Dead Period--All sports except Football, Soccer, Track & Field, and Cross Country

Dead Period

Sport -- All Sports except Football, Soccer, Track & Field, and Cross Country
Dates -- Mon., Nov. 8 though Thur. Nov. 11

This dead period surrounds the initial signing date (November 10) for the National Letter of Intent early signing period.

A National Letter of Intent may not be hand-delivered during this dead period.

The dead period remains in effect for the full four days, even if a prospect sign a National Letter of Intent during this dead period.

Permissible recruiting activities

• Correspondence to prospects not at competition site.
• Correspondence (including electronic correspondence) sent directly to a prospect who is on-call but not at the competition site or who has been released by the team. (Prospects who are on-call and at their competition site may not be sent correspondence.
• Telephone calls, including unlimited telephone calls from November 10-12

More about dead periods

Generally speaking, contacts and evaluations (either on or off-campus), official visits, unofficial visits, and appearances by coaches at meetings or banquets at which prospects are in attendance are prohibited during dead periods.

Interpretation--PSA Observing Practice and Meetings

Staff Interpretation

Prospective Student-Athlete Observing Practices and Meetings (I)

Date Published: July 15, 2010

Interpretation:

The academic and membership affairs staff determined that a prospective student-athlete is permitted to observe practices and meetings until the date on which he or she has signed a National Letter of Intent, a written offer of admission or financial aid or has made a financial deposit with the institution. After that date, the prospective student-athlete is permitted to observe the institution's practices and meetings only in the same manner as the general public.

Staff Interpretation---Activities at an Off-Campus Practice or Competition Facility during an Unofficial Visit

Staff Interpretation
Activities at an Off-Campus Practice or Competition Facility during an Unofficial Visit

Date Published: May 26, 2010

Interpretation:

The academic and membership affairs staff determined that the following activities at an off-campus practice or competition facility are permissible during an unofficial visit, provided the prospective student-athlete visits the institution's campus during the unofficial visit:

a. The unofficial visit may begin or end at an off-campus practice or competition facility (e.g., golf course, boathouse);

b. The prospective student-athlete is permitted to eat a meal at an off-campus practice or competition facility, provided he or she pays the actual cost of the meal; and

c. Contact during the unofficial visit between institutional staff members or student-athletes and the prospective student-athlete at an off-campus practice or competition facility is not considered an off-campus contact.

Dead Period --Men's Basketball

Dead Period

Sport -- Men’s basketball
Dates -- Thu., May 20 through Fri., May 28

This dead period begins the day after the last day of the spring NLI signing period and runs to the day before the first permissible day to conduct institutional basketball camps.

Permissible recruiting activities

•Correspondence to prospects not at a competition site.
•Correspondence (including electronic correspondence) sent directly to a prospect who is on-call but not at the competition site or who has been released by the team.
•No correspondence to prospects who are on-call and at their competition site.
•Telephone calls:
‣One call in April to high school juniors.
‣ Two calls per week to high school seniors.
‣One call per week to two-year and four-year college prospects.
•Evaluation at the NBA Pre-Draft Camp (held May 19-23).

Staff Interpretation -- Participation in a High School All-Star Skills Competition

Staff Interpretation

Participation in a High School All-Star Skills Competition (I)

Date Published: April 5, 2010


Interpretation:

The academic and membership affairs staff determined that a high school all-star skills competition (e.g., slam-dunk contests, three-point shooting contests) is considered to be an all-star contest pursuant to the definition of a high school all-star contest. A high school all-star skills competition conducted in conjunction with a high school football or basketball all-star game is not considered to be a separate high school all-star contest.

[References: NCAA Bylaws 14.6 (high school all-star games, effects on eligibility), 30.2.1 (high school football and basketball), 30.2.1.1 (high school all-star contest defined), and 30.2.1.2 (contests not considered high school all-star competition); and a staff interpretation (2/5/88, Item No. j, which has been archived).]

Official Interpretation -- Financial Aid -- Exempting Renewals of Academic Honor Awards from Equivalency Calculations

Official Interpretation

Exempting Renewals of Academic Honor Awards from Equivalency Calculations

Date Published: March 23, 2010

Interpretation:
The academic and membership affairs staff 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.

[References: NCAA Bylaws 15.5.3.2.2.1 (academic honor awards) and 15.5.3.2.2.1.2 (renewals)]

Educational Column --- Designation of Degree Program and Timing of Degree Change

Date Published: March 22, 2010 Item Ref: 1

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.

Further, the designated degree program as of the beginning of the third year (fifth semester or seventh quarter) or later academic year of full-time enrollment must be used to certify the student-athlete's percentage-toward-degree requirements for that term.

For example, if a student-athlete has not designated a degree program on the first day of classes of his or her fifth full-time semester, it is permissible for the student-athlete to declare engineering as his or her degree program before the first competition and be certified as eligible for the term, provided the student-athlete is meeting percentage of degree requirements for the engineering degree program.

Alternatively, a student-athlete who has designated marketing as his or her degree program as of the beginning of the fifth full-time semester and is certified as not eligible due to deficiencies in progress-toward-degree requirements may not be subsequently recertified during that term as eligible after changing to a different degree program, even if the change occurs before the student-athlete's first competition in that term and the student-athlete is meeting all progress-toward-degree requirements in the new degree program. The member institution would need to file a progress toward degree waiver for the student-athlete to be eligible for competition during that term.

[References: Bylaws 14.4.3.1.6 (designation of degree program), 14.4.3.2 (fulfillment of percentage of degree requirements), 14.4.3.2.2 (application of rule to transfer student), 14.4.3.3.2 (timing of certification), 14.4.3.3.2.1 (exception -- baseball) and a staff interpretation (04/09/97, Item No. a)]

Notice about Educational Columns: Educational columns are not official or staff interpretations. They are intended to assist the membership by providing examples, scenarios and reminders related to legislation and interpretations at the time of publication. Member institutions are reminded to review the referenced bylaws and interpretations to ensure correct application of current rules and regulations.