NCAA Compliance
NCAA Rules and Regulations for Alumni, Supporters & Faculty of Texas Lutheran University
Originally Posted: June 2, 2005
The following statement has been prepared by the Texas Lutheran University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics to assist alumni and supporters in complying with the requirements of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules and regulations governing the conduct of the university's athletics program:
Dear Texas Lutheran Bulldog Supporter:
One of the major goals we have for the Texas Lutheran Athletics program is that we teach our student-athletes to compete hard and play within the rules.
The same standards apply to our administrators, coaches, and staff. The NCAA has many rules with which our staff must be familiar. There are various rules which apply to friends and supporters of our program as well.
The NCAA rules state, for example, that anyone involved in actively promoting the athletics interests of an institution must follow the NCAA guidelines. This specifically applies to friends and supporters of the program.
Because these rules may be unfamiliar to you, we have provided a link to the NCAA rules, the “do's and don'ts” as they apply to our fans and friends.
Our program is proud of the fact that we have great fans who support us through good and bad times. We are just as proud of the fact that we have never had a serious NCAA violation.
Your support is essential to the success of our program, and your strict adherence to the rules as they apply to you will continue to enhance the reputation of Bulldog Athletics and Texas Lutheran University.
Sincerely,
Bill Miller
Director of Athletics
Representative of Athletics Interest—“A Booster”
A “representative of the institution's athletics interest” is an individual who is known (or who should be known) by a member of the institution's executive or athletic administration to:
a. have participated in or to be a member of an agency or organization promoting the institution's intercollegiate athletic program;?
b. have made financial contributions to the athletic department or to an athletic booster organization of that institution (e.g. Athletic Director's Club);?
c. be assisting or to have been requested (by the athletic department staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospects;?
d. be assisting or to have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families (for example, helping to arrange summer and/or vacation employment for student-athlete);?
e. having been otherwise involved in promoting the institution's athletic program.
Once an individual is identified as such a representative, the person retains that identity indefinitely.
Prospective Student-Athlete
A prospective student-athlete (“prospect”) is a student who has started classes for the ninth grade. In addition, a student who has not started classes for the ninth grade becomes a prospective student-athlete if the institution provides such an individual (or the individual's relatives or friends) any financial assistance or other benefits that the institution does not provide to prospective students generally.
Five Important Rules
1. Only coaches and athletic department staff members are permitted to be involved in the recruiting process. Alumni, friends, and other “representatives of athletic interest” who are not employed by the university are not permitted to contact a prospective student-athlete (or members of the prospect's family) by letter, telephone, or in person (on or off campus) for the purpose of soliciting their participation in the athletic program. TLU faculty members are permitted to engage in in-person contact with prospects, but only on campus.?
2. A prospective student-athlete remains a prospect even after he or she signs a Letter-of-Intent or financial aid agreement to attend the university. The prospect does not lose his/her prospective athlete status until the start of classes at TLU or the beginning of official team practice immediately prior to the start of classes.?
3. Don't do ANYTHING for prospective or enrolled student athletes without specific authorization from the TLU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.?
4. If a student-athlete accepts any benefits based on his or her special consideration as an athlete or because of athletic skill, the student-athlete will lose all eligibility for intercollegiate athletic participation.?
5. NCAA rules applicable to enrolled student-athletes not only applicable during the academic year, but they are also applicable during the summer months. Enrolled student-athletes are bound by NCAA rules until the end of the academic year in which their athletics eligibility is completed. And even then, some actions, including providing a benefit to such an individual, may cause an NCAA violation.
Texas Lutheran Faculty
Advising student-athletes
Faculty need to be aware of the 12/18 Hour Rule and the NCAA Academic Progress rule when advising student-athletes.
12/18 hour rule
Important concerns arise in advising student-athletes. These students must show satisfactory academic progress to be eligible for various sports. A total of 18 new hours* must be earned in the two terms of attendance immediately preceding participation in a given sport. To be eligible to represent Texas Lutheran University in intercollegiate athletics competition, a student-athlete shall:
· Be a full-time student (enrolled in 12 or more hours). A waiver of the minimum full-time enrollment requirement may be granted for a student enrolled in the final term of the baccalaureate program.
· Be in good standing (1.8 GPA for less than 27 hours; 2.0 GPA for 27 or more hours). Academic standing shall be checked at the beginning of both the fall and spring semesters.
· Make satisfactory progress toward a baccalaureate or equivalent degree, by completing a total of 18 hours each year toward that degree; total hours shall include fall, spring, and summer semesters, as well as transfer hours. Satisfactory progress shall be determined at the beginning of each fall semester. (N.B., 18 hours are the TLU financial aid standard for making satisfactory academic progress.)
· Have a degree plan on file in the registrar’s office by the completion of 75 hours.
Students who transfer to Texas Lutheran University shall be both academically and athletically eligible to remain at the previous institution.
Dropping courses may also put the student-athlete’s eligibility in jeopardy. During a season, the student-athlete must be enrolled for at least 12 semester hours. If the student-athlete drops below 12 hours, his/her eligibility is lost. Before advising a student-athlete to drop any course, be sure that the remaining academic load is at least 12 semester hours.
Any questions regarding these matters should be resolved by consulting the Compliance Coordinator.
NCAA: Academic progress
A course repeated due to an unsatisfactory initial grade may be utilized only once, and only after it has been satisfactorily completed. Credit for a course that may be taken several times shall be limited by institutional regulations.
For additional information contact the Compliance Coordinator:
Andella "Andie" Janicek
NCAA Compliance Coordinator
Phone: 830-372-8120
E-mail: ajanicek@tlu.edu