Do most athletic depts hold compliance meetings at the start of the year for freshmen? My son just received a request to complete 8 online forms that totaled 33 pages from the Compliance Dept before he came to school. I looked up the NCAA rules which said the forms need to be submitted before first competition which I think is a month after school starts. Son asked coach who said go ahead and sign them but son got the impression the coach did not realize how much was involved-maybe the lengthy online forms are new this year. We got the link to the forms a week before son is to leave, and we have not had a chance to read and go over all of them with him. There is a new compliance specialist at the school, and all the forms and signatures are online so maybe the coach is unaware the process has changed.
One of the forms he is supposed to sign says that he understands all the info and has had the chance to ask questions of the athletic director or his designated representative. Also one form states that if forms are signed fraudulently or erroneously, the student acknowledges his eligibility could be in jeopardy.
There is no way I will let son sign with statements like that on the forms. Are other freshmen being asked to sign a lot of papers without explanation?
I would hope in the compliance meeting that staff would explain rule interpretations that students might not consider. For example, I read online last spring that no gambling means student athletes can’t even participate in a $10 march madness bracket. Some athlete at some school won the pool, posted on Facebook, and the compliance officers at this school penalized him in some way-dont remember how but who would think something as innocent as that could affect an athlete? There could be other examples of seemingly innocent infractions that compliance needs to inform athletes before they sign.
He will go thru compliance meetings every year, at least in D1 where most of the compliance focus is. And you haven’t experienced administrative stupidity until you deal with the NCAA. Many of the rules are inane. But most athletic departments are good at helping kids understand the rules.
Endless meetings.
He has to sign the documents. If he’s under 18, you have to sign the drug testing paperwork.
I am fine with him signing the documents once he attends the meeting and they are explained. I didnt want him to sign before the meeting if there is one. The forms were not sent by coach but via a compliance Email that basically said log into this website and fill out these 30+ pages of online forms before you come.
All D1 athletes, not just freshman, need to complete and sign those forms annually. He/you can always call up or email the compliance office at the school if you have any questions but it is likely that a meeting to explain everything won’t happen before the papers are due back. He will be expected to fill out the papers on time and ask if he has questions. Most coaches do not manage this, a compliance officer is put in place to ensure that coaches follow the rules too and it is a full time job for someone at a big D1 to know all the NCAA rules and regulations for each and every sport.
The compliance officer should at some point explain all of the NCAA regulations to the team, and you are right, this includes no gambling – which translates into NO NCAA basketball brackets, no fantasy football team, etc. They should also spell out to your athlete all of the things that he/she shouldn’t buy at the local GNC, Vitamin Shop, etc. that will cause them to fail a drug test.
We were emailed many, many forms by the athletic department for our daughter to fill out (concussion protocol, etc.), but she didn’t sign compliance forms until at the compliance meeting. I’m sure different schools handle it differently.