Category: July-August 2021

Baylor NCAA Infractions Case Proves Yet Again that the NCAA Fails at its Basic Mission

By: B. David Ridpath For Journal of NCAA Compliance. On August 11, 2021, the NCAA Committee on Infractions (COI) concluded a five-year investigation in to Baylor University concerning. This particular major infractions case involved impermissible benefits and drug testing violations in the football program and the institution’s student recruiting host program.  The main allegations deliberated…
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Alfred State Is Very Upset over NCAA Division III Committee on Infractions Decision

The NCAA Division III Committee on Infractions (COI) decision to sanction Alfred State University after it self-reported a violation involving its track & field program and its former head coach did not sit well with the school. And that’s understatement. By way of background, the COI determined that a former Alfred State track and field…
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Garlock Brings Sustained Excellence to Role as Leader of Utah State’s Compliance Office

Entering his 15th year in the Utah State Athletic Department, Jake Garlock exemplifies the term “sustained excellence.” That successful journey was culminated in December of 2019 when he was promoted to Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Services and Compliance. But while that was a meaningful promotion, Garlock is not one to rest on his…
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NAAC Announces 2021-22 Board of Directors; Leonard Takes Helm as President

Jason Leonard, executive director of compliance at the University of Oklahoma, will move from first vice president of the National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC) to President for the 2021-22 membership year. “As I look ahead at the landscape of intercollegiate athletics, now is a critical time for NAAC to continue to empower the many…
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Louisiana Case Illustrates that Athletic Scholarships Are Not Guaranteed Contracts

By Gary J. Chester At a time when courts, state legislatures and even the NCAA are conferring more rights upon student-athletes, Holden v. Perkins, E.D. La. (Civil Action No. 20-2143, April 30, 2021), reminds us that an athletic scholarship is a precarious benefit. The Facts The plaintiff, Chloee Holden, received an athletic scholarship to play…
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Appeals Committee Remands Show-Cause Order for UCSB Water Polo Coach 

The NCAA Division I Infractions Appeals Committee overturned findings that the UC Santa Barbara head men’s water polo coach set in motion the events that led to housing and other impermissible benefits for a student-athlete before enrolling at the university.  As a result, the appeals committee returned the case to the NCAA Division I Committee…
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Court Sides with Plaintiff in Lawsuit Involving Scholarships

By Loren Galloway  A suit against Garden City Community College alleging Title IX and civil rights violations survived the defendants’ motion to dismiss in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. The case arises, ultimately, from a violation of the college’s athletics conference’s rules on scholarships.  GCCC is a member of the Kansas…
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Ferris Promoted to Senior Associate Commissioner for Governance and Compliance, and Other Personnel Moves

American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco has announced the promotion of Ellen Ferris to the position of Senior Associate Commissioner for Governance and Compliance. Ferris had served as Associate Commissioner for Governance and Compliance since she joined The American in 2013. She oversees all compliance and governance matters for the conference and provides leadership and…
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Division I Board Adjusts Independent Accountability Resolution Process

The Division I Board of Directors has approved an immediate change to the Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP), a change that was recommend earlier this summer by the Independent Accountability Oversight Committee.  The Complex Case Unit will accept the investigative work of the enforcement staff unless the unit can demonstrate a compelling reason why additional…
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Athletic Departments Choose Compliance-Focused Solution to Manage NIL

On July 1, two college athletic departments – The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and Penn State University (PSU) – announced that they are joining forces with Spry.  These partnerships will help their compliance departments manage the opportunities and risks associated with Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) implementation, according to the company. NIL has emerged as…
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