CSCAA Meets About NCAA College/High School Swimmer Issue

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, March 8. THE College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) held a meeting here yesterday, in advance of the Women's Div. I NCAA Championships, primarily to discuss the implications of the NCAA's Legislation Review Interpretations Committee's support for the official interpretation of Bylaw 13.11.1.2, which was handed down last December.

The coaches expressed the unanimous opinion that the bylaw, clearly written to prevent unfair recruiting advantages in team sports, was irrelevant for that purpose in swimming (and presumably other individual sports) and, in fact, was harmful to the development of our sport.

Dr. Phil Whitten, Executive Director of the CSCAA was tasked with conferring with the coaches gathered here to come up with talking points the members could support fully. These talking points are to be used by coaches in interactions with their university compliance officers and by a delegation (comprised of Mark Schubert, US National Team Director; John Leonard, Executive Director of ASCA; and Whitten) that will request a meeting with Dr. Myles Brand, Executive Director of the NCAA.

Last July, Dr. Brand expressed his support for sport-specific legislation.

Whitten will report back to the Div. I membership next Wednesday, before the start of the men's Div. I Championships; other CSAA officers will hold similar meetings at the Div. II and at the Division III men's Championships at that time.

Before yesterday's meeting, the NCAA's Membership Services staff offered the following elaboration of the official interpretation as it stands now.

Competition Against Prospects

Swimming and Diving

General Rules
a. Competition against two-year college team is permissible.

a. Competition against a high school team is not permissible.

b. Competition against an outside team that includes high school prospects is not permissible.

Exceptions:

a. Foreign tour competition.

b. Exempted contests against a foreign team in the U.S.

c. U.S.National Team Competition

c. Sub-varsity teams are not bound by this prohibition.

Application
The following conditions relate to a high school prospect who wants to represent an outside team in the competition, either by scoring points, receiving expenses or wearing the team uniform. It will be permissible for Division I student-athletes to participate in the event only under the following conditions:

a. The event either involves no team scoring, or the event uses team scoring such that the institution's varsity team and the outside team are in separate scoring categories; and

b. The institution's varsity team members do not directly compete (e.g., in the same heat, flight, pairing) against high school prospects who are representing an outside team.

Events Not Subject to the Application of the Rule
Olympic, Pan American, World Championships, World Cup and World University competition or qualifying competition. [Note: Missing from this list are the Pan Pacs and Maccabiah Games. The omissions are probably oversights, but these two events should be added to the list.] This includes national championships (including junior national championships) conducted by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) or applicable governing body. [Note: USA Swimming has notified the NCAA that its "Club Championship" meet, beginning March 27, is in fact, a national championship and, thus, is exempted.]

Student-Athletes and Outside Competition During the Academic Year
The following provisions relate to a student-athlete's participation on an outside team (e.g., club team) or as an individual during the academic year:

a. Generally, student-athletes are not permitted to represent an outside team (e.g., club team) in competition during the academic year, except during an official vacation period.

b. Exceptions include:

(1) Olympic Games. A student-athlete may participate in the official Olympic Games, in final tryouts that directly qualify competitors for the Olympic Games, and in officially recognized competition directly qualifying participants for final Olympic Games tryouts.

(2) Official Pan American Games Tryouts and Competition

c. U.S. National Teams. A student-athlete may participate in official tryouts and competition involving national teams and junior national teams sponsored by the appropriate national governing bodies of the USOC (or, for the student-athletes representing another nation, the equivalent organization of that nation or, for student-athletes competing in a non-Olympic sport, the equivalent organization of that sport).

(1) Official World Championships, World University Games and World Cup Tryouts and Competition. . [Missing are the Pan Pacs and Maccabiah Games.]

• Student-athletes may compete as individuals at any time provided 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 (e.g., club team).

Whom to Contact
For questions related to the application of the rule or a specific event, please contact your institutional compliance personnel. This will help ensure consistent application of the rule and facilitate the principle of institutional control.

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