The Burner
COMPLIANCE STAFF
The Burner
ASSOCIATE AD CHAD JACKSON ASSISTANT DIRECTOR RYAN MAYLE ELIGIBILITY SPECIALIST TONY DOLLISON
IN THIS ISSUE... •
Academic Success
•
Tony’s Corner
•
Hot Topics
•
Blazers in the News
•
Compliance MVP
JANUARY RECRUITING PERIOD
MBA
Jan. 1, 6-31: Quiet Jan. 2-5: Dead
MBB
Jan. 1-31:
FB
Jan. 1, 12-15: Dead
Evaluation Jan 2-4, 11, 16-17:
Quiet Jan. 5-10, 18-31:
Contact
WBB
Jan. 1-31:
WSB
Jan 1: Quiet
Evaluation Jan. 2-31: Contact/
Evaluation
VB
Jan. 1-6: Quiet Jan. 17-31:
Contact/ Evaluation Period
CC/ Track
Jan. 1-2: Quiet Jan. 3-31:
Contact/ Evaluation Period
A Publication of the UAB Athletics Compliance Office V O L U M E
2
I S S U E
7
J A N U A R Y
2 0 0 9
Academic success telling a positive story The NCAA News
The trick to communicating academic success is simple: Achieve the success in the first place. That was the message delivered by a panel of presidents and administrators who have been involved in the forefront of Division I academic reform, including Middle Tennessee State President Sidney McPhee, whose institution confronted a dismal football Academic Progress Rate, and Georgia Athletics Director Damon Evans, who has sought to change the athletics/academics culture at his institution. As a member of the Division I Board earlier this decade, McPhee enthusiastically supported academic-reform proposals. When the measures took effect, however, he was chagrined to learn that his own football program’s APR ranked last in Division I. McPhee said academic reform suddenly became an intensely local matter, something for which the entire campus became responsible. “I didn’t blame the football coach of the athletics director,” he said. “The buck stopped with me.” With the development of an “academic game plan” that involved virtually every corner of the university, Middle Tennessee State realized steady improvement in the academic performance of its football program and the athletics program in general. APR scores rose each year from 2003-04 through 2007-08, with football climbing from a dismal 812 to a sparkling 988 in five years. McPhee said the formula involved accountability, incentives and public reports that allowed the program and the institution to “go beyond the rhetoric.” The media has continued to cover the story, McPhee said, but they have been fair, chronicling the progress along the way. At the same time, fans have taken more pride in seeing that academic success does not somehow portend athletics failure. Evans confronted a different set of circumstances at Georgia as he sought to change the impression that the athletics program was about big business rather than studentathlete educational development. As a new athletics director, he implemented a policy regarding missed class time, which quickly led to the suspension of a number of student-athletes. Coaches complained that the penalties were not fair, but Evans was quick to remind them that players certainly would be benched if they did not come to practice. The practice thus amounted to an educational benching. Success followed, with the number of credit hours and grade-point averages soaring to record levels in the next semester. Evans said that internal buy-in improved along the way, even if donors remained a challenge at times. When one asked if Georgia was placing itself at a competitive disadvantage because of the stricter policy, Evans said, “Simply put, if a student-athlete doesn’t want to come to the University of Georgia because we want him to go to class and keep academic appointments, then we don’t want him.” This was all good news to Walt Harrison, chair of Division I’s Committee on Academic Performance and one of the leading forces in the recent academic-reform movement. He said evidence is now available that demonstrates that previously underperforming teams are benefiting from the academic-success programs that have been developed to avoid penalties – so much so that few teams are expected to face academically related sanctions. “And that’s good,” he said, “because I signed up to watch people improve, not to punish them.”
Upcoming Blazer Events Men’s Basketball 1/21 vs. UTEP 1/24 vs. Rice 2/4 vs. Tulane 2/14 vs. SMU Women’s Basketball 1/29 vs. Tulane 1/31 vs. UTEP 2/7 vs. Memphis 2/12 vs. Tulsa 2/20 vs. Marshall
REMINDER!
As a friendly reminder to all coaches, even if your team does not practice during a particular week because of finals, holiday break, etc…you are still required to submit a practice log to the Compliance Office for that given period stating that “no Countable Activities occurred.”
VOLUME
2
ISSUE
7
“ALWAYS ASK FIRST”
Tony’s Corner
PAGE
2
Testing Dates for ACT and SAT
Eligibility Specialist, Tony Dollison’s monthly take on eligibility issues that you should be aware of! Bylaw 14.1.9 has been brought up by several of our coaches recently and I wanted to take the time to review it with all of you. The key with Bylaw 14.1.9 is that if a student-athlete has already received their undergraduate degree and wants to continue competing for UAB, they must have eligibility remaining (e.g., be within their five-year clock) and declare a degree in UAB’s Graduate school or declare another undergraduate degree at UAB.
Upcoming ACT testing dates: • February 7, 2009 • April 4, 2009
14.1.9 Graduate Student/Postbaccalaureate Participation. A student-athlete who is enrolled in a graduate or professional school of the same institution from which he or she previously received a baccalaureate degree, a student-athlete who is enrolled and seeking a second baccalaureate or equivalent degree at the same institution, or a student-athlete who has graduated and is continuing as a full-time student at the same institution while taking course work that would lead to the equivalent of another major or degree as defined and documented by the institution, may participate in intercollegiate athletics, provided the student has eligibility remaining and such participation occurs within the applicable five-year period.
Upcoming SAT testing dates: • January 24, 2009 • March 14, 2009 • May 2, 2009
HOT TOPICS 2009 NCAA Convention Rewind The following is a summary of Division I news from the 2009 NCAA Convention in Washington, DC. • • • •
The attempt to override a proposal prohibiting men’s basketball coaches from observing nonscholastic events in April was unsuccessful, with nearly 55 percent of delegates voting to keep the new rule in place. The Board of Directors directed the Committee on Academic Performance to construct a Web site that will provide the Academic Progress Rate “lifetime batting average” of head coaches in a publicly searchable format. The Leadership Council continued to discuss membership standards and diversity within the governance structure. The Legislative Council approved a variety of proposals, including one defining a men’s basketball prospect as anyone who has begun classes for the seventh grade for tryout and camp/clinic purposes. The Council will seek further comment on other proposals, including one changing the window of time during which a men’s basketball student-athlete can declare for the NBA draft and others seeking data on early qualifiers and transfers.
Blazers in the News… Sophomore Stephanie Gammon, a member of the UAB Cross Country team, has been named to the 2008 Conference USA Cross Country AllAcademic Team. Gammon has a cumulative grade point average of 3.96 while majoring in health sciences. Senior Zack Sucher of Men’s Golf has been tabbed as one of the top-10 “2008 Dominators of the Year” in golf by SI.com, as published by the site, Sucher was ranked as the nation’s No. 8 “Dominator” on a list
NEWS
Boosters are not permitted to write, call or email a prospective student-athlete at any time, even after they sign an National Letter of Intent (NLI). A recruit remains a recruit until he or she arrives on campus and starts the first day of classes.
Compliance M.V.P. Tyson Helton has spent two years
that includes Tiger Woods (No. 2) and with the UAB Football program. Lorena Ochoa (No. 3), among other Helton is specifically in charge of amateur and professional golfers. Quarterbacks and serves as the teams UAB’s Baseball team completed a fantastic semester in the classroom with 26 of 36 players having a 3.0 GPA or better. 13 student-athletes had 3.5 or better and four student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0. Their overall Team GPA for the Fall was 3.11. This comes after the program earned the C-USA Sport Academic Award in 2007-2008.
Recruiting Coordinator. Prior to UAB, Coach Helton spent three seasons with the University of Memphis and four seasons at the University of Hawaii. The Compliance Office and Coach Helton have a great relationship and speak on a regular basis. We would like to thank Tyson for his active commitment to compliance!
Tyson Helton Assistant Football Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
The Burner
ASSOCIATE AD CHAD JACKSON ASSISTANT DIRECTOR RYAN MAYLE ELIGIBILITY SPECIALIST TONY DOLLISON
IN THIS ISSUE... •
Academic Success
•
Tony’s Corner
•
Hot Topics
•
Blazers in the News
•
Compliance MVP
JANUARY RECRUITING PERIOD
MBA
Jan. 1, 6-31: Quiet Jan. 2-5: Dead
MBB
Jan. 1-31:
FB
Jan. 1, 12-15: Dead
Evaluation Jan 2-4, 11, 16-17:
Quiet Jan. 5-10, 18-31:
Contact
WBB
Jan. 1-31:
WSB
Jan 1: Quiet
Evaluation Jan. 2-31: Contact/
Evaluation
VB
Jan. 1-6: Quiet Jan. 17-31:
Contact/ Evaluation Period
CC/ Track
Jan. 1-2: Quiet Jan. 3-31:
Contact/ Evaluation Period
A Publication of the UAB Athletics Compliance Office V O L U M E
2
I S S U E
7
J A N U A R Y
2 0 0 9
Academic success telling a positive story The NCAA News
The trick to communicating academic success is simple: Achieve the success in the first place. That was the message delivered by a panel of presidents and administrators who have been involved in the forefront of Division I academic reform, including Middle Tennessee State President Sidney McPhee, whose institution confronted a dismal football Academic Progress Rate, and Georgia Athletics Director Damon Evans, who has sought to change the athletics/academics culture at his institution. As a member of the Division I Board earlier this decade, McPhee enthusiastically supported academic-reform proposals. When the measures took effect, however, he was chagrined to learn that his own football program’s APR ranked last in Division I. McPhee said academic reform suddenly became an intensely local matter, something for which the entire campus became responsible. “I didn’t blame the football coach of the athletics director,” he said. “The buck stopped with me.” With the development of an “academic game plan” that involved virtually every corner of the university, Middle Tennessee State realized steady improvement in the academic performance of its football program and the athletics program in general. APR scores rose each year from 2003-04 through 2007-08, with football climbing from a dismal 812 to a sparkling 988 in five years. McPhee said the formula involved accountability, incentives and public reports that allowed the program and the institution to “go beyond the rhetoric.” The media has continued to cover the story, McPhee said, but they have been fair, chronicling the progress along the way. At the same time, fans have taken more pride in seeing that academic success does not somehow portend athletics failure. Evans confronted a different set of circumstances at Georgia as he sought to change the impression that the athletics program was about big business rather than studentathlete educational development. As a new athletics director, he implemented a policy regarding missed class time, which quickly led to the suspension of a number of student-athletes. Coaches complained that the penalties were not fair, but Evans was quick to remind them that players certainly would be benched if they did not come to practice. The practice thus amounted to an educational benching. Success followed, with the number of credit hours and grade-point averages soaring to record levels in the next semester. Evans said that internal buy-in improved along the way, even if donors remained a challenge at times. When one asked if Georgia was placing itself at a competitive disadvantage because of the stricter policy, Evans said, “Simply put, if a student-athlete doesn’t want to come to the University of Georgia because we want him to go to class and keep academic appointments, then we don’t want him.” This was all good news to Walt Harrison, chair of Division I’s Committee on Academic Performance and one of the leading forces in the recent academic-reform movement. He said evidence is now available that demonstrates that previously underperforming teams are benefiting from the academic-success programs that have been developed to avoid penalties – so much so that few teams are expected to face academically related sanctions. “And that’s good,” he said, “because I signed up to watch people improve, not to punish them.”
Upcoming Blazer Events Men’s Basketball 1/21 vs. UTEP 1/24 vs. Rice 2/4 vs. Tulane 2/14 vs. SMU Women’s Basketball 1/29 vs. Tulane 1/31 vs. UTEP 2/7 vs. Memphis 2/12 vs. Tulsa 2/20 vs. Marshall
REMINDER!
As a friendly reminder to all coaches, even if your team does not practice during a particular week because of finals, holiday break, etc…you are still required to submit a practice log to the Compliance Office for that given period stating that “no Countable Activities occurred.”
VOLUME
2
ISSUE
7
“ALWAYS ASK FIRST”
Tony’s Corner
PAGE
2
Testing Dates for ACT and SAT
Eligibility Specialist, Tony Dollison’s monthly take on eligibility issues that you should be aware of! Bylaw 14.1.9 has been brought up by several of our coaches recently and I wanted to take the time to review it with all of you. The key with Bylaw 14.1.9 is that if a student-athlete has already received their undergraduate degree and wants to continue competing for UAB, they must have eligibility remaining (e.g., be within their five-year clock) and declare a degree in UAB’s Graduate school or declare another undergraduate degree at UAB.
Upcoming ACT testing dates: • February 7, 2009 • April 4, 2009
14.1.9 Graduate Student/Postbaccalaureate Participation. A student-athlete who is enrolled in a graduate or professional school of the same institution from which he or she previously received a baccalaureate degree, a student-athlete who is enrolled and seeking a second baccalaureate or equivalent degree at the same institution, or a student-athlete who has graduated and is continuing as a full-time student at the same institution while taking course work that would lead to the equivalent of another major or degree as defined and documented by the institution, may participate in intercollegiate athletics, provided the student has eligibility remaining and such participation occurs within the applicable five-year period.
Upcoming SAT testing dates: • January 24, 2009 • March 14, 2009 • May 2, 2009
HOT TOPICS 2009 NCAA Convention Rewind The following is a summary of Division I news from the 2009 NCAA Convention in Washington, DC. • • • •
The attempt to override a proposal prohibiting men’s basketball coaches from observing nonscholastic events in April was unsuccessful, with nearly 55 percent of delegates voting to keep the new rule in place. The Board of Directors directed the Committee on Academic Performance to construct a Web site that will provide the Academic Progress Rate “lifetime batting average” of head coaches in a publicly searchable format. The Leadership Council continued to discuss membership standards and diversity within the governance structure. The Legislative Council approved a variety of proposals, including one defining a men’s basketball prospect as anyone who has begun classes for the seventh grade for tryout and camp/clinic purposes. The Council will seek further comment on other proposals, including one changing the window of time during which a men’s basketball student-athlete can declare for the NBA draft and others seeking data on early qualifiers and transfers.
Blazers in the News… Sophomore Stephanie Gammon, a member of the UAB Cross Country team, has been named to the 2008 Conference USA Cross Country AllAcademic Team. Gammon has a cumulative grade point average of 3.96 while majoring in health sciences. Senior Zack Sucher of Men’s Golf has been tabbed as one of the top-10 “2008 Dominators of the Year” in golf by SI.com, as published by the site, Sucher was ranked as the nation’s No. 8 “Dominator” on a list
NEWS
Boosters are not permitted to write, call or email a prospective student-athlete at any time, even after they sign an National Letter of Intent (NLI). A recruit remains a recruit until he or she arrives on campus and starts the first day of classes.
Compliance M.V.P. Tyson Helton has spent two years
that includes Tiger Woods (No. 2) and with the UAB Football program. Lorena Ochoa (No. 3), among other Helton is specifically in charge of amateur and professional golfers. Quarterbacks and serves as the teams UAB’s Baseball team completed a fantastic semester in the classroom with 26 of 36 players having a 3.0 GPA or better. 13 student-athletes had 3.5 or better and four student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0. Their overall Team GPA for the Fall was 3.11. This comes after the program earned the C-USA Sport Academic Award in 2007-2008.
Recruiting Coordinator. Prior to UAB, Coach Helton spent three seasons with the University of Memphis and four seasons at the University of Hawaii. The Compliance Office and Coach Helton have a great relationship and speak on a regular basis. We would like to thank Tyson for his active commitment to compliance!
Tyson Helton Assistant Football Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
