NCAA DIVISION III INTERPRETATIONS AND LEGISLATION COMMITTEE

 

 

Summary of Recommendations

 

PRESIDENTS COUNCIL ACTION ITEMS

 

ISSUE:

Definition of “Contact.”

Committee Recommendation:

 

Sponsor legislation for the 2003 Convention to define the term “contact” for Division III institutions. 

 

Management Council Recommendation:

 

Sponsor legislation for 2003 Convention.

 

 

ACTION ITEMS – MANAGEMENT COUNCIL ONLY

 

1.

ISSUE:

Interpretations -- 2002 NCAA Convention Proposal Nos. 40-44 (Amateurism).

Committee Recommendation:

 

Approve the following interpretations related to 2002 Con­vention Proposal Nos. 40-44:

 

Fulfillment of an Academic Year in Residence.  In order to fulfill the academic year in residence requirement specified in 2002 Convention Proposal No. 40, the requirements of NCAA Bylaw 14.5.1.2 (Determination of Year in Residence) must be satisfied, and
the student-athlete must not engage in intercollegiate competition.  The year in residence may be fulfilled at any one collegiate institution.

 

Repeat Year in High School.  If an individual must repeat a year of high school for legitimate reasons, for purposes of 2002 Convention Proposal No. 40, the individual’s expected date of high school graduation will be extended.  Accordingly, an individual who legitimately is repeating a year in high school will not be subject to the requirements of  Proposal No. 40 while still enrolled full-time in high school.

 

 

Definition of Actual and Necessary Expenses.  For the purposes of 2002 Convention Proposal No. 40, actual and necessary expenses shall be defined as any of the following:

 

(a)          Meals directly tied to competition;

 

(b)         Lodging directly tied to competition;

 

(c)          Apparel, equipment, and/or supplies;

 

(d)         Coaching and/or instruction;

 

(e)          Health/medical insurance;

 

(f)      Transportation (i.e., expenses to and from practice and competition, cost of transportation from home to training/practice site to home at the end of season);

 

 

(g)     Medical treatment and/or physical therapy;

 

(h)     Facility usage; and

 

(i)      Entry fees.

 

Termination of Contract.  For purposes of 2002 Convention Proposal No. 43, if an individual signs a contractual agreement to play professional ath­letics in a particular sport prior to initial full-time collegiate enrollment, all rela­tionships with the professional team and all terms of the contractual agreement must be severed by the time of the individual’s initial full-time collegiate en­rollment.  An individual may not remain under contract with a professional team in a particular sport while enrolled at a Division III institution and still remain eligible for intercollegiate competition in that sport.

 

Academic Year-in-Residence Requirement is Sport-Specific.  The provisions of 2002 Convention Proposal No. 40 are sport-specific.  Consequently, an individual who is required to serve an academic year in residence in a particular sport due to participation in any activities specified in Bylaw 14.2.4.3.2 would be eligible to compete in other intercollegiate sports without serving the resi­dency requirement.

 

Management Council Action:

 

Approved the interpretations.

 

2.

ISSUE:

Interpretation -- 2002 NCAA Convention Proposal No. 54 (Playing and Practice Seasons -- Football -- Nontraditional Segment).

Committee Recommendation:

 

Approve the following interpretation related to 2002 Conven­tion Proposal No. 54:

 

Running Pass Patterns/Drills During Football Strength and Conditioning Training Sessions.  As part of the five consecutive weeks during the nontraditional seg­ment in which conditioning and strength training sessions may be conducted in football in accordance with 2002 Convention Proposal No. 54, it is per­missible for a student-athlete in the sport of football to run pass patterns/drills, provided no equipment is used.  This prohibition against the use of equipment includes the use of footballs.

 

Management Council Action:

 

Approved the interpretation.

 

3.

ISSUE:

Editorial Revision -- Bylaw 17.26.4 (End of Regular Season Indoor/ Out­door Track and Field).

Committee Recommendation:

 

Editorially revise Bylaw 17.26.4 to clarify that the indoor and outdoor track seasons must conclude with their respective NCAA Champi­onships. 

 

Management Council Action:

 

Approved the draft editorial revision.

 

4.

ISSUE:

Editorial Revisions -- Bylaws 14.02.7, 14.2.4.1, 14.2.4.3, and 14.7.4.1.

Committee Recommendation:

 

Editorially revise Bylaws 14.02.7, 14.2.4.1, 14.2.4.3, and 14.7.4.1 to clarify the current legislation in Bylaw 14 relating to seasons of competition, organized competition and outside competition. 

Management Council Action:

 

Approved the draft editorial revisions.

 

5.

ISSUE:

Editorial Revisions -- Bylaw 14.5.5.1 and 14.5.5.2.1 (Four-Year College Transfers).

Committee Recommendation:

 

Editorially revise Bylaws 14.5.5.1 and 14.5.5.2.1 to clarify current four-year college transfer regulations.   

 

Management Council Action:

 

Approved the draft editorial revisions.

 

6.

ISSUE:

Editorial Revisions -- Bylaws 13.02.2.1 (Permissible Recruitment Activi­ties for Student-Athletes) and 13.1.3. (Telephone Calls to Prospects).

Committee Recommendation:

 

Editorially revise Bylaws 13.02.2.1 and 13.1.3 to clarify permissible recruitment activities regarding telephone calls in which enrolled student-athletes may engage.     

 

Management Council Action:

 

Approved the draft editorial revisions.

 

7.

ISSUE:

Bylaws 14.02.3 (Collegiate Institution) and 14.2.3.2 (Nonrecognized College).

Committee Recommendation:

 

Sponsor noncontroversial legislation to amend Bylaws 14.02.3 and 14.2.3.2 to clarify the definition of a collegiate institution and a nonrecognized college. 

 

Management Council Action:

 

Agreed to adopt noncontroverisial legislation to amend Bylaws 14.02.3 and 14.2.3.2.

 

8.

ISSUE:

Editorial Revision – NCAA Bylaw 13.12.2.1 (Preseason Practice and Competition).

Committee Recommendation:

 

Editorially revise Bylaw 13.12.2.1 to delete language that is not applicable to Division III. 

Management Council Action:

 

Approved the draft editorial revision.

 

ITEMS OF INFORMATION

 

1.

ISSUE:

Bylaw 12 Deregulation.

Committee Action:

 

The committee agreed to defer its review of Bylaw 12 until it receives recommendations from the Amateurism Task.

 

Management Council Action:

 

Accepted the information.

 

2.

ISSUE:

Discussion of Possible Changes to Current Legislative Cycle.

Committee Action:

 

In light of the present work of the NCAA Presidents Council/Management Council Joint Subcommittee on the Future of Division III as well as the implementation of the new LSDBi, the committee agreed to defer any further discussion re­garding possible changes to the Division III legislative cycle.

Management Council Action:

 

Accepted the information.

 

3.

ISSUE:

April Approval of Non-Convention Legislative Drafts.

Committee Action:

 

It has been past practice to incorporate non-Convention legislation that is approved in legislative form during the January Council meetings into the Manual published that following August.  The committee was informed that technological advances may enable non-Convention legislation that is approved in legislative form during the April Council meetings to also be included in the Manual published that following August.  To the extent that technology would permit this, the committee supports including legislation approved in April in the subsequent edition of the Manual.

 

Management Council Action:

 

Accepted the information.

 

4.

ISSUE:

Incorporated Interpretations.

Committee Action:

 

The committee agreed to incorporate the following three interpretations into the 2002-03 Manual.

 

(a)     June 19, 2001.  Division III Sports that Conclude with a National Collegiate Championship.

 

Division III institutions must apply all Division III playing and practice seasons legislation to Division III sports regardless of the championship opportunities (e.g., national collegiate championships, national governing body) available in those sports.  [Reference: Bylaw 17.1.4]

 

(b)     August 5, 2001.  Dietary Supplements. 

 

It is not permissible for an institution to finance dietary supplements (e.g., weight-gain muscle/strength-building, weight-loss supplements) as medical expense benefits incidental to a student-athlete's participation in intercollegiate athletics.  [References: Official Interpretation 12/11/98, Item No. 1 and Bylaw 16.4]

 

(c)     December 28, 2001.  Final Semester/Quarter Exception -- Graduate Student.

 

It is permissible for a student-athlete pursuing a graduate degree to participate in competition while enrolled in less than a full-time program of studies per Bylaw 14.1.7.2.1.3, provided the student-athlete is enrolled in his or her final semester and the institution certifies that the student-athlete is enrolled in the number of credits necessary to achieve the desire graduate degree.

Management Council Action:

 

Accepted the information.