STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE

The University is committed to compliance with all applicable University, Atlantic-10, CAA, and NCAA legislation. Educational efforts are conducted throughout the year to help give coaches and student-athletes the information they need to comply with such rules but it is the coaches' and student-athletes' responsibility to monitor conduct and ensure that proper procedures are followed. The Compliance Office encourages all coaches, department staff members, and student-athletes to ask for interpretations when legislation is unclear or when guidance is needed.

Any suspected violation must be reported to the Compliance Office. The NCAA's ethical conduct legislation requires such reporting. The Compliance Office will conduct a thorough investigation of alleged rules violations. If a violation is found to have occurred, it will be reported to the NCAA and applicable conference. Corrective action will be taken and disciplinary action may be taken as well.

ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY

In order to be eligible for practice, competition, and/or athletic aid, you must be making satisfactory progress towards a degree as defined by the NCAA. Making satisfactory progress includes:

· Being enrolled as a full-time student at all times, except in your last semester before graduation;

· Passing at least 24 hours per year or an average of 12 hours per semester of enrollment towards your degree. 75% of the hours (18 hours per year/9 hours per semester) used to meet this requirement must be passed during fall and spring semesters. Only 6 hours of summer school per year may be used to meet the requirement;.

· Declaring a major prior to the beginning of your junior year;

· Passing 30 hours towards your degree going into your junior year, 60 hours going into your senior year, and 90 hours going into your fifth year. Hours towards the degree include field of study/general education classes major hours, and a limited number of elective hours. Hours towards a minor or second major do not fulfill this requirement.

· Earning at least a 1.80 grade point average going into your junior year and a 1.90 going into senior year and beyond.

FINANCIAL AID

All financial aid except that received from your parents or legal guardians must be reported to the Compliance Office. If any outside scholarships have been awarded (e.g., high school booster club, Kiwanis club, church scholarship, etc.) you must report them as well and the scholarship funds must be deposited with the Office of Financial Aid. Depending upon your status as a recruited or nonrecruited student-athlete, you are limited to receiving financial aid that totals either the cost of attendance or the cost of a full grant-in-aid.

Athletic Aid

Some student-athletes will be receiving an athletic grant-in-aid. This aid may not be awarded in excess of one year at a time. Generally, the University renews such aid each year but we are not obligated to do so. You will be notified by July 1 each year if the aid will be renewed or not. If the aid is not going to be renewed, you will have the opportunity for a hearing.

During the year, athletic aid can only be cancelled for one of four reasons:

· you become ineligible

· you commit an act of gross misconduct (e.g., are arrested, commit an honor code violation, etc.)

· you fraudulently misrepresent yourself (e.g., accept a grant-in-aid and do not participate on the team or make token appearances)

· you voluntarily quit the team

At the end of the school year, athletics aid may be taken away for any reason, provided the hearing opportunity is made available.

Books

Text books are provided to student-athletes receiving full athletic scholarships. Books are distributed through the equipment room and must be returned at the end of each semester. Books you wish to retain must be purchased on your own.

Employment

All student-athletes employed during the school year must receive prior approval for and report their employment to the Compliance Office. Failure to do so could render you ineligible and/or effect the amount of your athletic scholarship. Full scholarship student-athletes may not work their first year at the University; thereafter they may not make more that $2000 during the school year.

Special Assistance Fund

The NCAA has set up a fund, administered by the conference office, which is available to students with financial need. Eligible students include those receiving Pell Grants and those on athletic aid who have unmet need (as determined by Financial Aid). The fund may be used to purchase up to $500 per year of clothing, pay medical expenses (including dental and optometrist visits), buy expendable course supplies, and pay for emergency family travel. Contact the Compliance Office to determine your eligibility for the fund and reimbursement procedures.

AMATEURISM

All student-athletes must be amateurs in their sport(s). Receipt, either directly or indirectly, or pay for athletic talent or ability in any form is strictly prohibited, including any payments based upon place finish in open events. Additionally, allowing your name or picture to be used to endorse any commercial product or business violates the amateurism legislation. Further information on specific cases is available from the Compliance Office.

EQUIPMENT

All equipment must be turned in to the Equipment Manager at the end of the school year. Student-athletes may not sell their athletic equipment. If you wish to retain your equipment at the end of your eligibility, you must purchase it as used equipment. You may retain your uniform and other items of apparel at no cost.

EXTRA BENEFITS

An extra benefit is typically defined as something that is made available to student-athletes that is not available to students in general. Receipt of an extra benefit renders you ineligible.

Frequently, people think of extra benefits as the receipt of a car or cash from a booster. While those are extra benefits and would render you ineligible, so would the use of a Departmental fax machine, phone, or copy card without charge, for example.

GAMBLING

Student-athletes who gamble on college or professional athletics will render themselves ineligible. Gambling includes participating in pools, rotisserie leagues, and fantasy leagues; placing a bet with a bookie; and placing individual wagers with friends. You will become ineligible if you

· Give information (e.g., team moral, injuries, etc.) to assist in any gambling activity;

· Make a bet on any collegiate or professional sporting event including bowl or NCAA championships, including bets which do not involve money but rather goods or services;

· Accept a bet or bribe to fix a game or affect the outcome in any way;

· Fail to report a bet or bribe or offer;

· Work with a book maker.

LESSONS

Student-athletes may not give lessons in your sport on a fee-for-lesson basis without becoming ineligible.

OUTSIDE COMPETITION

During the school year, you may not participate as a member of any team outside the University's varsity team without jeopardizing your eligibility in that sport for the current and subsequent year. A few exceptions are available; see the Compliance Office for more detail.

PLAYING AND PRACTICE SEASON

During the season, you cannot be required to practice more than twenty hours per week. You may not practice more than four hours per day and you must be given one day off out of every seven. Practice includes required conditioning, weight training, time with coaches on the field/court/pool/track, chalk-talks, film review, and athletically-related meetings with coaches. Contests count as three hours each, regardless of actually time.

Out-of-season, you may not be required to practice more than eight hours per week. Only weight training and conditioning may be required out-of-season. In sports other than football, two of the eight hours per week may be spent with coaches in small group instruction in groups of four or less. This instruction must be requested by you.

RECRUITING

You may be asked to host a prospect on an official visit. The following guidelines must be followed:

- Only one student-host per prospect may receive a free meal if restaurant facilities are used.

- Only the one student-host may be provided with money with which to entertain him/herself, the prospect, and the prospect's parent/guardian.

- No cash may be given to the prospect.

- The entertainment funds may not be used to purchase gifts for the prospect (e.g., clothing, souvenirs)

- You may not purchase alcoholic beverages for prospects.

- Immediately following the visit, you are responsible for turning in any receipts and remaining cash from the funds advanced.

RED-SHIRTS AND HARDSHIPS

Once you enroll in a Division I institution as a full-time student, you have five consecutive academic years in which to compete for four years. While most student-athletes complete their eligibility in their first four years of enrollment, there are two ways in which to practice and compete in your fifth year:

Red-shirt year

If you do not enter into any outside competition on the University's team during the entire school year, you are considered a red-shirt. Outside competition includes scrimmages, exhibitions, regular-season matches, post-season play, and intersqaud practices. Red-shirts may practice, travel to away games, and sit on the bench throughout the year.

Hard-ship year (medical red-shirt)

If you are injured in the first half of the season after competing in less than twenty percent of the contests and your injury keeps you from returning later in the season, you may be eligible for a hardship. Application, including medical documentation, will be made to the conference office, which has the authority to approve or deny hardship requests.

TOBACCO PRODUCTS

The use of tobacco products during practice or competition will render you ineligible for the remainder of that practice/competition and one subsequent practice/competition.

TRANSFERRING

If you decide to transfer from the University, you should first inform your coach. If you intend to participate in athletics at another institution, you must obtain a written release before contacting another institution's coach. Releases may be obtained from the Compliance Office upon the approval of the head coach.

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Student Athlete Handbook