Buckley Amendment
An institution is not permitted to disclose information regarding a student-athlete’s:
- Results of NCAA, Conference or institutional drug tests;
- Academic transcripts from any institution including the University of Georgia;
- Pre-college test scores and information relating to eligibility of nonstandard testing (e.g. learning disabilities);
- Records concerning financial aid; and
- Any other papers or information pertaining to his/her NCAA eligibility.
10.01.1 Honesty and Sportsmanship
Individuals employed by (or associated with) a member institution to administer, conduct or coach intercollegiate athletics and all participating student-athletes shall act with honesty and sportsmanship at all times so that intercollegiate athletics as a whole, their institutions and they, as individuals, shall represent the honor and dignity of fair play and the generally recognized high standards associated with wholesome competitive sports.
10.1 Unethical Conduct
Unethical conduct by a prospective or enrolled student-athlete or a current of former institutional staff member may include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Refusal to furnish information relevant to an investigation of a possible violation of an NCAA regulation when requested to do so by the NCAA or the individual’s institution;
- Knowing involvement in arranging for fraudulent academic credit or false transcripts for a prospective or an enrolled student-athlete;
- Knowing involvement in offering or providing a prospective or an enrolled student-athlete an improper inducement or extra benefit or improper financial aid;
- Knowingly furnishing the NCAA or the individual’s institution false or misleading information concerning the individual’s involvement in or knowledge of matter relevant to a possible violation of an NCAA regulation; or
- Receipt of benefits by an institutional staff member for facilitating or arranging a meeting between a student-athlete and an agent, financial advisor or a representative of an agent or advisor (e.g., “runner”).
Interpretation: Unethical Conduct/Academic Fraud
A Staff member includes any individual who performs work for the institution or the athletics department, even if the individual is a student at the institution (for example, student manager, student trainer) and/or does not receive compensation from the institution for performing such services (for example, volunteer coaches, undergraduate assistant coaches and graduate assistant coaches). (Official 12/13/01)
10.3 Gambling Activities
Staff members of a member conference, staff members of the athletics department of a member institution and student-athletes shall not knowingly:
- Provide information to individuals involved in organized gambling activities concerning intercollegiate athletics competition;
- Solicit a bet on any intercollegiate team;
- Accept a bet on any team representing the institution;
- Solicit or accept a bet on any intercollegiate competition for any item (e.g., cash, shirt, dinner) that has tangible value;
- Participate in any gambling activity that involves intercollegiate athletics or professional athletics, through a bookmaker, a parlay card or any other method employed by organized gambling; or
- Participate in any pools among friends where money or any tangible item is involved.
10.4 Disciplinary Action
Prospective or enrolled student-athletes found in violation of the provisions of this regulation shall be ineligible for further intercollegiate competition, subject to appeal to the Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet for restoration of eligibility. (See 10.3.1 for sanctions of student-athletes involved in violations of 10.3) Institutional staff members found in violation of the provisions of this regulation shall be subject to disciplinary or corrective action as set forth in Bylaw 19.6.2.2 of the NCAA enforcement procedures, whether such violations occurred at the certifying institution or during the individual’s previous employment at another member institution.
11.1 Conduct of Athletics Personnel
11.1.2 Responsibility for Violations of NCAA Regulations
Institutional staff members found in violation of NCAA regulations shall be subject to disciplinary or corrective action as set forth in the provisions of the NCAA enforcement procedures, whether such violations occurred at the certifying institution or during the individual’s previous employment at another member institution.
11.2.2 Athletically Related Income
Contractual agreements, including letters of appointment, between a full-time or part-time athletics department staff member (excluding secretarial or clerical personnel) and an institution shall include the stipulation that the staff member is required to receive annually prior written approval from the chief executive officer for all athletically related income and benefits from sources outside the institution. The staff member’s request for approval also shall be in writing and shall include the amount and the source of the income. Sources of such income shall include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Income from annuities;
- Sports camps
- Housing benefits (including preferential housing arrangements);
- Country club memberships;
- Complimentary ticket sales;
- Television and radio programs; and
- Endorsement or consultation contracts with athletics shoe, apparel or equipment manufacturers.
11.3.1 Control of Employment and Salaries
The institution, as opposed to any outside source, shall remain in control of determining who is to be its employee and the amount of salary the employee is to receive within the restrictions specified by NCAA legislation.
11.3.2.1 Bona Fide Outside Employment
A staff member may earn income in addition to the institutional salary by performing services for outside groups, provided the compensation is for additional work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality for services of like character; further, such outside work must be in conformity with institutional policy and with the approval of the institution. Athletically related income requires the prior written approval of the institution’s chief executive officer (see Bylaw 11.2.2).
11.3.2.2 Supplemental Pay
An outside source is prohibited from paying or regularly supplementing an athletics department staff member’s annual salary and from arranging to supplement that salary for an unspecified achievement. This includes the donation of cash from outside sources to the institution earmarked for the staff member’s salary or supplemental income. It would be permissible for an outside source to donate funds to the institution to be used as determined by the institution, and it would be permissible for the institution, at its sole discretion, to use such funds to pay or supplement a staff member’s salary.
11.3.2.3 Bonuses for Specific and Extraordinary Achievement
An institution may permit an outside individual, group or agency to supplement an athletics department staff member’s salary with a direct cash payment in recognition of a specific and extraordinary achievement (e.g., contribution during career to the athletics department of an institution, winning a conference of national championship, number of games or meets won during career/season), provided such a cash supplement is in recognition of a specific achievement and is in conformance with institutional policy.
