This summary of NCAA regulations contains information about your eligibility to compete in intercollegiate athletics.
If you have questions, please stop by the Office of Compliance in 166 Alumni Arena or refer to the 2012-2013 NCAA Division I Manual, which you can review online at http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/D113.pdf. Click here for the complete summary of NCAA Rules. You can also review the powerpoint shown at your team compliance meeting here- Summary of NCAA Rules 12-13 complete version.
You must compete with honesty and sportsmanship at all times so that you represent the honor and dignity of fair play. [Bylaw 10.01]
You are not eligible to compete if you:
You are not eligible to compete if you have shown dishonesty by evading or violating NCAA regulations. [Bylaw 14.01.3.3]
DO NOT INVOLVE YOURSELF WITH ANY KIND OF ONLINE GAMBLING ON PROFESSIONAL OR COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS. DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN POOLS, BRACKETS OR ANY OTHER FOR OF RECREATIONAL OR CASUAL GAMBLING. DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY TYPE OF FANTASY FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, HOCKEY ETC LEAGUE IF THE LEAGUE INVOLVES ENTRY FEES AND/OR ANY TYPE OF PRIZES FOR THE WINNERS.
Some of our upperclassmen who still have remaining eligibility may have agents contacting them for the purposes of representation for a future professional athletics career.
BE VERY CAREFUL BECAUSE A VIOLATION OF NCAA AGENT RULES WILL RENDER YOU 100% PERMANENTLY INELIGIBLE.
What does this mean?
What should I do?
A student-athlete shall lose his or her amateur status and shall not be eligible for intercollegiate competition in a particular sport if:
If, at any time, you have any dealings with an agent you will immediately become permanently ineligible. This means that you may not enter into any agreement—written or oral—with an agent, nor may you accept any money or material goods from such a person, even if you agree to repay it as a “loan” later. The University at Buffalo has a panel in place to advise student-athletes who want to enter professional athletics after leaving the university. Check with the Office of Compliance if you have such plans.
The State of New York has a law (http://www.dos.ny.gov/licensing/lawbooks/AthleteAgents.pdf) that regulates the interaction of Professional Sports Agents with student-athletes. This law may impact you in several ways. First, you should understand that all persons acting as an agent must be registered and approved by the State of New York. Even if you or your representative initiates the contact with the “agent”, an unregistered agent has only seven days in which to register with the State. Secondly, agents are not allowed to furnish you or any other person or agent with anything of value prior to the signing of an agency contract.
In addition, all agency contracts must contain the following information:
The Warning to Student Athlete must also be included in the agency contract and includes the following information:
In October 1990, a disability insurance program was initiated for exceptional student-athletes at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) institutions in the sports of football and men’s basketball. In April 1991, the program was expanded to include exceptional student-athletes in the sport of baseball. In June 1993, exceptional student-athletes in men’s ice hockey became eligible for the program. In August 1998, coverage became available to exceptional student-athletes in the sport of women’s basketball.
The program enables qualifying student-athletes, as approved by the program administrator, to purchase disability insurance contracts with preapproved financing, if necessary. This program provides the student-athlete with the opportunity to protect against future loss of earnings as a professional athlete, due to a disabling injury or sickness that may occur during the collegiate career.
Student-athletes with remaining athletics eligibility at NCAA institutions in the sports of intercollegiate football, men’s or women’s basketball, baseball, or men’s ice hockey, who have demonstrated they have professional potential and are projected to be selected in the first three rounds of the upcoming National Football League or National Hockey League draft or the first round of the upcoming National Basketball Association, Women’s National Basketball Association or Major League Baseball drafts are eligible for this program.
You are not eligible for intercollegiate athletics participation if you receive financial aid other than the financial aid that your institution distributes. However, it is permissible to receive:
You must report to your institution any financial aid that you receive from a source other than your institution. However, you do not need to report financial aid received from anyone upon whom you are naturally or legally dependent.
You may have been awarded a grant-in-aid to attend the University at Buffalo based upon your athletic ability. Frequently referred to as an athletic scholarship, this aid may range from a partial amount of money to a full grant covering tuition, fees, room, board and textbooks.
Please read the following information regarding grants-in-aid carefully.
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Academics
Behavior
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Team Policy/Other
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Failure to satisfy any of the above conditions constitutes a voluntary decision by the student-athlete not to participate in the athletic program and can result in the termination of a grant-in-aid. Insufficient athletic ability, the failure to make a team, or illness/injury, which prevents participation, will not result in the termination of a grant-in-aid for the term of the agreement.
Note: If you believe your grant-in-aid has been canceled or reduced unjustly, you may appeal the university’s decision under the provisions of NCAA Bylaw 15.3.5.1 Any hearings regarding cancellation or reduction of aid are coordinated by the Office of Judicial Affairs. Your nonrenewal or cancellation letter will outline specific procedures you must follow in order to receive your hearing. You will forfeit your right to a hearing if you do not meet the 14 day deadline, as stated in your athletic grant in aid non-renewal or cancellation letter.
Summer financial aid is made available by the Division of Athletics annually and is awarded on a gender-neutral basis to student-athletes who meet the NCAA criteria for receiving the summer financial aid.
Summer financial aid is awarded in accordance with NCAA legislation and cannot be awarded in excess of the percentage of GIA received during the previous academic year.
Summer financial aid is a separate award from those received during the regular academic year and is awarded at the discretion of the Director of Athletics. Decisions made by the Director of Athletics will be based on recommendations of the Academic Advisor, Sport Administrator and the Head Coach.
Applications for summer grant-in-aid will be considered in the following order:
DOA will take into consideration student athletes who have received summer school aid previously and evaluate additional awards based on need and availability of funds. Student-athletes are not guaranteed to receive summer athletic aid. *Please note, student-athletes receiving summer aid still may owe money for housing, tuition, etc. If you have questions about your bill and your summer athletic award, please see Linda Glose in 166C Alumni Arena.
Student-athletes receiving summer GIA are required to sign the Summer Grant-in-Aid Agreement accepting the financial responsibility for any courses that they fail, receive an incomplete in, or resign, after the last day to resign without financial responsibility.
Students who wish to request summer athletic aid should see their academic advisor during early registration, which will be mid-March each year, in order to obtain the request form. All request forms must be signed by the academic advisor and head coach prior to submission in the Office of Compliance.
Any student-athlete who has completed their athletic eligibility or who has been medically disqualified from further collegiate competition at the University is eligible for consideration of the award. 5th year financial aid and institutional awards are awarded at the discretion of the Director of Athletics. Decisions made by the Director of Athletics will be based on recommendations of the Sport Administrators, Head Coach and Academic Advisors. Fifth year aid MUST be requested by the student-athlete and must be done during the same timeframe as summer athletic aid requests, which takes place in mid-March each academic year. Fifth year aid will NOT be awarded to athletes who have already conferred an undergraduate degree (or finished undergraduate requirements) who have no athletic eligibility remaining and will not be awarded to athletes wishing to finish minors, double majors, etc.
The student will be assigned to the sport program in which s/he participated or with some other office within the Athletics Department, unless some other arrangement was made due to student-teaching, internship or similar situation.
5th year aid and institutional awards are awarded to student-athletes to facilitate the completion of their undergraduate degrees from the University. Strong consideration will be given to those athletes requiring a 5th year who have not previously received summer financial aid or received summer GIA on a very limited basis.
All student-athletes must declare any outside scholarships they receive each year. Examples of outside financial aid include National Merit Scholarships, Lions Club, Booster Club Scholarships, or ANY other agency.
If you receive any type of outside scholarship, please print the Outside Scholarship Form. Fill out the top portion, then have the awarding agency fill out the bottom portion. The form must then be faxed or scanned back to the Office of Compliance at 716-645-3756 OR via email at glose@buffalo.edu.
Failure to report outside scholarships can result in loss of eligibility. Questions? Contact the Compliance Office at 716-645-7381.
The NCAA has established the Special Assistance Fund to financially assist student-athletes who display financial need. In order to qualify for Special Assistance, you must be either a Pell Grant recipient or a student-athlete receiving an athletic scholarship who demonstrates financial need based on Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) information. The fund is administered through the MAC office.
NCAA Special Assistance Fund is a privilege, not a right. The Office of Compliance will review the mid-semester grade reports for all student-athletes in their final semester before graduation; students who are failing courses or who are not attending courses will not receive money through this fund.
Students who are academically ineligible for competition during the semester where he/she is eligible for Special Assistance may only be reimbursed for expendable course supplies and for medical expenses--no other items will be permitted.
If the student-athlete is eligible, the Office of Compliance will send a Special Assistance Application to the student-athlete during the spring term. In order to be considered for Special Assistance, a FAFSA (see below) must be on file. International student-athletes must complete the International Student NCAA Special Assistance Financial Aid Form. Documentation of income must be provided or the application will not be considered.
Permissible uses for this fund include the following:
On occasion, applications will be accepted for student-athletes who display an urgent need for the fund (family emergencies, personal emergencies, etc.). The requests are individually considered and processed as soon as possible. After an application is completed with the Compliance Office, it is reviewed by the Financial Aid Office and forwarded to the MAC Office.
Valid receipts must be submitted with the application before a reimbursement can be issued.
Please note: if you quit your team, you are no longer eligible for special assistance and you will not receive a check.
The University at Buffalo requires that all full-time students carry a medical insurance policy. The University offers a medical insurance plan for those students not covered by another policy. Students may decline this coverage only by providing physical evidence of comparable coverage by the first bill due date. If you do not need the insurance, you must go online to www.healthinsurance.buffalo.edu and complete a waiver form. This will need to be done in July of each year or you will be billed for medical insurance. Each year the University provides a deadline, after which waivers will no longer be accepted. Please refer the website for all deadlines.
Note: If proof is not presented, the Student Health Insurance Program will cover you, and the amount of the premium will remain on your student account.
The Division of Athletics maintains a policy of insurance covering all student-athletes who may be injured while participating in intercollegiate athletics. This policy is supplemental to your individual coverage and does not cover any illness or injury not related to or sustained during athletic participation.
The Division of Athletics will mail a Proof of Insurance Form to you in the month of July prior to each new academic year. The form must be completed and returned, along with a photocopy of your insurance card, prior to participation in practice or competition. Insurance forms should be returned to the Head Athletic Trainer.
The NCAA no longer restricts student athlete employment on or off campus during the academic year or during the summer, regardless of your year in school or your amount of athletic aid.
However, you must:
* Be paid for work actually performed
* Be paid the going rate for your particular type of employment
and;
* Not receive compensation for the value or utility that you may
have for the employer because of the publicity, reputation, fame or
personal following you have obtained because of your athletic
ability
Student-athletes working during the academic year and/or during the summer should print the UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO’S DIVISION OF ATHLETICS Student-Athlete Employment Written Statement. This form needs to be completed by you and your employer and returned to Linda Glose in 166C Alumni Arena prior to starting employment at the beginning of each new academic year.
If you're teaching lessons in your sport for money:
Student athletes are responsible for housing and meal plan arrangements. This includes room and meal plan selection, signing contracts, application cards, and making payments. This applies to both scholarship and non-scholarship student-athletes. The Division of Athletics, in cooperation with Office of Residence Halls and Apartments, is permitted to reserve a certain number of rooms in specific dormitory quads for incoming freshman only. However, it remains the responsibility of the student-athlete to secure or cancel your arrangements.
For any student-athlete in which the Division of Athletics provides a grant-in-aid award, the award for a room will not exceed the cost of a double room rate. The Division of Athletics is responsible only for the costs incurred for room and board as specified by the student-athlete’s grant-in-aid award. Any charges made against the student for dorm damages, late fees, fines, etc. are the sole responsibility of the student-athlete.
Meal plans are available in a variety of packages and combinations. Most meal plans include dining dollars. Each time you use money from dining dollars, the amount you have left is reduced by the amount you spend. This amount can run out very quickly if you are careless about your spending. While you may personally add money to your balance, no one will add money for you. This is especially true for athletes whose scholarships include meal plans.
If you have questions about housing, please contact Kelly Cruttenden at kc29@buffalo.edu or 645-7978. For questions regarding meal plans, please contact Linda Glose at 645-7381.
Team meal allowances are established at a level that will generally accommodate all team sports, levels of competition, and geographic area.
Meals not eaten as a group:
| MINIMUM ALLOWANCE | MAXIMUM ALLOWANCE | |
| Breakfast | $5.00 | $10.00 |
| Lunch | $6.00 | $10.00 |
| Dinner | $9.00 | $15.00 |
Meals eaten as a group:
| MINIMUM ALLOWANCE | MAXIMUM ALLOWANCE | |
| Breakfast | $6.00 | $10.00 |
| Lunch | $8.00 | $12.00 |
| Dinner | $14.00 | $20.00 |
All apparel/equipment Issued to student-athletes is considered to be the property of the Division of Athletics and must be returned to the equipment room unless otherwise indicated.
All competition and travel apparel/equipment issued to the student-athlete must be turned in to the equipment room within one week of the final competition. This includes home and away uniforms, travel bags, travel and game warm ups, polo shirts and any other apparel/equipment issued for competition or travel.
At the conclusion of the season, a receipt will be provided to the student-athlete at their request.
Those teams required, by their head coach, to return competition apparel after each contest, must do so before the next scheduled practice. Receipts will not be issued for these items, however, the student-athlete may request that their bag be opened, inventoried and checked in at the time of return.
If a student-athlete separated from a team for any reason, all competition, travel and practice apparel/equipment and shoes must be returned to the equipment room within one week of separation.
Any practice apparel/equipment designated by the head coach as returnable, must be returned no later than May 1st.
The Equipment Room Managers will submit the names of student-athletes who do not turn in pieces of their apparel and equipment to their respective head coaches, with a copy to the Sport Administrator. A letter from the Head Coach will be sent to each of the student-athletes with outstanding apparel/equipment. The letter will state that the student-athlete has 30 days to turn in missing items, if the deadline is missed, the replacement cost, at retail value, of the missing item(s) will be charged to their student account. Under no circumstances will any credits be issued to the student-athlete if missing items are turned in after their Student Account has been charged.
Stadium Equipment Room Staff
Dave Borsuk
Megan Prunty
Alumni Equipment Room Staff
Patty Murphy
A student-athlete who receives an athletic grant-in-aid award that includes textbooks will be allowed to purchase only required textbooks for his or her individual classes. The NCAA allows a student-athlete to purchase the following:
A book scholarship does not cover purchases of the following:
The University at Buffalo will provide REQUIRED COURSE RELATED SUPPLIES for student-athletes who receive a book scholarship provided:
* This policy applies only to specific supplies required for major courses. Required expendable supplies that are a component of a syllabus will be reimbursed. These supplies will be obtained by student-athletes on their own from bookstores on campus and off campus. Student-athletes will either use the NCAA Special Assistance Fund (even if he/she has utilized the yearly $500 allowance) or will be reimbursed by the Division of Athletics.
* The Division of Athletics will not cover the cost of purchases of basic course supplies such pens, pencils, notebooks, paper, etc., or equipment such as cameras, racquets, goggles, yoga mats, self-defense class apparel or any other fee for any Athletics classes.
Student-athletes must submit the receipts for supplies to Stefanie Lizauckas in 166 Alumni Arena for processing of reimbursements. Please be aware that if you purchase supplies and they do not fit the above criteria, the reimbursement for such supplies WILL BE DENIED.
The UB textbook distribution procedure, as dictated by the Division of Athletics, is as follows:
Note: Separate vouchers must be obtained for each bookstore. The name of each bookstore must be specifically listed in order for the bookstore to accept the voucher. Please pay close attention to your syllabus for instructions on where to purchase your textbooks if the book is at a bookstore other than the University Bookstore.
Student-athletes on textbook aid must return all textbooks to the Compliance Office (166 Alumni Arena, to Stefanie Lizauckas) before or on the last day of final exams each semester. For 2012-2013, textbooks will be due Monday, December 17th no later than 5pm and again on Thursday, May 9, 2013 by 5pm. Summer textbooks are always due the last day of classes in the 3rd (M) session.
Any student-athlete who fails to return textbooks by the last day of finals will be charged the full purchase price of all textbooks paid for by the Division of Athletics. If not paid within 10 business days, this textbook non-return fee will be charged to the athlete's student account. Failure to pay may result in a service indicator being posted to the student-athlete's account.
Absolutely no books will be accepted after the last day of finals each semester.
Student-athletes that wish to keep textbooks that are in their major for future academic reference must present all textbooks to the Office of Compliance before the last day of finals. In addition, a retention form must be filled out listing the title of the texts being retained and the courses they were purchased for.
University at Buffalo Division of Athletics policy prohibits athletes receiving textbook grant-in-aid to sell books back to any bookstore.
Textbook return policy for student-athletes leaving
UB
*Student-athletes who are either transferring from UB or who are
leaving without graduating are not permitted to retain
ANY books or materials from the semester prior to
their departure. This includes books in the student-athlete's
major.
Receipt by a student-athlete of an award, benefit or expense not authorized by NCAA legislation renders the student-athlete ineligible for athletics competition in the sport in which the improper award, benefit or expense was received. An “extra benefit”, as defined by the NCAA, is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution’s athletics interests to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete’s relative or friend a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation. Such activity is not a violation if it is demonstrated that the same benefit is generally available to the general student population, determined on a basis unrelated to athletics ability.
The following are examples of extra benefits that are violations of NCAA rules:
If you have any questions at all about whether or not you should accept any benefit, please consult your coach or the Compliance Office. Don’t jeopardize your eligibility-please check first!!
You may be ineligible for participation in intercollegiate athletics if you were involved in any violations of Bylaw 13—Recruitment—prior to becoming a student-athlete at the University at Buffalo. Please pay close attention to the Summary of Regulations section on recruiting to determine if a violation may have occurred. If there is a question, please contact the Compliance Office for clarification.
Effective starting the 2011-2012 academic year, the MAC has implemented a new intra-conference transfer policy. Click here to view the full policy and waiver procedures. As always, if you have questions, please contact the Compliance Office in 166 Alumni Arena.
The NCAA has established time limitations on your athletics participation. Your participation in countable athletically related activities (as defined below) is limited to a maximum of four (4) hours per day and twenty (20) hours per week, with at least one day off (which may include a travel day). Outside of your declared playing season, your participation in countable athletically related activities is limited to a maximum of eight (8) hours per week, and you must have two (2) days with no countable athletically related activity. During the off-season eight (8) hours, a coach may provide individual skill instruction for a maximum of 2 of the 8 hours. Coaches are permitted to work with no more than four (4) student-athletes at any one time in any place from the start of school until September 15. From September 15 until April 15, skill instruction may include more than four athletes. For teams no longer competing, ALL countable athletically related activities are prohibited starting one week prior to final exam periods, as listed on the UB academic calendar.
Note: Individual skill instruction is not permissible for football.
Countable Athletically Related Activities include:
Note: A “practice” is any meeting, activity or instruction involving sports-related information and having an athletic purpose that is held at the direction of, or supervised by, any member of the university’s coaching staff. A team meeting to discuss only the drug-testing program, academic orientation, etc., would not be considered practice.
Countable Athletically Related Activities do NOT include:
These hourly limitations are put in place to allow you to be both a student and an athlete at the Division I level. If you feel these limits are being exceeded, please speak with your coach or speak with someone in the Office of Compliance.
**The NCAA has provided an education chart to help you better understand the legislation regarding countable athletically related activities. You can access this chart here.
As a reminder, weekly and hourly limitations do not apply during vacation periods (winter break, preseason with some exceptions for football, spring break).
In order for any athletically related activity to be considered “voluntary,” all of the following conditions must be met:
(All sports other than basketball)
**Always check with Kelly Cruttenden, kc29@buffalo.edu, prior to engaging in ANY OUTSIDE COMPETITION.
You are not eligible in your sport for the remainder of the year and the next academic year if, during the academic year, you competed as a member of any outside team in any non-collegiate, amateur competition. You may compete outside of your declared playing and practice season as a member of an outside team in any noncollegiate, amateur competition during any official vacation period published in your institution’s catalog. Winter break begins the day immediately following the last day of finals each fall semester (Monday, December 18, 2012) and summer break starts the day after commencement, Monday, May 13, 2013. Competing in the Olympic Games tryouts and competition and other specified national and international competition is permitted. [Bylaws 14.7.1. and 14.7.1.1.]
Before competing in any outside competition, or “open” event, either on a team or as an individual, check with the Office of Compliance. Competing on outside teams that do not adhere to NCAA regulations can affect your eligibility for intercollegiate athletics.
If you are in an individual sport (swimming, track, tennis, wrestling) and going to open meets as an unattached athlete, keep the following criteria in mind:
Do your research and don’t assume any meets are “open”. Always contact Kelly Cruttenden in the Compliance Office prior to participating in any outside competition.
* It is permissible for a student-athlete to participate in outside competition as an individual during the academic year in the student-athlete’s sport, as long as the student-athlete represents only himself or herself in the competition and does not engage in such competition as a member of or receive expenses from an outside team.
It is permissible to participate as a member of a basketball team in an approved NCAA sanctioned summer basketball event. [Bylaw 14.7.3.2-(a)]
The Ticket Office Manager and each individual head coach handle all complimentary ticket requests. Complimentary tickets are not for resale. You may not receive payment for complimentary tickets from any source or exchange tickets for any item or service of value. Likewise, no one representing you may receive payment for your complimentary tickets or exchange the tickets for any service or item of value. Such transactions are a violation of NCAA rules and may make you ineligible to participate as a student-athlete.
The complimentary ticket policy is as follows:
Before engaging in ANY charitable, education and promotional activities, you must first receive permission from your Head Coach, from Kellie Peiper in Student Services and The Office of Compliance. NCAA rules are very strict concerning these activities, so please coordinate your event through your coaches, Kellie Peiper and Compliance. The following form must be printed, completed and signed by all appropriate parties.
Never let a business or organziation use your name or picture to promote their products, services, etc. This includes adverstisements and promotions in print, on the radio and on TV. Always check first in order to preserve your eligibility. Every situation is different, so don't assume an activity is permissible…call the Office of Compliance at 716-645-3146 or email kc29@buffalo.edu.
Student-Athlete Promotional and Community Service Appearance Request
According to NCAA regulations, student-athletes may make promotional appearances under certain conditions.
As a prerequisite to approval, a student-athlete and an authorized representative of the organization requesting the appearance must sign a release statement ensuring that the student-athlete’s name, image or appearance is used in a manner consistent with the following NCAA guidelines [Bylaw 12.5]:
For institutional, charitable, educational or nonprofit promotions [12.5.1.1]: