Preparing a Student-Athlete Reinstatment Request

Once the institution has determined that a violation has occurred, it should determine whether it affects the eligibility of prospective or enrolled student-athletes. If the violation affects eligibility, the institution shall declare the student-athlete or prospect ineligible and decide whether to request reinstatement of the student-athlete's eligibility. If the institution decides to request reinstatement, it should submit a detailed written report to the NCAA director of student-athlete reinstatement, which includes the following information:

A statement that a violation has taken place, the institution has declared the prospective or enrolled student-athlete ineligible, and the institution has requested reinstatement;
The date and location of the violation;
A description of the violation, including the rule citation and amount or value of any benefit received;
The identity of all coaches, prospective and enrolled student-athletes, and other individuals involved in the violation;
The means by which the institution became aware of the violation;
The reason(s) the violation occurred;
The prospective or enrolled student-athlete's knowledge of the rule in question, and whether or not he or she was aware that the actions were in violation of NCAA rules;
A list of corrective and disciplinary actions taken by the institution and/or conference, if any; and
A statement describing factors, if any, which might mitigate the violation. For example, in recruiting cases, it is important to determine whether or not the prospect committed to attend the institution prior to the violation.

Once all pertinent information is received, under the authority granted in NCAA Bylaw 14.11 and 14.12, the director of student-athlete reinstatement and reinstatement representatives will render a decision based on case precedent on behalf of the NCAA committee responsible for student-athlete reinstatement. The student-athlete reinstatement staff will then forward the case to the NCAA vice-president for enforcement services, who will process institutional responsibility issues once all reinstatement issues have been handled.

If the institution believes the staff's decision was erroneous, an institution has an opportunity to appeal the decision by teleconference to the Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee for its division. The appeal must be submitted through written correspondence and must explain the reasons the institution believes the decision of the staff was incorrect.

If you have questions regarding the preparation of a possible appeal, please contact a student-athlete reinstatement staff member at the NCAA national office by calling 317/917-6222.