cabinet and approved by the Management Council. The cabinet may restore eligibility immediately, may restore eligibility at a subsequent time or may determine that eligibility should not be restored. The cabinet also may impose conditions for restoration of eligibility.
i. Study and make recommendations to the Management Council concerning the relationship between intercollegiate athletics and professional teams and organizations.
j. Make recommendations concerning the distribution of developmental funds from professional sports organizations.
k. Supervise the conduct of organized summer baseball leagues and teams involving student-athletes of member institutions.
Yes. The NCAA committees that report to the cabinet are listed below:
a. Core-Course Review.
b. Division I Financial Aid.
c. Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse.
d. Division I Initial-Eligibility Waivers.
e. Division I Satisfactory-Progress Waivers.
f. Foreign Student Records Committee.
The Championships/Competition Cabinet is one of two cabinets that reports to the Management Council. The Championships/Competition Cabinet is composed of 49 members with six subcommittees that are comprised of cabinet members. The subcommittees that report to the Championships/Competition Cabinet are listed below:
a. Football Certification.
b. Certified Contests.
c. Playing and Practice Seasons.
d. Nominating.The following tasks are part of the Championships/Competition Cabinet's (or a subcommittee designated by it) responsibilities:
a. In championships administration:
The following tasks are part of the (or subcommittee designated by it) responsibilities: Championships Competition Cabinet's
a. In championships administration:
(1) Supervise qualification and/or selection procedures for National Collegiate Championships and Division I championships.
(2) Maintain oversight responsibility for applicable playing regulations in the areas of player safety, financial impact, image of the sport, the impact of the ability to administer any rule during the regular season and during the administration of the championship in the applicable sport and approve appeals for division-specific expectations to the applicable playing regulations when significant financial impact may occur (subject to the final authority of the Executive Committee).
(3) Review recommendations from sports committees regarding the administration of those championships.
(4) Process other issues related to the administration of those championships.
(5) Act for the Management Council as the final authority regarding championships matters in Division I or in a National Collegiate Championship that are subject to appeal to the Management Council (i.e., excluding appeals of championships section or assignment in championships competition).b. In working with the Association-wide NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports:
(1) Assist in the collection and development of important information regarding desirable training methods, prevention and treatment of sports injuries, implementing the use of sound safety measures at the college level, drug education and drug testing.
(2) Assist in the dissemination of such information as might be brought appropriately to the attention of the division's membership and adopt recommended policies and standards designed to further the above objectives.
(3) Assist in the supervision of the Association's Drug-Education and Drug-Testing Programs under the discretion of the Executive Committee.c. In other areas:
(1) Be responsible for issues involving postseason football contests, college all-star football and basketball contests, and exempted contests.
(2) Be responsible for issues involving personnel limitations.
(3) Be responsible for issues involving playing and practice seasons.d. In conjunction with the Association-wide NCAA Olympic Sports Liaison Committee:
(1) Act as a liaison between Division I, the U.S. Olympic Committee and National Governing Bodies.
(2) Study and make recommendations concerning the division's and the Association's appropriate role and the involvement of student-athletes in international athletics.
Yes. The committees that report to the Championships/Competition Cabinet are listed below:
a. Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports.
b. Division I Football Issues.
c. Olympic Sports Liaison.
d. Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct.
e. Rules Committees.
f. Sports Committees.
The Division I SAAC is one of several committees that reports directly to the Management Council. The chair and vice-chair of the Division I SAAC serve as representatives on the Management Council, one representative of the committee serves on the Championships/Competition Cabinet and two representatives serve on the Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet. Further, representatives of the Division I SAAC serve on the following Division I and Association-wide committees:
a. Basketball Issues for Men.
b. Basketball Issues for Women.
c. Financial Aid.
d. Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports.
e. Football Issues.
f. Minority Opportunities and Interests.
g. Olympic Sports Liaison.
h. Research.
i. Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct.
j. Women's athletics.
All legislation of the Association that governs the conduct of the intercollegiate athletics programs and its member institutions may be adopted by the membership at an NCAA Convention or by the presidential administrative groups and the Management Councils for NCAA divisions as determined by the constitution and bylaws governing each division.
The bylaws applicable to Division I may be adopted or amended at any meeting of the Board of Directors or of the NCAA Division I Management Council in legislative areas delegated to it by the Board.
- Constitution.
The membership may adopt legislation to be included in the constitution of the Association, which sets forth basic purposes, fundamental policies and general principles that generally serve as the basis on which the legislation of the Association shall be derived and which includes information relevant to the purposes of the Association.- Operating Bylaws.
Each division may adopt legislation to be included in the operating bylaws of the Association, which provide rules and regulations not inconsistent with the provisions of the constitution and which shall include, but not be limited to, the following particulars:
- The administration of intercollegiate athletics by members of the Association.
- The establishment and control of NCAA championships (games, matches, meets and tournaments) and other athletics events sponsored or sanctioned by the Association.
- The procedures for administering and enforcing the provisions of the constitution and bylaws.
- The adoption of rules of play and competition in various sports, and the delegation of authority in connection with such subjects to individuals, officers or committees.
- Administrative Bylaws.
The administrative bylaws of the Association (i.e., administrative regulations, executive regulations, enforcement policies and procedures; and athletics certification policies and procedures) provide rules and regulations for the implementation of policy adopted by the membership as set forth in the constitution and operating bylaws. They are distinct from the operating bylaws by providing greater flexibility and efficiency in the conduct of the affairs of the Association. Administrative bylaws may be adopted or amended by the applicable division presidential administrative group.- Resolutions.
Resolutions are legislation of a temporary nature and are effective only for a specified time period. They must be consistent with the constitution, bylaws and special rules of order of the division and the Association.- Special Rules of Order.
The Association may adopt special rules of order not inconsistent with the constitution and bylaws. These special rules of order shall be the parliamentary authority for the conduct of all meetings of the Association and shall be the deciding reference used in case of parliamentary challenge in all instances in which they apply.- Statements of Division Philosophy.
The membership of a division or subdivision, through appropriate deliberative processes, may prepare a statement of division philosophy relating to the development and operation of an intercollegiate athletics program in the division. Such a statement is not binding on member institutions but shall serve as a guide for the preparation of legislation by the division and for planning implementation of programs by institutions and conferences.
The Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) generates a student-athlete's voice within the NCAA structure and legislative process. The committee discusses proposed legislation that addresses issues noteworthy to student-athletes and student-athlete welfare during the designated "comment period" and forwards their positions to the Management Council. The committee has the opportunity to advocate either in favor of or opposition to all legislative proposals that go before the Management Council and Board of Directors via attendance of the Division I SAAC chair and vice-chair at the Management Council meeting. Further, the Division I SAAC has the opportunity to suggest potential NCAA legislation.
Sources of revenue for an athletics budget are ticket sales from the public, faculty, staff and students; postseason competition, including bowl games and tournaments; NCAA and conference revenue distributions; student activities fees; guarantees and options (usually from football and basketball); cash contributions from alumni and others (e.g., fund-raising and development, donors, booster clubs, gifts-in-kind); direct government support; institutional support; concessions; radio and television; program sales and advertising; signage and sponsorship; and sports camps.
The expenses for an athletics department are scholarships (e.g., grant-in-aids); guarantees and options; salaries and benefits for coaches and athletics administrators; team travel; recruiting; equipment and uniforms and supplies; debt service; facility rental or facility maintenance; training room; and insurance.
Of the almost one thousand NCAA institutions, it is estimated that fewer than 50 institutions make a profit.
The following chart compares two Division I institutions to indicate how different amounts of revenue will affect the overall budget of an institution.
Institution A | Form of Revenue | Institution B |
$8,000, 000.00 | Gate Receipts | $800,000.00 |
600,000.00 | Concessions | 30,000.00 |
750,000.00 | Licensing | 60,000.00 |
150,000.00 | Apparel Deal | 0 |
2,000,000.00 | Guarantees | 650,000.00 |
1,400,000.00 | Gift dollars | 200,000.00 |
5,000,000.00 | Radio and Television | 50,000.00 |
1,700,000.00 | Signage | 0 |
3,000,000.00 | NCAA | 400,000.00 |
600,000.00 | Miscellaneous | 100,000.00 |
6,800,000.00 | Institution | 7,710,000.00 |
--------------- |
| ---------------- |
Total $30 million |
| Total $10 million |
| Form of Revenue | Possible Reason for Difference |
Gate Receipts | Number of season ticket holders; fan support; institutional locale; type of sports market |
Concessions | Gate receipts; fan support |
Licensing | Institutional recognition; sports popularity |
Apparel Deal | Coaching recognition; sports popularity; institutional policy |
Guarantees | Athletics success |
Gift dollars | Alumni base; booster clubs; community sponsorship |
Radio and Television | Athletics success; institutional local; sports popularity |
Signs | Community sponsorship; institutional policy |
NCAA | Number of grant-in-aids offered; tournament appearances |
The following chart compares the same two Division I institutions in the previous question to indicate how different expenses will affect the overall budget of an institution.
Form of Expense | Institution A | Institution B | |
Salaries | $9,000,000.00 | $3,500,000.00 | |
Grant-in-aids | $5,500,000.00 | $3,000,000.00 | |
Academic support | $250,000.00 | $0 | |
Band/Cheerleaders | $250,000.00 | $0 | |
Guarantees | $1,500,000.00 | $150,000.00 | |
Facilities | $5,000,000.00 | $0 | |
Facility debt | $1,000,000.00 | $0 | |
Operations | $7,000,000.00 | $3,200,000.00 | |
Miscellaneous | $500,000.00 | $150,000.00 | |
| Form of Expense | Possible Reason for Difference |
| Salaries | Number of support staff; salary differences; university support; benefit package |
| Grant-in-Aid | Cost of tuition (e.g., public or private); provide to managers, cheerleaders, band or trainers; institutional policy on tuition waivers |
| Academic Support | University support; tutors; computers; facility; staff of counselors |
| Band/Cheerleaders | University support; charged fees for attending athletics events |
| Guarantees | Scheduling |
| Facilities | University support; rental; maintenance |
| Facility Dept. | University support; gift dollars |
| Operations | Number of sports; mode of transportation (e.g., air, ground); recruiting (e.g., regional, national); quality of equipment; general supplies; size of conference |
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