Student-Athlete Compliance Meeting

1. Welcome to the 2010-11 Academic Year Student-Athlete Compliance Meeting

2. Meet the Athletic Administration JIM COLE Director of Athletics SYBIL BLALOCK Senior Woman Administrator KAREN DONALDSON Asst. AD for Compliance MYRA CAMERON Eligibility Coordinator

3. Key Topics Covered • Required Compliance Forms • Drug Testing • Outside Competition • Seasons of Eligibility • Amateurism • Awards and Benefits • Countable Athletically Related Activities • Ethical Conduct • Financial Aid • Academics

4. Required Compliance Forms • All Forms must be completed prior to practice. • NO EXCEPTIONS!! • Any questions regarding the forms see Karen Donaldson or Myra Cameron.

5. Required Forms • NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Statement • NCAA Drug Testing Consent Form • HIPPA Release Form • Mercer Amateurism Certification Form • Mercer Extra Benefits Declaration Form • Amateurism and Eligibility Form • For International and Selected Student-Athletes ONLY • Mercer Textbook Agreement • Mercer Apparel and Awards Agreement • Vehicle Registration Form

6. The Most Important Thing Is…. ASK BEFORE YOU ACT!!!! Karen Donaldson Asst. AD for Compliance

7. Drug Testing YEAR ROUND TESTING OCCURS IN ALL SPORTS! • If you test positive for a banned substance during an NCAA administered drug test you: • will be declared INELIGIBLE to compete during the regular season and postseason competition for ONE CALENDAR YEAR (i.e. 365 days) after your positive test, and • will be charged with the loss of a minimum of one season of competition in all sports • If you test positive a second time for a banned substance during an NCAA administered drug test you: • will lose all remaining regular-season and post season eligibility in all sports

8. Drug Testing • Check the NCAA Banned Drug-Classes List 2010-11 • Notify Rob Murphy or your team’s trainer of any medications or supplements Rob Murphy Asst. AD for Sports Medicine

9. Drug Testing Stimulants…includes Ritalin , Adderall and other prescription drugs not prescribed to you. Caffeine if concentration in urine exceed 15 micrograms/ml.

10. Outside Competition • During the academic year, student-athletes may not participate on any outside team in any non-collegiate amateur competition. • Exceptions for sports other than basketball: • Outside of declared playing and practice season during any official vacation period. • Competition as individual (“unattached”) • Cannot wear/use institutional apparel; • Cannot receive expenses from the institution; and • Cannot receive instruction from an institution’s coach. • Before you compete with an outside team, check with Compliance.

11. Seasons of Eligibility • Five years to play four years. • Limited Exceptions • Redshirt • Medical Hardship • Medical Non-Counter • Military Service • Official mission trips • Pregnancy • Most exceptions involve a waiver process with extensive documentation. See Compliance with any concerns.

12. Seasons of Eligibility - Exceptions • Redshirts • In initial year of enrollment at the certifying institution, you may participate in preseason exhibition contests or informal practice scrimmages without losing a season of competition. • Soccer and Volleyball • You may engage in outside competition during the segment of the playing season that does not conclude with the NCAA Championship without using a season of competition, • Must be academically eligible during the segment that concludes with the NCAA championship.

13. Seasons of Eligibility - Exceptions • Medical Hardship • Incapacity resulting from injury/illness, • All participation during the first half of season, AND • Participation in no more than 30% of scheduled contests/dates of competition • Requires a waiver with medical documentation • Medical Non-Counter • Injured/ill to the point of never again participating in intercollegiate athletics

14. Amateurism • You are ineligible in a sport if you ever: • Accept pay, or promise of pay; • Agree orally or in writing to compete in professional athletics; • Compete on any professional athletics team; • Use athletics skill for pay; • Promote a commercial product or service; OR • Allow your name or likeness to be used in commercial promotion Examples: • Playing on a professional team • Allow yourself to appear on a poster for a local store

15. Fee-for-Lesson You may receive compensation for teaching or coaching skills or techniques in your sport on a fee-for-lesson basis, provided you: • Complete the required paperwork beforehand, • Do not use institutional facilities, • Do more than just go out and play with your student, AND • Do not receive payment from someone other than the recipient or the recipient’s family. SEE COMPLIANCE BEFORE GIVING LESSONS IN ANY SPORT!!

16. Agents and Runners You are ineligible in a sport if you or a family member ever: • Accept money, transportation or other benefits from an agent or runner; • Agree orally or in writing to be represented by an agent; OR • Allow and agent to market your athletics ability or reputation. • “Advisors” can be “agents” too! If you are considering a career in professional sports, Mercer wants to help.

17. Awards and Benefits – Extra Benefits You may not accept anything that is not available to the general student body or the general public! Special arrangements and benefits apply to you AND your friends and relatives. Benefits include, but are not limited to: • Transportation • Food • Clothing • Course supplies or textbooks not covered by your scholarship– including letting others use your books • Financial loan • Unadvertised discounts • Admission or Special Access to Events or Bars/Clubs • Even Mercer Events!

18. Awards and Benefits – Extra Benefits • ASK YOURSELF….TO PROTECT YOUR ELIGIBILITY: • Is it available to you because you are a student-athlete? • OR • Is it available GENERALLY TO ALL MERCER STUDENTS determined on a basis unrelated to athletic ability?

19. Awards and Benefits – Complimentary Admissions • A student-athlete may not: • Receive payment from any source for his or her complimentary admissions and may not exchange or assign them for any item of value. • Sell or exchange his or her complimentary admissions for money or any item of value to anyone, including teammates or other student-athletes.

20. Countable Athletically Related Activities – In-Season • 20 hours/week (Week defined by coaches at start of year) • 4 hours/day • Day of competition = 3 hours • 1 day off per week • Travel day can be used as day off • No practice following competition • Unlimited practice during institutional vacation periods • For fall sports with a preseason, unlimited practice until first contest against outside competition or first day of class, whichever occurs earlier.

21. Countable Athletically Related Activities – Out-of-Season • 8 hours/week – Must be strength & conditioning activities, EXCEPT… • No countable athletically related activities from one week prior to the beginning of the institution’s final exam period through the conclusion of each student-athlete’s final exams. • 2 days off per week

22. Countable Athletically Related Activities – Countable and Non-countable Activities

23. Countable Athletically Related Activities – Voluntary Workouts To be considered “voluntary” and not count in your maximum practice/competition hours, the following conditions must be met: • Must not be required to report back to a coach or other staff member (e.g. trainer, manager, strength coach), • Noncoaching staff members who observe the activity may not report back to the coach any information related to the activity, • Must be initiated and requested solely by the student-athlete (NOT required), • Attendance and participation (or lack thereof) may not be recorded for the purpose of reporting attendance to the coach or teammates, • Must not be subjected to penalty if you elect not to participate, • No recognition or incentives can be given based on attendance or performance

24. Countable Athletically Related Activities – Playing and Practice Seasons Coaches are required to report your weekly hours to compliance. Student-Athletes must also report their weekly hours! If you have any questions or concerns regarding your team’s countable hours (in-season or out-of-season) or voluntary activities, please contact: Karen Donaldson Asst. AD- Compliance 478-301-2729 donaldson_ke@mercer.edu Front Office

25. Ethical Conduct • Compete with honesty and sportsmanship at all times • Be forthcoming and honest • Bylaw 10.1 requires everyone at Mercer to cooperate fully with NCAA matters. Failure to do so will affect your eligibility.

26. Ethical Conduct – Sports Wagering RISK + REWARD = VIOLATION • Violations include: • Accepting a bet or placing a bet for anything of value (e.g., food, clothes, money) • Providing inside information NCAA PENALTIES: FIRST OFFENSE = Ineligible for at least one year and a loss of at least one season of competition! SECOND OFFENSE = Permanent loss of eligibility in all sports! Examples of impermissible gambling include: Fantasy Leagues, Super Bowl Pools, NCAA Tournament Pools/Brackets, Betting on the Golf Course

27. Ethical Conduct – Sports Wagering • IMPERMISSIBLE, IF YOU… • are involved in point shaving or other activities designed to influence the outcome or win-loss margin of a game, OR • solicit or accept a bet or participate in any gambling activity involving wagering on your institution, you lose all remaining eligibility immediately!

28. SPORTS WAGERING • YOU ARE AT RISK!! • Mercer sports are on Vegas boards– meaning people DO bet on Mercer sports. • The FBI estimates that over $2.5 billion is wagered illegally on March Madness alone. • Student books are often supervised by white collar criminals. • Getting involved means very real prison time. • DO NOT share team information- EVER. • Injuries • Morale • Discipline issues

29. Financial Aid – Athletic Scholarships • One-year agreements • May be reduced/cancelled • Financial assistance other than from those you are legally dependent needs to be immediately reported to MYRA CAMERON. Examples may include, but are not limited to: community scholarships, alumni scholarships, and any institutional aid. Myra Cameron 478-301-2733 Front Office Failure to report financial aid could cost you your eligibility!

30. Financial Aid – Employment • Required paperwork prior to employment. • Compensation… • Cannot be given for being a student-athlete, • Can only be given for work actually performed, AND • Can only be at a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality for similar services. SEE COMPLIANCE BEFORE STARTING WORK!!!

31. Academics – Eligibility Requirements • All student-athletes must: • Be enrolled full-time • Minimum of 12 hours • See your athletic academic advisor prior to making any course changes • Never drop a course without first consulting your advisor and the athletics administration. • You WILL pay for the course! • Exception to full-time enrollment • If you require less than 12 hours to graduate in either the fall or spring semester, you must: • Have school/college advisor provide documentation to be enrolled in less than 12 hours prior to first day of class.

32. Academics – Eligibility Requirements • All student-athletes must successfully complete • 6 hours per term to be eligible next term • 18 hours during the academic year (summer classes cannot be used), • 24 hours prior to the start of your 2nd year (summer classes may be used), AND • Declare a major before the third year of enrollment.

33. Academics – Eligibility Requirements

34. We wish you much success during the 2010-11 Academic Year!