Division II Compliance Blueprint Program

The program's purpose

The NCAA national office offers a voluntary compliance review program to member institutions in Division II. At an institution's request, the membership services staff will arrange for a review of all or any specific aspect of its compliance program. The review helps identify key areas where compliance systems are engaged and functioning. Areas in which the institution is vulnerable to inadvertent or intentional rules violations also are identified and campus personnel are assisted in identifying actions to reduce those vulnerabilities.

Structure of a review

The institutional compliance review is composed of three basic phases: previsit assessment, campus visit and ongoing support. The typical review consists of a campus visit of three or four days following some previsit assessment work. Approximately one month after the campus visit, the institution's chief executive officer will receive a written report and support from NCAA staff.

A compliance review concentrates on systems that are in place to monitor key compliance areas including:

Awarding of financial aid
Certification of eligibility
Recruitment of student-athletes

The review also involves an examination of issues related to governance and rules-compliance initiatives, athletics department finances, and rules-education efforts. An institution is invited to target some of these areas for particular focus according to its needs and vulnerabilities.

Voluntary and confidential nature of a review

Participation in a compliance review is voluntary and any information arising from the process is confidential. Membership services staff members at all times maintain a confidential relationship with the institution. Any information regarding the review will not be disclosed to any individual or group without the explicit permission of institutional officials.

Institutional compliance reviews are offered as a service to NCAA member institutions at no charge. For more information, please contact the membership services department at the NCAA national office (317/917-6222).

Division I Compliance Reviews

The NCAA staff does not conduct compliance reviews for Division I institutions; however, the staff has collaborated with the membership on the development of the following materials to be used as a resource.

Division I compliance review materials