Compliance Meeting

December 3, 2008 - 10:00 a.m. IAC

Eligible for Spring Semester??• Must pass at least 6 degree countable hrs in fall semester (18 for year)

• Sophomore must achieve a 1.8 cumulative GPA

• Juniors – 1.9 cumulative GPA (includes transfers)

• Seniors + beyond – 2.0 cumulative GPA

• CMU academic probation / suspension / dismissal

• How does this affect APR???

• Change in eligibility status - 14.1.10: If a student-athlete's academic eligibility changes at the end of a quarter or semester, the student-athlete shall become eligible or ineligible to compete on the date his or her eligibility officially is certified. In a case in which the student becomes eligible at the end of the term, the earliest date on which the student can become eligible to compete is the day after the date of the last scheduled examination. (Official grades posted Dec 18th). In a case in which the student becomes ineligible, the ineligibility shall become effective not later than the first day of classes of the following semester (Jan 12).

December Reminders Final Exam Periods (Sports in playing season)- Daily and weekly

hour limitations apply to countable athletically related activities during final-examination period.

- 20 hours per week / 4 hours per day maximum

• All athletically related activities must count (e.g., weight lifting, meetings, film, etc..)

• One Day Off-- Meetings and film cannot occur during day off

Vacation Period (December 13 – January 11) - Daily and weekly hour limitations do not apply to countable athletically related activities occurring during an institution’s official vacation period, NOT required to give one day off during vacation period.

Those sports outside your season (softball, baseball, volleyball, soccer, field hockey), NO athletic activities is allowed until student completes all exams! ***NO athletic activities (lifting, film, etc.) with coaches during vacation period!

Final Exam Period

Volleyball, Baseball, Softball, Soccer, Field Hockey:

If athletes want to work out on their own time, or have “captain’s practice”, this would be fine, however coaches cannot be involved in arranging these activities, and again, they cannot be in attendance at these activities.  Strength coaches also cannot conduct strength & conditioning activities during this time for these specific sports - they can only supervise the IAC for safety purposes.

Question: An out of season student-athlete is requesting "extra help" from the coaching staff this week… The student wants to review film from their fall practices/games. Can coach meet with this student-athlete to review film?

Answer: Coaches may not work out with their athletes, be present during lifts, or be present during any voluntary activities, even if the athlete asks for help during this week or while they are completing their exams. 

Recruiting Records

All recruiting records from July, 2008 through December should be turned in to the Compliance Office prior to January 7th.

This includes all:- Contacts- Evaluations (Recruiting person days / evaluation days)- Phone Calls (Record coach who placed call)- Official / Unofficial visit records (if not turned in already)

Make sure all prospect phone #’s are listed, as well as prospect’s high school and location of any contact / evaluations

Clearly note which coach is placing call or making contact / evaluation

We have been notified that Internal Audit will be conducting an audit of all coaches recruiting records!

All student-athletes on book loan for the spring will have their books placed in individual boxes and will be available for pickup in the 3rd floor of the UC (Lake Michigan / Lake Superior Rooms) on the following days:

Jan 5th – 9th (Mon - Fri)              8:30am – 6:30pmJan 10th – 11th (Sat - Sun)         10:30am – 6:30pmJan 12th – 13th (Mon – Tue)        8:30am – 7:30pmBooks will be pulled by bookstore for SA’s schedules as of Dec. 18, 2008

SA’s should go to the bookstore and use the book loan as they normally have in the past for any classes that were added after 12/18, or if there are any errors in their boxes.

Book loan return for fall starts next Wednesday – Friday (10th – 12th) in UC – Suzanne Noftz 1-4 pm – all late books will be charged to sa’s account – ½ the retail value

SPRING Book Loan Checkout

Gambling --- Bowl Season Violation to provide info to others for gambling purposes

You (managers, coaches, staff, volunteers, grad. assistants, etc.) may not participate in any gambling activities that involve intercollegiate or professional athletic teams (fantasy pools, $5 bet with friend, etc.)

Bet doesn’t have to be for cash to be considered a violation – Betting for any item that has a tangible value is a violation of Bylaw 10.3

Updated Recruiting CalendarMen’s/Women’s Basketball: December 1 – December 23, January 1 – 31 =

EVAULATION PERIOD December 24 - 26 = DEAD PERIOD

Football: December – January 31st (6 contacts per prospect with not more than one in any calendar week – Sunday – Saturday) except for:- December 21 (Quiet Period)- December 22 – January 1, 2009 (Dead Period)- January 2 – 4 (Quiet Period)- January 11 (Quiet Period)- January 12 – 15 (Dead Period)- January 16 – 17 (Quiet Period)

Softball: December 1 – December 8, December 15 – January 1= QUIET PERIOD / December 9 - 14 = DEAD PERIOD / January 2 –April 5 = CONTACT PERIOD

Baseball: December 1 - January 1, January 7 – February 28 = QUIET PERIOD / January 2 – 6 = DEAD PERIOD

Track = December 1 – December 14 = CONTACT PERIOD December 15-19 = DEAD PERIOD / December 16 – January 2 = QUIET PERIOD

Volleyball: December 1 - 7 = CONTACT PERIOD December 8-16 = QUIET PERIOD / December 17-31 = DEAD PERIOD (1 event at NCAA championship)

Recruiting – Tickets to Prospects

Question: Can you provide complimentary tickets for a game to a prospective student athlete’s parents if the prospect can not attend?

ANSWER: No. Complimentary tickets are for the exclusive use of the prospect and any persons accompanying the prospect. If the prospect is not attending the game, CMU may not issue the complimentary tickets to the parents.

Reminder: 3 comp. tickets allowed for unofficial/official visit and must be issued through pass list – NO HARD TICKETS

Bowl Game tickets?? NO! Tickets for any postseason contests (MAC Championship, NCAA championship, bowl games) = excessive entertainment and is PROHIBITED!!

***Bowl tickets cannot be given to high school coaches / AD’s as well as well as special seating (sideline passes)!

Post NLI: pre-enrollment information

Ok to send text/instant messaging (only NLI signees, not walk-ons)

Permissible to send pre-enrollment information (e.g., lifting/conditioning programs, practice activities, academic info) to a prospect via e-mail or general mail as a stand alone item.  This info must be tied directly to pre-enrollment and cannot be recruiting info or anything not listed in 13.4.1 (ok to send to walk-ons who have paid orientation fees).  So, you cannot send out schedule cards or items not listed on 13.4.1. that is not directly tied to pre-enrollment info.

Question:  Could I send an article from a newspaper announcing the recent NLI signing class?    

Answer:  You could only send the article as a black and white attachment to general correspondence, NOT in color.  The same standard applies prior to or after the signing of an NLI – only black and white attachments to letters or e-mail

No schedule posters to high school coaches!

Expenses over holiday break

Q: May an institution pay for entertainment expenses during a vacation period (i.e. winter break) while remaining on campus for required practice activities?

A: Yes, as long as the student-athletes are required to be on-campus for practice and/or competition during an official vacation period, the coach may pay the cost (not provide cash) of reasonable entertainment within 30 miles of campus. Coaches must submit list of student-athletes who received entertainment with their MasterCard statement.

Travel Expenses: Student-athletes may not depart earlier than 48 hours prior to the start of the actual competition and must return no more than 36 hours following the conclusion of the actual competition (Exception: vacation period)! Work with your sport administrator and academic advisor when planning schedules!

Expenses over holiday break

16.5.2: CMU may provide the cost of room and board to student-athletes (during official institutional vacation periods) in the following circumstances.  If an institution does not provide a meal to its student-athletes under such circumstances, a cash allowance may be provided (except for the permissible additional meal as described below), not to exceed the amount provided by the institution to institutional staff members on away-from-campus trips: 

(1) Student-athletes who are required to remain on the institution's campus for organized practice sessions or competition during the institution's official vacation period. If the student-athlete lives at home during the vacation period, the cost of room and board may not be provided by the institution, other than to permit the student-athlete to participate in team meals incidental to practice sessions;

In addition, CMU also may provide an additional meal (as opposed to the cash equivalent) to student-athletes to meet nutritional needs as a benefit incidental to participation during each day of any vacation period, provided the student-athlete is required to remain on campus to be involved in practice or competition. 

Holiday Expenses Page on the intranet

Camp / Clinic Participation

All outside CMU camp/ clinic participation must be pre-approved by the compliance office. You are required to complete a pre-approval form (on the intranet) and submit to the compliance office prior to the camp / clinic date.

AGAIN, PREAPPROVAL IS REQUIRED!!!!

In order for you to work at a non-institutional camp/clinic, it must meet the standards for a CMU camp/clinic:

Open to anyone (limited by age/gender) (legitimately advertised – records of advertising recommended

No free/reduced admissions to prospects

No employment of athletic award winners (prospects

Cannot be conducted during DEAD PERIOD

Additional restrictions: Basketball is not permitted to work any outside CMU camps / clinics and football is limited to onlysummer months

Outside Competition

If any CMU student-athlete wishes to participate in any practices or competitions while NOT representing CMU (winter soccer tourney, hitting league, h.s. alumni games), he or she must first receive prior approval from the Compliance Office (form).

Basic rule: Any team outside competition is prohibited during the academic year. Only allowed during vacation periods (winter break) AND outside the sport’s playing and practice season. Only a certain number of sa’s may be on any one team (e.g., soccer – 5, baseball – 4)

Individual competition (not competing as team) is allowed, as long as the individual competes representing him/her self and does not compete on or receive expenses from an outside team.

Basketball – summer only in one certified league

Additional exception - national teams, Olympics

Trade Benefits Required to submit documentation of how all trade benefits

(e.g., vouchers for food, gift certificates) your sport received from the Marketing Department were utilized from July 2008 through December, 2008.

- Matt will be contacting you to submit itemized ledger

Per institutional policy, coaches are NOT permitted to engage in “deals” directly with vendors – only Nick Williams and the

marketing office is permitted to negotiate trade agreements

Saginaw Valley State University: Head football coach fired after he allegedly negotiated deals with two housing complexes for

reduced rent in exchange for “sponsorship and advertising spots in game programs and signage for the football stadium.” ***Extra benefits to current student-athletes

Travel Apparel

16.8.2.1 Travel Apparel

Except as permitted in Bylaw 16.8.1.9, an institution may not provide to student-athletes team travel outfits, blazers or other items of clothing that are not sports-related practice or competition apparel.

16.8.1.9 (one polo shirt may be provided for various events – media, travel)

Must be sports related practice or competition apparel (t-shirts, warm-ups, etc.). Anything not considered travel apparel, can only be provide as a participation award (or for approved in-season

tournament) (TIMING!) and MUST be pre-approved!

Awards for Student-Athletes 16.1.4.1 Participation Awards

- Awards for participation in intercollegiate athletics may be presented each year, limited in value and number (Figure 16-1 pg. 231)- Awards for participation in special events may be provided only to

student-athletes eligible to participate in the competition (e.g., holiday tournament gifts)

Permissible Timing for Providing Annual Participation Awards –Permissible Timing for Providing Annual Participation Awards. (I) It is not

permissible for an institution to provide an annual participation award (e.g., winter coats, travel blazers, framed picture) to a student-athlete in a

particular sport prior to the conclusion of the institution's regular playing season in that sport.

The only exception to the end of the season rule is participation in established tournaments during the year (e.g., holiday tournaments)

All awards are required to be documented on form - intranet

No game balls, framed pictures, etc. during the year….

Extra Benefits

Extra Benefit: Any special arrangement by an institutional employee or booster to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete's relative or friend a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation. Receipt of a benefit by student-athletes or their relatives or friends is not a violation of NCAA legislation if it is demonstrated that the same benefit is generally available to the institution's students or their relatives or friends or to a particular segment of the student body (e.g., foreign students, minority students) determined on a basis unrelated to athletics ability.

Impermissible Extra Benefits (16.11.2)

Special arrangement (i.e., waiver of fees, late charges, parking tickets, etc…), loans, transportation (occasional local transportation allowed – NO PATTERN), discounts, reduced housing, paying bills, use of telephone, meals (occasional meals allowed – MUST RECEIVE PRE-APPROVAL

Question: Is a coach or staff member allowed to let a student-athlete stay at his/her house (1) during any of the upcoming vacation periods when the dorms are closed or (2) if the student-athlete is ill or injured and needs a quiet place to stay to recuperate?

Answer: No to both! This would be a violation!!!

Extra Benefits to Family Members

Question: Could a parent or family member of a student-athlete to share a room with the athlete during an away trip or travel with the team on the trip if it doesn’t increase the cost of the room or transportation?

Answer:  No.  NCAA Bylaw 16.6.1 states that an institution may not provide any expenses to a student-athlete's relatives or friends, except

Parents would not be allowed to “jump on” a bus and ride back to a hotel site or back to campus, even if there is no cost associated with such an activity. In very rare occasions, parents (along with general public) have been allowed travel on the bus if it has been legitimately advertised to the public and the parents pay the necessary fee (i.e., Championships)

When does a parent become a booster?? A booster who is also a parent of a student-athlete should be treated as a parent 1st, then a booster… however, if they are a donor and certain benefits are available at different giving levels, they would be permitted to receive certain benefits that are available to all members (i.e., special seating). This should be monitored very closely!!!

Holiday Cards are OK, right?

Q: Is it permissible for coach to send a commercial holiday greeting card to a prospective student athlete?

A: No. Since a commercial greeting card contains value (e.g. Hallmark card), a greeting card is not included in the list of

printed materials that an institution is permitted to send to a prospective student-athlete. Such an item would be considered an

extra benefit.

Only permissible to send general correspondence on institutional stationary – OK to include pictures on stationary, but

there must be correspondence!

University of Wisconsin

2001 - major Infraction involving extra benefits to student-athletes

Over the course of approximately seven years, a local shoe store owner, who was also a booster, provided personal discounts at his business for student-athletes, friends and family of student-athletes and to prospective student-athletes. Further, the booster extended impermissible credit arrangements at his business to prospective and enrolled student-athletes.

Included discounts between 12% and 50% for shoes and other merchandise

SA’s in several sports exchanged athletic merchandise issued to them by the institution in return for credit on purchases at the athletics representative’s store. The athletics representative also provided the student-athletes a credit value for this merchandise, which frequently had been worn by the student-athletes.

University of Wisconsin NCAA: Coaches and staff will also be reminded that they need to provide

information to the institution about area businesses that provide discounts or special arrangements to them. This should already be occurring under NCAA Bylaw 11.2.2 (yearly declaration of athletically related income and benefits from outside institution) and to avoid problems with the ethics provisions applicable to university employees regarding the receipt of anything of value because of their position. This information will be used by compliance staff to make inquiries to ensure that these same benefits are not being provided to student-athletes.

NCAA: “The violations occurred because certain athletics administrators, coaching staff members and student-athletes did not demonstrate sufficient vigilance to be adequately alert to the potential dangers of the discounts and credit arrangements. Each identified group should have raised questions along the way that might have prompted the discovery of violations. This is troubling to the university because of the institution’s previous probation history. The failure to be cognizant of the necessity of additional inquiry was widespread across several sports and administrative levels.”

You are REQUIRED to document all outside (CMU) athletic income… Any income >$1000 (per event) = presidential pre-approval required

Happy Holidays!!