May 7
Q. Can a YSU student-athlete receive skill instruction from an outside consultant, coach, or former student-athlete without that individual being counted towards the sport team’s coaching limits?
A. Yes. PROVIDED: YSU coaches are not involved in any way in arranging for such activity, YSU coaching staff members do not observe such activity and such activity does not occur at any YSU facility (either during voluntary workouts or during regular institutional practice sessions).
  Further, the student-athlete(s) must pay all the fees (at the going rate) associated with the activity and may not receive preferential compensation arrangements (e.g., discount rate, deferred payments, free) not available to the general public.

April 30
Q. During a YSU camp, is it permissible to have a session of “campers vs. counselors” scrimmage if the counselors include current YSU student-athletes?
A. Yes. Provided no YSU coaches are present during the scrimmage.

April 23
Q. What Exactly Does “Voluntary” Mean?
1) The student-athlete must not be required to attend, nor report back to a coach or other athletics department staff member (e.g. strength coach, trainer, manager) any information related to the activity. In addition, no athletics department staff member who observes the activity (e.g., strength coach, trainer, manager) may report back to the student-athlete's coach any information related to the activity;
2) The activity must be initiated and requested solely by the student-athlete. Neither the institution nor any athletics department staff member may require the student-athlete to participate in the activity at any time. However, it is permissible for an athletics department staff member to provide information to student-athletes related to available opportunities for participating in voluntary activities (e.g., times when the strength and conditioning coach will be on duty in the weight room or on the track). In addition, for students who have initiated a request to engage in voluntary activities, the institution or an athletics department staff member may assign specific times for student-athletes to use institutional facilities for such purposes and inform the student-athletes of the time in advance;
3) The student-athlete may not be subjected to penalty if he or she elects not to participate in the activity.
4) neither the institution nor any athletics department staff member may provide recognition or incentives (e.g., awards, t-shirts) to a student-athlete based on his or her attendance or performance in the volunteer activity.

April 16
Q. If a student-athlete violates a team policy, it is permissible to require additional physical workouts as a punishment?
A. Yes. Provided Bylaw 17.1.5 is met (the student does not exceed four hours of countable-athletically-related activities per day, is provided a day off each 7 day period, and does not exceed 20 hours per week of countable athletically-related activities). The time the student is participating in “punishment” workouts must be included in daily and weekly logs.

April 9
Q. If a sport team begins a contest but is prevented from completing it due to extenuating circumstances (i.e. weather), does that count as a date of competition for NCAA minimum scheduling requirements?
A. No. Only if a contest meets the sport rules criteria of a completed contest (i.e. 5 innings in softball) can the contest count as a completed event. If, for example, a softball team only completes 2 ½ innings of a game before it is cancelled due to weather, the game does not count as a contest for NCAA scheduling requirements. In addition, as long as no further athletically-related activities occur on that day, this can count as an "off" day towards the 20-hour rule.

April 2
Q. Is it permissible to provide a prospect with the $30 per day allotment for entertainment in cash?
A. No. The institution may not provide cash to a prospective student-athlete for entertainment purposes.

March 19
Q. A non-qualifer, two-year college prospect has earned 42 transferable hours in four semesters of enrollment at the two year college. The prospect needs 18 hours in the summer prior to transferring to YSU to earn an Associate Degree. Since the prospect needs more than 9 hours in the summer prior to transfer to graduate, will this prospect be ineligible if he transfers?
A. No. The maximum 9 hours in the summer prior to transfer applies only to the minimum 48 total transferable hours needed. Since the prospect already has 42 transferable hours earned in the regular academic year, the prospect only needs 6 more hours to comply with both rules, regardless of the number of hours the prospect needs to earn the Associate Degree. This prospect would be able to transfer and be immediately eligible upon successfully completion of summer school.

March 5
Q. May an institution’s coach be interviewed for an article that will appear in a recruiting publication or newsletter?
A. Yes. Effective immediately, coaches are not precluded from providing an interview for an article that will appear in a recruiting publication or newsletter.

Feb. 26
Q. Can a student-athlete use a department telephone, even to make local calls?
A. No. Student-athletes are not permitted to receive “extra-benefits” and since it is not policy to permit our phone lines to be used by the general public for personal use, student-athletes would not be permitted to use them for personal use either. Long distance calls are obviously also impermissible.

Feb. 19
Q. Can a student-athlete give sport skill private lessons for pay?
A. Yes. Provided all of the following conditions are met: 1) YSU facilities are not used; 2) The athlete must provide documentation to the compliance office that includes the fee for the lesson and who the recipient of the lesson is; 3) The fee is paid by the recipients family and not another individual or entity; 4) The student-athlete does not use his or her name, picture or appearance to promote the availability of fee-for-lessons sessions.

Feb. 12
Q. For an official visit, can an institution provide lodging to a student host if the visit occurs during a vacation period?
A. No. An institution providing an official visit to a prospective student-athlete during an official vacation period may not provide lodging expenses to a student-athlete host.

Jan. 29
Q. Would it be permissible for a coach to bring a current student-athlete in the car to pick up a recruit at the Cleveland or Pittsburgh airport for the recruit’s official visit?
A. No. An institution may not provide enrolled student-athletes with transportation or expenses to recruit a prospect, except those permissible for a student host. It would be permissible for a student-athlete, at his/her own expense, to transport a prospect on an official visit t0/from an airport within 30 miles of the institution.

Jan. 22
Remember that NCAA prohibits gambling on both professional and college sports. Betting on these games can jeopardize student-athlete eligibility to compete in NCAA athletics and detrimentally impact a coach’s or administrator’s ability to be employed at its member institutions. Sometimes even the friendliest wager is a violation. Even participating in a “squares pool” at your Super Bowl party is prohibited by NCAA legislation.

Jan. 15
Q. Can a prospect attend a team’s sport banquet on an official visit?
A. Only if the institution uses the $30 per day entertainment allowance to purchase admission to the banquet. The prospect's parents/legal guardians must also have their meals purchased via the entertainment allowance.