Consider Single Contest Exemption List for All Sports

The NCAA Division II Manual establishes a master list of contest exemptions as opposed to listing the exemptions in each sport section. Division III could consider using this same format in order to make NCAA Bylaw 17 easier to read and to better exhibit similarities and differences between sports.

Sample of NCAA Division II Bylaws

Bylaw 17.1.9 Annual Exemptions

In sports other than emerging sports for women (per Bylaw 20.02.5) and those sports for which the National Collegiate Championship is the only NCAA championship opportunity, the following may be exempted annually from an institution's maximum number of contests or dates of competition. (Adopted: 1/14/02 effective 8/1/02 Revised: 4/15/03)

Bylaw 17.1.9.1 Automatic Exemptions

The following are automatically exempted from an institution's maximum number of contests or dates of competition in all sports each year:  (Adopted: 1/14/02 effective 8/1/02 Revised: 4/15/03, 4/29/04)

(a) Conference Championships.  Competition in one conference championship tournament or playoff;

(b) Season-Ending Tournament.  Competition in one season-ending tournament (e.g., NCAA championship, NAIA championship).  A season-ending tournament involves competition after the end of the regular season between teams that are not identified until the close of the regular season;

(c) Alumni Game.  One contest with an alumni team of the institution;

(d) Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico (sports other than basketball).  Any contests played in Hawaii, Alaska or Puerto Rico, respectively, either against or under the sponsorship of an active member institution located in Hawaii, Alaska or Puerto Rico by a member institution located outside those locales;

(e) Fund-Raising Activity.  Any activities in which student-athletes from more than one of the institution's athletics teams participate (or in individual sports per Bylaw 17.02.13.2, in which team members of that sport participate) with and against alumni and friends of the institution, the purpose of which is to raise funds to benefit the institution's athletics or other programs, provided the student-athletes do not miss class as a result of their participation (see Bylaw 12.5.1.1); (Revised: 1/12/04, 4/29/04)

(f) Celebrity Sports Activity.  Competition involving a maximum of two student-athletes from a member institution's team who participate in local celebrity activities conducted for the purpose of raising funds for charitable organizations, provided: (Revised: 4/29/04)

(1) The student-athletes do not miss class as a result of the participation; and

(2) The involvement of the student-athletes has the approval of the institution's athletics director.

(g) Tip-Off Classic - Basketball.  Games in the Division II Tip-Off Classic in men's and women's basketball;

(h) U.S. National Team.  One date of competition against a U.S. national team as selected by the appropriate national governing body in that sport;

(i) Spring Game - Football.  One contest at the conclusion of the spring practice period provided the contest is against a team comprised of bona fide alumni or students or both;

(j) Postseason Bowl Game - Football.  Participation in one postseason bowl game between representatives of two Division II conferences.  The participating institutions shall be institutions not selected to participate in the Division II Football Championship;

(k) East-West All-Star Match - Golf.  Participation by a member or members of an institution's golf team in the East-West all-star golf match at the site of an NCAA golf championship on the day before the start of the competition (i.e., the practice-round day);

(l) Sun Bowl All-American Classic - Golf.  Participation in the Sun Bowl All-American Classic, provided not more than two student-athletes from the institution participate in the event;

(m) College-Am Event - Golf.  A "college-am" golf tournament, provided the event is held in conjunction with intercollegiate competition and student-athletes do not receive awards or prizes for such participation; and

(n) United States Rowing Association Championships.  Competition in the U.S. Rowing Association championships.

Bylaw 17.1.9.2 Discretionary Exemptions - Sports Other Than Football

In sports other than football, the following may be exempted from an institution's maximum number of contests or dates of competition each year.  An institution may exempt no more than three of the following from this list annually:  (Adopted: 1/14/02 effective 8/1/02)

(a) Foreign Team in U.S.  A contest (or in baseball and softball, both games of doubleheader) against a foreign team in the United States played in the facility in which the member institution regularly plays its home contests; (Revised: 4/29/04)

(b) USA Club Team - Basketball.  A contest against a "club" member of USA Basketball played in the facility in which the member institution regularly plays its home contests;

(c) Non-Division II Four-Year Collegiate Institution - Basketball.  An exhibition contest against a non-Division II four-year collegiate institution played between the first permissible date for practice and the first permissible contest date; and (Revised: 1/12/04 effective 8/1/04)

(d) Scrimmages.  A scrimmage with outside competition, provided the scrimmage is conducted without official scoring.

Bylaw 17.1.9.2.1 Official Scoring

For purposes of Bylaw 17.1.9.2-(d), official scoring has occurred under any of the following conditions: (Adopted: 10/20/03)

(a) The signing of a scorebook by an official;

(b) The score is released to the media or other appropriate entities; or

(c) The score is used for individual or seasonal statistics.

Bylaw 17.1.9.3 Foreign Tours

An institution may exempt from its maximum contest limits all contests played on a foreign tour, provided the tour occurs only once in a four-year period and is conducted in accordance with the procedures set forth in Bylaw 30.7 (also see Bylaw 17.31).  (Adopted: 1/14/02 effective 8/1/02)

Bylaw 17.1.9.4 Contests in Hawaii, Alaska or Puerto Rico - Basketball

In basketball, once every four years, an institution may exempt from its maximum contest limits a maximum of four contests during a single trip to Hawaii, Alaska or Puerto Rico.  (Adopted: 1/14/02 effective 8/1/02, Revised: 1/12/04 effective 8/1/04)