Draft
MINUTES OF THE
CONFERENCE USA
COMPLIANCE COORDINATORS COMMITTEE TELECONFERENCE
10:00 AM Central time April 8, 2010
Those present were:
Tim Metcalf, East Carolina University
Amy Spruill, East Carolina University
Rosie Thompson, East Carolina University
Kevin Fite, University of Houston
Syed Moinuddin, University of Houston
Derek Gwinn, Marshall University
Erik Paz, Marshall University
Andrew Donovan, Marshall University
Sally Andrews, University of Memphis
Nicole Green, University of Memphis
Joe Luckey, University of Memphis
Michael Dean, Rice University
Kristina Villavicencio, Rice University
Kristi Pierce, University of Southern Mississippi
Jason Gray, University of Southern Mississippi
Kyle Conder, Tulane University
Scott Connors, Tulane University
Christina Carter, The University of Tulsa
Chad Jackson, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Jordan ReDavid, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Tony Dollison, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Lisa Danner, University of Central Florida
Alyssa O’Brien, University of Central Florida
Jay Malcolm, University of Central Florida
Fadia Rouhana, University of Texas at El Paso
Jeff Amey, University of Texas at El Paso
Nick Ojea, University of Texas at El Paso
Robert Philippi, C-USA Associate Commissioner for Compliance & Academics
LuAnn Humphrey, NCAA Assistant Director of Enforcement for the Basketball Focus Group
[Note: These Minutes reflect only actions (formal votes or “sense of the meeting”).]
Robert Philippi called the meeting to order at 10:00 AM Central Standard Time. All members noted above were present.
- Welcome & Roll Call. Robert Philippi took roll call per institution and all members noted above were present.
- Men’s Basketball Focus Group Discussion. Philippi introduced LuAnn Humphrey, Director of Enforcement for the NCAA Basketball Focus Group, and the group discussed upcoming legislation and related issues.
Is it permissible for an institution to host, sponsor or conduct a non-scholastic basketball practice, contest or EVENT in which men’s basketball PSAs participate on its campus OR at an off-campus facility regularly used by the institution for practice AND/OR competition (and which the institution has control over)?
This is not permissible, whether on-campus or off-campus, if the institution has control over the facility.
Will institutions be held accountable for any event(s) prior to the legislation being adopted?
No. Any contracts with a non-scholastic operator already in place that extend past October 29, 2009 will be examined on a case-by-case basis and may qualify for a waiver for up to one year. The waiver process will evaluate prior practices, costs incurred, and other circumstances individual to each contract.
Does this proposal prevent institutions from conducting “open gyms,” available to anyone in the community, at the on-campus recreational facility if it will also be open to prospect age SAs?
Institutions may still conduct an open gym, as long as it is truly open and available to anyone in the community. No non-scholastic entity may be involved. Humphrey emphasized that the focus is on who the operators are, not the participants.
Is it okay for an AAU coach and/or IAWP to host a non-scholastic basketball event (i.e. practice on campus) if prospect age student-athletes are NOT involved (i.e., 5th & 6th graders)?
No. The emphasis will be on the operators, not who the participants are. A non-scholastic entity is not permitted to host any practice, contest, or event involving boys’ or men’s basketball. Women’s basketball and other sports are currently not included in this legislation.
Is it permissible for a team or teams who will participate in a non-scholastic basketball event not hosted by the institution to stay at a campus hotel and/or dorm?
Yes, if there is NO institutional involvement. Coaches cannot be involved in any way. A question was asked about AAU use of an open gym or publically-available recreation center controlled by the institution. It is acceptable fora non-scholastic group to purchase day passes to use an institution’s recreational center, as long as the rates charged and access made available to the non-scholastic group are the same as the cost and access available to all participants at the facility.
Conference USA Compliance Coordinators Minutes
April 8, 2010
Page 3 – Minute 2
Is the proposal only for events that are related toathletics?
A non-scholastic group tied to athletics cannot have a non-athletic event, but a non-scholastic group with no nexus with men’s basketball or boys’ basketball would be permissible as long as there is no relation to athletics.
If adopted, will it be permissible for an institution to employ an NBA athlete as a guest speaker or volunteer at a summer camp?
Humphrey said these situations will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, but an individual closely associated with a PSA will not be allowed. Humphrey recommended that compliance coordinators check visit records and phone logs to look for “associated individuals.” Additionally, institutions may check with the NCAA for any known ties between an individual and a PSA. If an institution has done sufficient due diligence to check for any known connections, it can mitigate any penalty. The burden will be on the compliance office to prove that it could not have known about the relationship.
Expand on which actions constitution a “deviation in logistics” regarding an elite camp as referenced in BFG FAQ educational document—Institutional Camp Operation—A1.
Camps that are titled “elite” are permitted, but they cannot differ in operation or advertising from any other camps offered by the institution. Meals, housing, advertising, eligibility, and other characteristics must be the same for each camp.
The FAQ document states, “A single, isolated request for a camp brochure from a prospect will likely not trigger ‘recruited’ status, but all facts and circumstances relating to interactions between the coaching staff and the prospect or his IAWPs must be considered in the analysis. For example, if the evidence shows that there was only one contact between the coaching staff and the prospect (e.g., a request for a camp brochure), but there were a significant number of contemporaneous contacts with an IAWP, that prospect will be deemed to be a recruited prospect.” Any further advice as to how to monitor (e.g., direct coaching staff to have only one contact)?
Humphrey advised that compliance departments review prior records, including scouting services and complimentary tickets lists, to evaluate any contacts with IAWPs. She also suggested that the departments have coaches sign off on their camp employment list that no IAWPs are on the staff. Humphrey again mentioned checking with the NCAA for any recorded connections with an IAWP.
- Review and Approval of March 11, 2010 Minutes.
It was VOTED (unanimously)
“That the March 11, 2010 Compliance Coordinators Committee meeting minutes be approved as submitted.”
Conference USA Compliance Coordinators Minutes
April 8, 2010
Page 3 – Minute 2
- Review of March 31, 2010 CCACA Meeting Agenda. Philippi reviewed the following items from the March 31, 2010 CCACA Conference Call; no questions or comments were submitted.
Incidental Expense Waivers for Football Graduate Assistants (Bylaw 16.8.1.6) – Babcock, ACC, noted that there has been discussion within her conference about providing football graduate assistancewith incidental money at bowl games. Currently, graduate assistants are the only individuals that do now get that additional financial assistance. Babcock indicated that the ACC will likely sponsor legislation next year to allow these individuals, as well as legislated graduate assistants in other sports, to receive such funds.
Media Guides – 2/3/10 Educational Column - Babcock, ACC told the CCACA that they have responded to questions regarding the column and bylaw by saying that if you give the media guide or recruiting brochure to PSAs, it cannot be in color. If you do not give the publication to PSAs, it does not have to meet the media guide/recruiting brochure restrictions as long as it is called something else.
- Review of Latest Interpretations/Rules Education. Philippi and Hubbell reviewed the most recent rules interpretations listed below:
March 31, 2010 – Women’s Volleyball Regulations Apply to Women’s Sand Volleyball(I) – Staff Interpretation – The academic and membership affairs staff confirmed that NCAA legislation (e.g., recruiting; playing and practice seasons) and interpretations applicable to women’s volleyball also apply to an institution that sponsors women’s sand volleyball until specific legislation is adopted and effective for women’s sand volleyball.
March 23, 2010 –Exempting Renewals of Academic Honor Awards from Equivalency Calculations (I) – Official Interpretation – The committee determined that if a student-athlete receives an academic honor award during his or her initial year of enrollment, but does not qualify for exemption of the award from his or her team’s equivalency computation, and receives a renewal of the academic award in a subsequent year, the renewal may be exempted from the team’s equivalency computation, provided the student-athlete achieves a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.000 (based on a maximum of 4.000) at the certifying institution and meets all NCAA, conference, and institutional progress-toward-degree requirements.
March 22, 2010 – Designation of Degree Program and Timing of Degree Change (I) – Educational Column – NCAA Division I member institutions should note that pursuant to NCAA Bylaw 14.4.3.1.6., a student-athlete must designate his or her degree program prior to participating in competition that occurs during or immediately before the third year of enrollment (fifth semester or seventh quarter). This requirement applies to all student-athletes, including two- and four-year-college transfers.
Conference USA Compliance Coordinator Minutes
October 8, 2009
Page No. 5 – Minute No. 10
- Future Conference Calls and Meetings. The next call is scheduled for May 6, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. central time.
- Adjournment. The call was adjourned at11:05 AM Central Standard Time.