REPORT OF THE

NCAA COMMITTEE ON SPORTSMANSHIP AND ETHICAL CONDUCT

ACTION ITEMS.

1. Legislative.

Association-wide

Ÿ 2007 NCAA Convention legislation – NCAA Bylaw No. 10.3 (gambling activities).

(1) Recommendation. Sponsor legislation to amend Bylaw 10.3 (attachment) to specify and more clearly articulate gambling activities prohibited under NCAA legislation, as well as those individuals covered by the legislation.

(2) Effective date. August 1, 2007.

(3) Rationale. The gambling bylaw needs to specifically define those individuals who are covered under the bylaw and the activities that are expressly prohibited under the legislation. Given the serious consequences (e.g., ineligibility, loss of employment) for violating this bylaw, it is imperative that this rule be concisely worded and easily understood by the membership. Furthermore, adding the faculty athletics representative, the chief operating officer and NCAA national office staff to the list of persons precluded from participation in gambling activities establishes that the rule is uniform in its application. Student-athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty athletics representatives and presidents all will be unequivocally subject to the clearly expressed rule.

(4) Estimated budget impact. None.

(5) Student-athlete impact. None.

2. Nonlegislative.

None.

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS.

None.

Committee Chair: Ralph Reynolds, Indiana University, Bloomington

Staff Liaisons: Rachel Newman-Baker and Julie Roe, enforcement services; Ronald Stratten, education services

Attachment to Report of the

NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct

10.3 SPORTS WAGERING ACTIVITIES. The following individuals shall not knowingly participate in sports wagering activities or provide information to individuals involved in or associated with any type of sports wagering activities concerning intercollegiate or professional athletics competition:

(a) Staff members of the athletics department of a member institution;

(b) Non-athletics department staff members who have responsibilities within or over the athletics department (e.g., president, faculty athletics representative, individual to whom athletics reports, other individuals like financial aid officers or admissions officers who work with a team or teams);

(c) Staff members of a member conference;

(d) Staff members of the NCAA national office; and

(e) Student-athletes.

10.3.1 DEFINITIONS.

10.3.1.1 Sports Wagering. Sports wagering includes placing, accepting or soliciting a wager (on a staff member’s or student-athlete’s own behalf or on behalf of others) of any type with any individual or organization on any intercollegiate, amateur or professional team or contest. Examples of sports wagering include, but are not limited to, the use of a bookmaker or parlay card; Internet sports wagering; auctions in which bids are placed on teams or contests; and pools or fantasy leagues in which an entry fee is required and there is an opportunity to win a tangible prize at the conclusion of the league.

10.3.1.2 Wager. Wager is any agreement entered into between one individual and another individual or group of individuals to give up an item of tangible value (e.g., cash, shirt, dinner) in exchange for the possibility of gaining some tangible item of value.

10.3.2 SCOPE OF APPLICATION. The prohibition against sports wagering applies to any sport or institutional practice or competition (intercollegiate, amateur or professional) in which the Association conducts championship competition, Division I-A football and emerging sports for women.

10.3.2.1 Exception. The provisions of Bylaw 10.3 are not applicable to a demonstrated tradition between presidents of competing institutions (i.e., presidents wager tangible items contingent on the outcome of the contest).

10.3.3 SANCTIONS. The following sanctions for violations of Bylaw 10.3 shall apply as
follows:

(a) A student-athlete who engages in activities designed to influence the outcome of an intercollegiate contest in an effort to affect win-loss margins (i.e., “point shaving”) or who solicits or accepts a bet or participates in any gambling activity that involves wagering on the student-athlete’s institution shall permanently lose all remaining regular season and postseason eligibility in all sports.

(b) A student-athlete who solicits or accepts a bet or participates in any gambling activity that involves intercollegiate, amateur or professional athletics, through the Internet, a bookmaker, or a parlay card shall be ineligible for all regular–season and postseason competition for a minimum of a period of one year from the date of the institution's determination that a violation has occurred and shall be charged with the loss of a minimum of one season of competition. If the student-athlete is determined to have been involved in a subsequent violation of any portion of Bylaw 10.3, the student-athlete shall permanently lose all remaining regular-season and postseason eligibility in all sports.

(c) Student-athletes found in any other violation, except as noted in (a) or (b) above, of the provisions of Bylaw 10.3 shall be ineligible for further intercollegiate competition,
subject to appeal to the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement for restoration of eligibility.