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THE COMPLIANCE CONSCIENCE HUSKIE ATHLETIC COMPLIANCE OFFICE
OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE HUSKIE ATHLETIC COMPLIANCE OFFICE May 2015 - Issue: 54
Rapid Reference: May Recruiting Calendar Baseball: May 1-31
Contact Period
Men's Basketball: May 1-11, 18-20 May 12-17 (NBA Draft) May 21-29 May 30-31
Quiet Period Evaluation Period Dead Period Quiet Period
Women's Basketball: May 1-31
Quiet Period
Cross Country/Track and Field: May 1-31
Contact Period
Football: May 3, 10, 17, 24-25, 31 May 1-2, 4-9, 11-16, 18-23, 26-30
Quiet Period Evaluation Period
Softball: May 1-25 May 26-31
Contact Period Dead Period
Volleyball: May 1-22 May 23-31
Quiet Period Contact Period
All Other Sports: May 1-31
Contact Period
Compliance ? of the Month Each month, the first person within the Athletic Department to correctly answer the Compliance Question of the Month wins a prize. All correct answers will be factored into the Victors Cup. Question: During institutional vacation periods and the summer, what are strength and conditioning coaches, who are not countable coaches and who perform duties on a department-wide basis, able to do at the request of a student-athlete?
Recruiting Periods Contact Period - Authorized staff members may make in-person, offcampus recruiting contacts and evaluations. Evaluation Period - Authorized athletics department staff may be involved in off-campus activities like assessing academic qualifications and playing abilities. In-person, off-campus contacts with prospective student-athletes are not permitted. Recruiting Period - Evaluations are allowed just like during contact periods. However, evaluations of live athletic activities are limited to regularly scheduled high school, prep school, or JUCO contests and practices and regular scholastic activities where the PSA is enrolled. Quiet Period - It is only permissible to make in-person recruiting contact on campus. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts or evaluations may be made during the quiet period. Dead Period - It is not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on or off campus or to allow official or unofficial visits to campus.
April Compliance ? of the Month Question: After what two (2) situations is a prospective student athlete (PSA) no longer subject to the application of a dead period? Answer: 1) PSA signs a National Letter of Intent or the institution's written offer of admission and/or financial aid 2) The institution receives a financial deposit in response to the institution's offer of admission April Compliance ? of the Month Winner: Christina Sutcliffe
Victors Cup Leaders
Baseball
Softball
Huskie Q & A Q:
Is a coach allowed to provide entertainment to a prospective student-athlete's (PSA's) sibling while they are on an official visit?
A:
No, NIU shall limit entertainment on the PSA's official visit to the PSA, the PSA's parents (or legal guardians) and the PSA's spouse.
Q:
Is it permissible for NIU to pay for a meal of the PSA's sibling?
A:
No, it is not permissible for NIU to pay for a meal of the PSA's sibling.
Q:
Are there any exceptions to pay for the meal of the PSA's sibling?
A:
Yes, there is an exception for football. Football may provide a meal for up to a total of four (4) family members accompanying the PSA. A family member is an individual with any of the following relationships to the PSA: spouse, parent or legal guardian, child, sibling, grandparent, domestic partner, or any individual whose close association with the PSA is the practical equivalent of a family member.
Q:
Is NIU allowed to pay for lodging of a PSA's sibling while they are on an official visit?
A:
No, additional person's (e.g., PSA's brother, sister, friend) may stay in the same room as the PSA or parents, spouse or legal guardian but NIU shall not pay the costs resulting from the additional occupants. The additional occupants shall not be PSAs being recruited by NIU.
Q:
Is NIU allowed to provide complimentary tickets to a PSA's sibling while they are on an official visit?
A:
Yes. During the official visit, a maximum of three (3) complimentary admissions to a home athletics event at any facility within a 30-mile radius of NIU's main campus in which NIU's intercollegiate team practices or competes may be provided to a PSA. Such complimentary admissions are for the exclusive use of the PSA and those persons accompanying the PSA on the visit and must be issued only through a pass list on an individual-game basis. Such admissions may provide seating only in the general seating area of the facility used for conducting the event. Providing seating during the conduct of the event (including intermission) for the PSA or those persons accompanying the PSA in the facility's press box, special seating box(es) or bench area is specifically prohibited.
Please note: Some examples have been presented in this Q & A; however, not every possible situation has been covered. If you have any questions regarding your involvement with prospective or enrolled student-athletes and the NCAA rules and regulations, please direct those questions to: Huskie Athletic Compliance Office [email protected] or visit us on the web at: www.niuhuskies.com/compliance
Information for Huskie Student-Athletes PSA Housing Before School Starts Huskie Student-Athletes: If you have an incoming PSA staying with you before they move into the dorms, you must fill out the PSA Pre Enrollment Housing Form. This form can be accessed through www.jumpforward.com. You can login to JumpForward using your zID. Then, by hitting “Forgot your password?” you will receive an email allowing you to set up a login password. If you have any questions please contact the HACO
From the MAC MAC Meeting Agenda Student-Athlete Reinstatement Community service may now be used as a condition for student-athlete reinstatement. This is for violations occurring on or after August 1, 2014. The committee directed staff to permit institutions the option to have student-athletes fulfill community service agreements and/or make financial repayment in conjunction with certain violations requiring a donation to charity for receipt of an impermissible-tangible benefit in lieu of repayment only. The committee noted the option of community service hours should be evaluated by assessing the student-athlete's culpability while using a three-tier approach. Tier One (community service should not be available). Tier Two (community service may be available, capped at 80 percent of the value of the violation, with the student-athlete donating to a charity of his or her choice the remaining 20 percent of the value of the violation). Tier Three (community service is available in full). Calculation. The committee determined the student-athlete is required to fulfill one hour of community service for every $30 of impermissible benefits received (total value of impermissible benefits received divided by 30). In the event the calculation results in a decimal, the required community service hours should be rounded up to the next whole hour.
From the NCAA Institution: Wichita State University (1/29/15) Please note: This is an overview of their major infraction case. Violation Summary
This case involves the baseball program at Wichita State University and 21 baseball student-athletes (SA's) who received impermissible extra benefits in the form of discounted athletics apparel and other clothing. The SA's ordered the items through an account set up by the institution's athletics apparel provider and involved the former administrative assistant (FAA) for baseball. From the time the institution entered into the baseball apparel account in 2008, the FAA used the account to order team attire. Because the FAA used the apparel account frequently, the apparel provider supplied an account that she could access directly. That account, known as the VIP account, was established in her name so that she could order merchandise directly from the company with a 50% discount. Specifically, the account was to be used only by the FAA and only one (1) credit card could be used to make orders. The FAA thought that the VIP account could be used by anybody, including SA's and herself, to order personal items at a discount. Her understanding was that orders submitted through the VIP account were not limited to equipment and apparel for the baseball program. Once the apparel provider established the VIP account, the FAA used it to purchase personal items at the discounted rate. From February 2012, to November 2013, 39 individuals besides the FAA placed 69 individual orders either through the FAA or by using her log-in credentials. All 39 individuals received the 50% discount off the retail price. Twenty-one of the 39 individuals who ordered items through the VIP account were SA's. From February 2012 into November 2013, the 21 SA's ordered merchandise with a retail value of $15,187.68. They paid a total of $7,593.50 for the items, $7,594.18 below the retail price. Findings of Violations of NCAA Legislation
1. FROM FEBRUARY 2012 TO NOVEMBER 2013, THE FAA PROVIDED IMPERMISSIBLE EXTRA BENEFITS TO 21 SA'S THROUGH THE VIP ACCOUNT WHEN SHE ALLOWED THEM TO PURCHASE ITEMS AT DISCOUNTED PRICES (NCAA BYLAWS 16.11.2.1 AND 16.11.2.2). 2. FROM FEBRUARY 2012 TO NOVEMBER 2013, THE INSTITUTION FAILED TO MONITOR THE BASEBALL PROGRAM WHEN IT DID NOT CLOSELY MONITOR THE ACTIVITIES OF THE FAA, MAKE TIMELY CHANGES TO ITS APPAREL ORDERING SYSTEM, OR ADEQUATELY EDUCATE THE FAA (NCAA CONSTITUTION 2.8.1). Penalty Summary The Committee on Infractions concluded that this case involved Level II violations of NCAA legislation. Level II violations are significant breaches of conduct. The panel concluded that this case involved the former administrative assistant unintentionally providing impermissible benefits to 21 student-athletes (Level II) totaling $7,594.18. The committee prescribed the follow penalties: one (1) year of probation from January 29, 2015 through January 28, 2016, a financial penalty of $5,000, public reprimand and censure, and the institution shall vacate all regular season and conference tournament wins in which the 21 ineligible student-athletes competed from the time they became ineligible through the time they were reinstated for competition.
Hot Topics in Compliance Unethical Conduct and Failure to Promote an Atmosphere of Compliance Background: Recently, a former women's volleyball head coach violated the ethical conduct rules instated by the NCAA when the coach provided false information about the role of a former volunteer. The former head coach invited a volunteer to join his staff in the hopes for an opportunity to become a full-time assistant coach. After joining the staff, the volunteer engaged in coaching activities. As soon as an individual participates in coaching practice, competition, or organized activity, that person must be counted as a coach. The former head coach did not count the volunteer in his coaching staff limits. During the former head coach's interview with the NCAA enforcement staff, he stated that the volunteer had no role with the volleyball team during June and July of 2013. However, the former head coach had instructed the volunteer to perform coaching duties during that time period. Because of the false information provided by the former head coach, the Division I Committee on Infractions concluded that he violated the NCAA's ethical conduct rules. Unethical Conduct: Unethical conduct by a current or former institutional staff member, which includes any individual who performs work for the institution or the athletics department even if he or she does not receive compensation for such work, may include, but is not limited to the following: - Refusal to furnish information relevant to an investigation of a possible violation of an NCAA regulation when requested to do so by the NCAA or the individual's institution. - Knowingly furnishing or knowingly influencing others to furnish the NCAA or the individual's institution false or misleading information concerning an individual's involvement in or knowledge of matters relevant to a possible violation of an NCAA regulation. Honesty and Sportsmanship: Individuals employed by (or associated with) a member institution to administer, conduct, or coach intercollegiate athletics and all participating student-athletes shall act with honesty and sportsmanship at all times so that intercollegiate athletics as a whole, their institutions and they, as individuals, shall represent the honor and dignity of fair play and the generally recognized high standards associated with wholesome competitive sports. Impermissible Recruiting Contact: The women's volleyball staff also had impermissible interactions with four (4) prospective student-athletes (PSAs). In one case, a PSA was observed playing volleyball on her unofficial visit to the institution. Another PSA was provided one-on-one instruction while attending the university's summer camp. Arrangements were also made made for two (2) PSAs to stay with current student athletes at no cost so that they could attend the institution's summer camp. Failure to Promote an Atmosphere of Compliance: The former head coach did not promote an atmosphere of compliance within his program when he arranged, participated in, or directed the impermissible countable athletic activity and interactions with PSAs. Rules Education: Penalties and corrective actions adopted by the panel include a one-year extension of probation from the university's 2013 infractions case. The probation period will now end in December of 2018. The school has been issued a $5,000 fine. If the former head coach is employed as a head coach at anytime from April 9, 2015 to April 8, 2017, he must have a limit of 19 evaluation days during the recruiting calendar year. Also, he must be suspended from the first 30% of one regular season's competition. Self-imposed penalties by the institution include a three-month reduction in the recruiting of the individual involved in the impermissible tryout, as well as a reduction of CARA during the championship segment by four (4) hours per week during the 2013-14 season.
OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE HUSKIE ATHLETIC COMPLIANCE OFFICE May 2015 - Issue: 54
Rapid Reference: May Recruiting Calendar Baseball: May 1-31
Contact Period
Men's Basketball: May 1-11, 18-20 May 12-17 (NBA Draft) May 21-29 May 30-31
Quiet Period Evaluation Period Dead Period Quiet Period
Women's Basketball: May 1-31
Quiet Period
Cross Country/Track and Field: May 1-31
Contact Period
Football: May 3, 10, 17, 24-25, 31 May 1-2, 4-9, 11-16, 18-23, 26-30
Quiet Period Evaluation Period
Softball: May 1-25 May 26-31
Contact Period Dead Period
Volleyball: May 1-22 May 23-31
Quiet Period Contact Period
All Other Sports: May 1-31
Contact Period
Compliance ? of the Month Each month, the first person within the Athletic Department to correctly answer the Compliance Question of the Month wins a prize. All correct answers will be factored into the Victors Cup. Question: During institutional vacation periods and the summer, what are strength and conditioning coaches, who are not countable coaches and who perform duties on a department-wide basis, able to do at the request of a student-athlete?
Recruiting Periods Contact Period - Authorized staff members may make in-person, offcampus recruiting contacts and evaluations. Evaluation Period - Authorized athletics department staff may be involved in off-campus activities like assessing academic qualifications and playing abilities. In-person, off-campus contacts with prospective student-athletes are not permitted. Recruiting Period - Evaluations are allowed just like during contact periods. However, evaluations of live athletic activities are limited to regularly scheduled high school, prep school, or JUCO contests and practices and regular scholastic activities where the PSA is enrolled. Quiet Period - It is only permissible to make in-person recruiting contact on campus. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts or evaluations may be made during the quiet period. Dead Period - It is not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on or off campus or to allow official or unofficial visits to campus.
April Compliance ? of the Month Question: After what two (2) situations is a prospective student athlete (PSA) no longer subject to the application of a dead period? Answer: 1) PSA signs a National Letter of Intent or the institution's written offer of admission and/or financial aid 2) The institution receives a financial deposit in response to the institution's offer of admission April Compliance ? of the Month Winner: Christina Sutcliffe
Victors Cup Leaders
Baseball
Softball
Huskie Q & A Q:
Is a coach allowed to provide entertainment to a prospective student-athlete's (PSA's) sibling while they are on an official visit?
A:
No, NIU shall limit entertainment on the PSA's official visit to the PSA, the PSA's parents (or legal guardians) and the PSA's spouse.
Q:
Is it permissible for NIU to pay for a meal of the PSA's sibling?
A:
No, it is not permissible for NIU to pay for a meal of the PSA's sibling.
Q:
Are there any exceptions to pay for the meal of the PSA's sibling?
A:
Yes, there is an exception for football. Football may provide a meal for up to a total of four (4) family members accompanying the PSA. A family member is an individual with any of the following relationships to the PSA: spouse, parent or legal guardian, child, sibling, grandparent, domestic partner, or any individual whose close association with the PSA is the practical equivalent of a family member.
Q:
Is NIU allowed to pay for lodging of a PSA's sibling while they are on an official visit?
A:
No, additional person's (e.g., PSA's brother, sister, friend) may stay in the same room as the PSA or parents, spouse or legal guardian but NIU shall not pay the costs resulting from the additional occupants. The additional occupants shall not be PSAs being recruited by NIU.
Q:
Is NIU allowed to provide complimentary tickets to a PSA's sibling while they are on an official visit?
A:
Yes. During the official visit, a maximum of three (3) complimentary admissions to a home athletics event at any facility within a 30-mile radius of NIU's main campus in which NIU's intercollegiate team practices or competes may be provided to a PSA. Such complimentary admissions are for the exclusive use of the PSA and those persons accompanying the PSA on the visit and must be issued only through a pass list on an individual-game basis. Such admissions may provide seating only in the general seating area of the facility used for conducting the event. Providing seating during the conduct of the event (including intermission) for the PSA or those persons accompanying the PSA in the facility's press box, special seating box(es) or bench area is specifically prohibited.
Please note: Some examples have been presented in this Q & A; however, not every possible situation has been covered. If you have any questions regarding your involvement with prospective or enrolled student-athletes and the NCAA rules and regulations, please direct those questions to: Huskie Athletic Compliance Office [email protected] or visit us on the web at: www.niuhuskies.com/compliance
Information for Huskie Student-Athletes PSA Housing Before School Starts Huskie Student-Athletes: If you have an incoming PSA staying with you before they move into the dorms, you must fill out the PSA Pre Enrollment Housing Form. This form can be accessed through www.jumpforward.com. You can login to JumpForward using your zID. Then, by hitting “Forgot your password?” you will receive an email allowing you to set up a login password. If you have any questions please contact the HACO
From the MAC MAC Meeting Agenda Student-Athlete Reinstatement Community service may now be used as a condition for student-athlete reinstatement. This is for violations occurring on or after August 1, 2014. The committee directed staff to permit institutions the option to have student-athletes fulfill community service agreements and/or make financial repayment in conjunction with certain violations requiring a donation to charity for receipt of an impermissible-tangible benefit in lieu of repayment only. The committee noted the option of community service hours should be evaluated by assessing the student-athlete's culpability while using a three-tier approach. Tier One (community service should not be available). Tier Two (community service may be available, capped at 80 percent of the value of the violation, with the student-athlete donating to a charity of his or her choice the remaining 20 percent of the value of the violation). Tier Three (community service is available in full). Calculation. The committee determined the student-athlete is required to fulfill one hour of community service for every $30 of impermissible benefits received (total value of impermissible benefits received divided by 30). In the event the calculation results in a decimal, the required community service hours should be rounded up to the next whole hour.
From the NCAA Institution: Wichita State University (1/29/15) Please note: This is an overview of their major infraction case. Violation Summary
This case involves the baseball program at Wichita State University and 21 baseball student-athletes (SA's) who received impermissible extra benefits in the form of discounted athletics apparel and other clothing. The SA's ordered the items through an account set up by the institution's athletics apparel provider and involved the former administrative assistant (FAA) for baseball. From the time the institution entered into the baseball apparel account in 2008, the FAA used the account to order team attire. Because the FAA used the apparel account frequently, the apparel provider supplied an account that she could access directly. That account, known as the VIP account, was established in her name so that she could order merchandise directly from the company with a 50% discount. Specifically, the account was to be used only by the FAA and only one (1) credit card could be used to make orders. The FAA thought that the VIP account could be used by anybody, including SA's and herself, to order personal items at a discount. Her understanding was that orders submitted through the VIP account were not limited to equipment and apparel for the baseball program. Once the apparel provider established the VIP account, the FAA used it to purchase personal items at the discounted rate. From February 2012, to November 2013, 39 individuals besides the FAA placed 69 individual orders either through the FAA or by using her log-in credentials. All 39 individuals received the 50% discount off the retail price. Twenty-one of the 39 individuals who ordered items through the VIP account were SA's. From February 2012 into November 2013, the 21 SA's ordered merchandise with a retail value of $15,187.68. They paid a total of $7,593.50 for the items, $7,594.18 below the retail price. Findings of Violations of NCAA Legislation
1. FROM FEBRUARY 2012 TO NOVEMBER 2013, THE FAA PROVIDED IMPERMISSIBLE EXTRA BENEFITS TO 21 SA'S THROUGH THE VIP ACCOUNT WHEN SHE ALLOWED THEM TO PURCHASE ITEMS AT DISCOUNTED PRICES (NCAA BYLAWS 16.11.2.1 AND 16.11.2.2). 2. FROM FEBRUARY 2012 TO NOVEMBER 2013, THE INSTITUTION FAILED TO MONITOR THE BASEBALL PROGRAM WHEN IT DID NOT CLOSELY MONITOR THE ACTIVITIES OF THE FAA, MAKE TIMELY CHANGES TO ITS APPAREL ORDERING SYSTEM, OR ADEQUATELY EDUCATE THE FAA (NCAA CONSTITUTION 2.8.1). Penalty Summary The Committee on Infractions concluded that this case involved Level II violations of NCAA legislation. Level II violations are significant breaches of conduct. The panel concluded that this case involved the former administrative assistant unintentionally providing impermissible benefits to 21 student-athletes (Level II) totaling $7,594.18. The committee prescribed the follow penalties: one (1) year of probation from January 29, 2015 through January 28, 2016, a financial penalty of $5,000, public reprimand and censure, and the institution shall vacate all regular season and conference tournament wins in which the 21 ineligible student-athletes competed from the time they became ineligible through the time they were reinstated for competition.
Hot Topics in Compliance Unethical Conduct and Failure to Promote an Atmosphere of Compliance Background: Recently, a former women's volleyball head coach violated the ethical conduct rules instated by the NCAA when the coach provided false information about the role of a former volunteer. The former head coach invited a volunteer to join his staff in the hopes for an opportunity to become a full-time assistant coach. After joining the staff, the volunteer engaged in coaching activities. As soon as an individual participates in coaching practice, competition, or organized activity, that person must be counted as a coach. The former head coach did not count the volunteer in his coaching staff limits. During the former head coach's interview with the NCAA enforcement staff, he stated that the volunteer had no role with the volleyball team during June and July of 2013. However, the former head coach had instructed the volunteer to perform coaching duties during that time period. Because of the false information provided by the former head coach, the Division I Committee on Infractions concluded that he violated the NCAA's ethical conduct rules. Unethical Conduct: Unethical conduct by a current or former institutional staff member, which includes any individual who performs work for the institution or the athletics department even if he or she does not receive compensation for such work, may include, but is not limited to the following: - Refusal to furnish information relevant to an investigation of a possible violation of an NCAA regulation when requested to do so by the NCAA or the individual's institution. - Knowingly furnishing or knowingly influencing others to furnish the NCAA or the individual's institution false or misleading information concerning an individual's involvement in or knowledge of matters relevant to a possible violation of an NCAA regulation. Honesty and Sportsmanship: Individuals employed by (or associated with) a member institution to administer, conduct, or coach intercollegiate athletics and all participating student-athletes shall act with honesty and sportsmanship at all times so that intercollegiate athletics as a whole, their institutions and they, as individuals, shall represent the honor and dignity of fair play and the generally recognized high standards associated with wholesome competitive sports. Impermissible Recruiting Contact: The women's volleyball staff also had impermissible interactions with four (4) prospective student-athletes (PSAs). In one case, a PSA was observed playing volleyball on her unofficial visit to the institution. Another PSA was provided one-on-one instruction while attending the university's summer camp. Arrangements were also made made for two (2) PSAs to stay with current student athletes at no cost so that they could attend the institution's summer camp. Failure to Promote an Atmosphere of Compliance: The former head coach did not promote an atmosphere of compliance within his program when he arranged, participated in, or directed the impermissible countable athletic activity and interactions with PSAs. Rules Education: Penalties and corrective actions adopted by the panel include a one-year extension of probation from the university's 2013 infractions case. The probation period will now end in December of 2018. The school has been issued a $5,000 fine. If the former head coach is employed as a head coach at anytime from April 9, 2015 to April 8, 2017, he must have a limit of 19 evaluation days during the recruiting calendar year. Also, he must be suspended from the first 30% of one regular season's competition. Self-imposed penalties by the institution include a three-month reduction in the recruiting of the individual involved in the impermissible tryout, as well as a reduction of CARA during the championship segment by four (4) hours per week during the 2013-14 season.
