Question about possible NCAA rules violation

[Central-KY-Kid]

Last month, the local fitness center held a summer blast party, which featured a cornhole tournament, sand volleyball tournament, tennis tournament and 3-on-3 basketball tournament.

One of our local athletes, who plays (could start) for a NCAA Division-I sweet 16 team, came back to his hometown and won the 3-on-3 tournament.

Is there any possible NCAA violation involved? As long as he didn't get prize money (or prize)? New guy at the local U seems clueless.

 

[Twoback]

Simple answer: was the event sanctioned by the NCAA or not?
If so, no problem.
If not, (fairly) big problem.

 

[Central-KY-Kid]

The event benefitted breast cancer awareness. Apparently all proceeds from entry fees went there. The player in question is pictured with a trophy, but there is no mention of prize money, gift certificate, etc.

Info was forwarded to the local U.

Two of the players on the college player's team play for a local high school, but I don't think the high school association's rules are quite the same as the NCAA.

 

[slappy4428]

I don't think so... college athletes used to play in the Gus Macker all the time, held out of season and without coaches present.

 

[Armchair_QB]

As long as the athlete wasn't paid in any way it's not a violation.

The NCAA doesn't sanction fund-raisers.

What's a cornhole tournament?

 

[93Devil]

Cornhole tournament?

Not sure if it still holds true today, but Knight benched Alford for being in a promotional calandar that was doing nothing than raising funds.

I think the logic is if you stand to gain from your fame or ability doing something outside of your team, then things get tricky.

I'm sure this has happened before.

OK, here is something.

http://www.teamaggie.com/rules.html

Promotional activities
"All charitable, educational and non-profit promotional activities involving student-athletes must have prior approval from the athletics department. A student-athlete will become ineligible for participation in intercollegiate athletics if he/she accepts any payment for or permits the use of his or her name or picture to advertise, recommend or promote directly the sale or use of a commercial product or service of any kind. If a student-athlete's name or picture appears on commercial items (e.g., T-shirts, playing cards, posters etc.) or is used to promote a commercial product without the student-athlete's knowledge or permission, the student-athlete and UC Davis are required to take steps to stop such an activity in order to retain the student-athlete's eligibility. If you use a student-athlete's name, picture or appearance without checking with the Compliance Services Office, you risk the student-athlete's eligibility."

 

[93Devil]

Oh, this thing.

 

[Lester Bangs]

No obvious violation here. If he appears in a promo for the event he's got issues, but even then they're small. Covered a player once who was suspended for two games for appearing in an ad for a local fitness center in his hometown. The only way he could be at issue here is if his fee to enter the tourney were waived, which would almost certainly be considered an unfair benefit.

 

[dixiehack]

Are the two high school kids potential recruits? That could create problems also.

 

[flopflipper]

Cornhole tournament?

Not sure if it still holds true today, but Knight benched Alford for being in a promotional calandar that was doing nothing than raising funds.

I think the logic is if you stand to gain from your fame or ability doing something outside of your team, then things get tricky.

I'm sure this has happened before.

OK, here is something.

http://www.teamaggie.com/rules.html

Promotional activities
"All charitable, educational and non-profit promotional activities involving student-athletes must have prior approval from the athletics department. A student-athlete will become ineligible for participation in intercollegiate athletics if he/she accepts any payment for or permits the use of his or her name or picture to advertise, recommend or promote directly the sale or use of a commercial product or service of any kind. If a student-athlete's name or picture appears on commercial items (e.g., T-shirts, playing cards, posters etc.) or is used to promote a commercial product without the student-athlete's knowledge or permission, the student-athlete and UC Davis are required to take steps to stop such an activity in order to retain the student-athlete's eligibility. If you use a student-athlete's name, picture or appearance without checking with the Compliance Services Office, you risk the student-athlete's eligibility."

Knight didn't bench him. The NCAA benched him for a game even though the proceeds from the calendar were going to charity.

 

[Central-KY-Kid]

Are the two high school kids potential recruits? That could create problems also.

Out of a seven-school area, neither kid didn't make our 10-player all-Area team. If they're recruits, they're diamonds in the rough. He (the college player) was the state's Mr. Basketball.

 

[dog428]

I can almost assure you that an NCAA rule has been violated. I say that because college athletes and potential college athletes would have to be blind and mute to avoid breaking one of the 8,437,443,298 NCAA rules.

It's ridiculous how overbearing the NCAA has become. We're actually trying to decide if winning a damn 3-on-3 tournament might be some sort of violation.

College athletics are quickly headed down the same path as NASCAR, where the small, modest programs have no chance of competing because they simply can't enforce all of these rules. A compliance department consisting of a couple of fulltime workers at a small D-I school has no chance of monitoring all of that school's athletes and maintaining a violation-free athletic department.

You see it all the time in conferences like the SWAC, where about once a year a member school gets busted for a boatload of compliance-related violations. In most of those cases, there was no intent to cheat. The school just doesn't have the resources to adequately monitor hundreds of athletes and dozens of coaches in a 15 sports.

 

[Lester Bangs]

I can almost assure you that an NCAA rule has been violated. I say that because college athletes and potential college athletes would have to be blind and mute to avoid breaking one of the 8,437,443,298 NCAA rules.

It's ridiculous how overbearing the NCAA has become. We're actually trying to decide if winning a damn 3-on-3 tournament might be some sort of violation.

College athletics are quickly headed down the same path as NASCAR, where the small, modest programs have no chance of competing because they simply can't enforce all of these rules. A compliance department consisting of a couple of fulltime workers at a small D-I school has no chance of monitoring all of that school's athletes and maintaining a violation-free athletic department.

You see it all the time in conferences like the SWAC, where about once a year a member school gets busted for a boatload of compliance-related violations. In most of those cases, there was no intent to cheat. The school just doesn't have the resources to adequately monitor hundreds of athletes and dozens of coaches in a 15 sports.

Far be it from me to defend the NCAA, and its rules are certainly onerous, but it's pretty hard to get in real trouble with them. Lots of wrists get slapped, lots of harrumphing, but very few schools get their asses handed to them unless they are handing out cash to kids or are repeat violators. In 99.9 percent of cases, schools self-report violations, the NCAA sends out an official notice clarifying the rule that was violated and it's over.

The place where it usually gets frustrating is when there is any money involved, like in the case of the German kids at Nebraska and Washington State last year. Both played for a German club team where some athletes -- but not them -- were paid. Both lost a year.

 

[Armchair_QB]

As long as we're on the topic of NCAA violations I'd like to point out that it's still illegal to send money to a recruit via Emery Express.

 

[Central-KY-Kid]

As long as we're on the topic of NCAA violations I'd like to point out that it's still illegal to send money to a recruit via Emery Express.

And just how many scholarships will Cleveland State lose for said infringement?

 

[armageddon]

Last month, the local fitness center held a summer blast party, which featured a cornhole tournament, sand volleyball tournament, tennis tournament and 3-on-3 basketball tournament.

One of our local athletes, who plays (could start) for a NCAA Division-I sweet 16 team, came back to his hometown and won the 3-on-3 tournament.

Is there any possible NCAA violation involved? As long as he didn't get prize money (or prize)? New guy at the local U seems clueless.

Best advice:

Call the compliance guru of the school in question. He/she should be able to give you an answer without consulting the 945-pound NCAA manual.

 

[Hammer Pants]

If the athlete doesn't take any money or prizes, it's not a violation.

 

[Batman]

If the athlete doesn't take any money or prizes, it's not a violation.

Couldn't the $20 trophy be considered a prize? At least in the NCAA's eyes?

 

[Armchair_QB]

If the athlete doesn't take any money or prizes, it's not a violation.

Couldn't the $20 trophy be considered a prize? At least in the NCAA's eyes?

No.

 

[Hammer Pants]

If the athlete doesn't take any money or prizes, it's not a violation.

Couldn't the $20 trophy be considered a prize? At least in the NCAA's eyes?

Never say never with the NCAA, but I don't think so.