Bucknell Athletics Office of Compliance Newsletter January 2002 NCAA Infractions Overview This is a synopsis of recent rules infractions cases regarding extra benefits. Please review this material carefully as most violations regarding this rule involve representatives of athletics interests, in addition to athletics staff members. University of Jacksonville - Infractions Report Synopsis for Extra Benefits During a period spanning from 1996 to 1999 two representatives of the institution's athletic interests committed numerous violations of NCAA extra benefit legislation. Also, student-athletes from the soccer team made unauthorized long distance phone calls. After the 1996 soccer season, one representative provided warm-up suits for at least four men's soccer student-athletes who had completed their eligibility. In the fall of 1997, one representative took numerous soccer student-athletes for Sunday brunch at no cost to the athletes. Between March 1999 and May 2000, several student-athletes from the soccer team made numerous, unauthorized long distance phone calls. They made these calls utilizing the long distance access codes of the men's soccer office telephone and the head soccer coach. 1. Self Imposed Penalties:
a. The university has completely revamped its compliance program. b. The university suspended the soccer coach for eight games and declined to renew his contract. c. The university asked for and received the resignation of the woman's rowing coach. d. The university encouraged the athletic director to find new employment e. The university prohibited the men's soccer team from competing in postseason competition. f. The university cancelled its hosting of the TAAC 2000 Men's Soccer Championship. g. The university cut financial awards in men's soccer by two scholarships for three years. h. No initial financial aid will be given to a men's soccer athlete with citizenship outside the US for one year. i. The university has disassociated both of the athletic representatives. j. The university has disassociated the former men's soccer coach. k. The university will vacate records of the institutions participation in the 1998 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship. 2. Committee Imposed Penalties a. Public reprimand and censure. b. Five years of probation. c. The former men's soccer coach must go before the NCAA if he wishes to gain employment at a NCAA affiliated institution. d. The former women's rowing coach must go before the NCAA if he wishes to gain employment at a NCAA affiliated institution. e. The university will vacate all team and individual records of ineligible players. All records will be reconfigured and recorded in publications. f. During probation the university shall: 1. Continue to develop and implement comprehensive educational programs on NCAA legislation. 2. Shall submit a preliminary report to the NCAA 3. File annual compliance reports with the NCAA.
g. At the end of probation the president of the university shall provide a letter to NCAA affirming current policies and procedures. Southern California - Infractions Report Synopsis for Extra Benefits Beginning in the summer of 1996 and concluding in March 1998, employees of the Student Athlete Academic Services (SAAS) provided paper writing and typing skills for student athletes at no charge. During the summer of 1996, a former coordinator of tutoring services knowingly committed academic fraud as well as provided extra benefits by conducting research, composing and typing a substantial part of a paper submitted for a grade by a football student-athlete. No charge was assessed to the student-athlete. In the fall of 1997, a tutor for the SAAS knowingly committed academic fraud as well as provided extra benefits by composing a paper submitted by a women's diving student-athlete for a grade. No charge was assessed to the student athlete. In March of 1998, a tutor for the SAAS knowingly committed academic fraud and extra benefits by substantially composing and typing a paper submitted by a football student-athlete for a grade. No charge was assessed to the student-athlete. 1. Self Imposed Penalties a. The coordinator and both tutors of the SAAS were terminated. b. The university restructured and reinforced its training program for SAAS tutors. c. All tutors are required to sign a code of ethics. d. The student-athlete handbook and the tutor guidelines manual were revised. e. The SAAS established new goals for its tutor hiring procedures. 2. Committee Imposed Penalties a. The institution shall receive public reprimand and censure. b. The institution will be placed on two years of probation.
1. During probation the institution shall develop and implement a comprehensive educational program on NCAA legislation. 2. Submit a preliminary report to the NCAA about previous program. 3. File annual compliance reports indicating progress to the NCAA. c. The total number of athletically related awards in football shall be decreased by two. d. Women's swimming and diving athletically related awards are reduced by 0.5. e. At the end of probation, the university's president must send a letter of affirmation to the NCAA. f. The former tutor coordinator will be informed in writing of his or her status by the NCAA if he or she seeks employment with an affiliating institution. Prairie View A&M - Infractions Report Synopsis In January 1998, the head coach opened a bank account to be used for expenses related to the football program. The head coach said he was unaware that the NCAA bylaws prohibited such an account. He did not try to hide the account. He opened the account with the Prairie View Credit Union under the name of "Prairie View Football Fund." During the fall of 1997, the head coach and an assistant recruited a junior college mid year transfer student and promised him an athletic grant-in-aid. The coach thought he had at least one scholarship free because some other students had left the football program. After the aid had been offered, the coach learned that the scholarships were no longer available. The head coach then decided to use money from the Prairie View Football fund to pay for the student-athlete's aid. The head coach went on paying the fees the student had owed including: 1. Student fees = $900 2. Housing = $1,185 (borrowed in the form of a loan from the credit union) 3. Tuition = $969.62 (borrowed from an assistant coach, thought to be reimbursed) 1. Self Imposed Penalties a. Head coach was terminated.
2. Committee Imposed Penalties a. Institution is publicly reprimanded and censured. b. Institution is placed on a one-year probation. c. During probation the institution must develop and implement a comprehensive program on NCAA legislation. d. Submit a preliminary report to the NCAA and file a compliance report. Rules Overview: Official and Unofficial Visits Official Visits (1)First opportunity to make an official visit: A prospect may not make an official visit until the opening day of classes of his/her senior year in high school. (2)Number of official visits per prospect: A prospect may make a maximum of five official visits, with not more than one permitted to any single institution regardless. The limitations on official visits apply separately to the period in which the prospect is in high school and to the period beginning October 15 following the prospect's completion of high school. (3)Number of official visits per institution: Football is limited to 56 official visits and basketball is limited to 12 official visits during an academic year. There is no limit on the number of official visits in other sports. (4)Written notification of official visit required: A prospect making an official visit must receive a written letter of notification prior to the visit. The letter must include the information that the prospect is limited to five expense-paid visits, no more than one expense-paid visit to a single institution and this is the one expense-paid visit to Bucknell. Note: The letter may not be given to the prospect upon arrival on campus, it must be sent (mailed or faxed) prior to the visit. (5)Documentation required prior to an official visit:
In addition to the notification letter to the prospect, the prospect must provide Bucknell with certain documentation prior to making an official visit. Note: This documentation must be on our campus prior to the visit; it may not be delivered by the prospect upon his/her arrival on campus. Bucknell may provide an official visit to a prospect for whom we have a high school transcript (official or unofficial photocopy) and the SAT, PSAT, ACT or PACT Plus scores taken on a national testing date under national testing conditions. The test scores must be presented on testing agency documentation or on the copy of the official transcript or other official document from the high school (e.g., on official letterhead from the high school). Additionally, if the prospect's test score and GPA are shown on the weekly Clearinghouse Status Report, Bucknell may provide that prospect with an official visit. Junior college or four-year college transfer prospects must present a college transcript or have their college GPA, or HS GPA and test scores, listed on the Clearinghouse Status Report. (6)Length of official visit: An official visit may not exceed 48 hours, beginning at the time the prospect arrives on campus. The prospect's transportation to the campus after arrival at the airport or other outlet in the community must be without delay for personal reasons or entertainment purposes (e.g., if you stop for a meal on the way to campus, the 48-hour clock begins at that time--when you stop). At the completion of the 48- hour visit, the prospect must depart the Bucknell campus immediately; otherwise, Bucknell may not pay any expenses incurred by the prospect after this time, including the cost of transportation home. (7)Procedures for official visit: (a)the coach should complete the upper portion of the Official Visit Pre-approval and Summary Form and submit it to the Compliance Assistant with the appropriate documentation attached (i.e., visit notification letter, transcript, test score and visit itinerary) prior to the official visit. (b)the Compliance Assistant indicates approval for the official visit on the form and returns a copy of the original to the coach. A prospect may not make an official visit without this prior approval. (c)following the official visit, the coach should complete the bottom of the form and submit it, with receipts, to the Athletics Business Office.
(8)Please note the following: a)student hosts may be given $30 per day for entertainment for the prospect (and the prospect's parents, legal guardians or spouse). This money may not be used for the purchase of souvenirs or other items. An additional $15 per day may be provided to the student host for each additional prospect the host entertains. Student hosts are required to fill out a Student Host Entertainment Money Form detailing how much they received to host, where and on what they used the money for, how much it cost, and how much money was returned. b)if several students host a prospect, the $30 per day entertainment money may be used to cover the actual and necessary expenses incurred by the prospect and all hosts. Only one student host per prospect may be provided a free meal if restaurant facilities are used. c)a luncheon, dinner or brunch at the home of an institutional staff member (e.g., athletics director, coach, faculty member) may be held for a prospect, provided the entertainment is on a scale comparable to that of normal student life, is not excessive in nature and occurs on only one occasion. d)if a boat, snowmobile, recreational vehicle or similar recreational equipment (including those provided by an institutional staff member or "rep") is used to entertain a prospect (prospect's parents, legal guardians or spouse), the normal retail cost of the use of such equipment shall be assessed against the $30 per day entertainment money; further, if such normal retail cost exceeds $30, such entertainment may not be provided. e)a "rep" (booster) may not be involved in any way in the official visit. This means that the prospect may not meet or talk with any "rep" while on our campus (e.g., at a game). It is the coach's responsibility to see that this does not happen. Unofficial Visits (1)First opportunity to make an unofficial visit: A prospect may make an unofficial visit anytime except during a "Dead Period," including the time period prior to the prospect's senior year in high school. (2)Number of unofficial visits permitted: There is no limit on the number of unofficial visits a prospect may make.
(3)Transportation on unofficial visit: Bucknell may provide transportation only to view off-campus practice and competition sites in the prospect's sport(s) and other institutional facilities within a 30-mile radius of campus and an Bucknell staff member must accompany the prospect. (4)Meals on unofficial visit: Bucknell may not provide any meals on an unofficial visit. The prospect may pay the actual cost of a meal and eat with other prospects or with enrolled student-athletes. A meal offcampus counts as a contact and may occur only during permissible contact periods and only after July 1 with prospects who have completed their junior year in high school (contacts with prospects before July 1 after their junior year are not permitted). (5)Lodging on unofficial visit: Bucknell may not provide lodging on an unofficial visit. The prospect may stay in enrolled student-athlete's on-campus dormitory room as long as the prospect pays the regular institutional rate for such lodging. (6)Entertainment on unofficial visit: The only entertainment Bucknell may provide is a maximum of three complimentary admissions to campus athletic events in which an Bucknell team is competing. The admissions are to be used by the prospect and those accompanying the prospect on the visit. (7)Academic interviews on unofficial visit: We may arrange academic interviews for a prospect on an unofficial visit. Questions Associated with Official/Unofficial Visits Q1. Can an enrolled S-A pick up a prospect at the airport for the prospect's official visit? A1. An enrolled student-athlete can only pick up a prospect from the airport on an official visit, if the airport is located within 30 miles of the institution's campus and if the student-athlete used his/her own vehicle. [S 9/13/91] Q2. Can a student manager pick up a prospect at the airport for the prospect's official visit?
A2. A manager may pick up a prospect at the airport using an institutional vehicle as long as the manager is not serving as a student host. If the manager does serve as the student host, he/she could not use an institutional vehicle for this purpose. A graduate assistant, volunteer or undergraduate coach may also use an institutional vehicle to pick up a prospect from the airport on an official visit. [S 10/14/98] Q3. Can a strength coach, trainer, etc serve as a student host for an OV? A3. No, A coach, trainer, administrator, etc. cannot serve as a student host because a student host must be a full-time student. [S 12/20/89] Q4. Can an athletics staff member (administrator, weight room coach, trainer, etc) eat off campus on an official visit? A4. All athletic department staff members may eat off campus on a prospect's official visit. [S 10/12/88] Remember, Bucknell Faculty may only eat at on-campus dining establishments. [NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.3-(a)]