Student-Athletes Are Members for Life
By Luciana Chavez, News Observer, August 3, 2005

After the July release of a University of Kansas report detailing possible NCAA violations in football, women's basketball and men's basketball -- including possible secondary infractions under then-men's coach Roy Williams -- Williams made a point that was relevant both to his situation and to NCAA athletes past, present and future. Williams, now the men's basketball coach at North Carolina, said in a release the day after the report was published that he didn't know "the rule that ‘once you are a student-athlete, you are a student-athlete until death.' "

Rule 16.1.1.4 in the NCAA Division I handbook says, "Awards limitations apply to enrolled student-athletes who have exhausted their collegiate athletics eligibility."

NCAA director of membership services Brad Hostetter said the NCAA does have some flexibility in how it interprets and applies the rule. "Nominal" gifts are permitted as long as they don't reflect a prior arrangement meant to create a competitive advantage." Because of this leeway, "I don't necessarily think the rule is likely to change," Hostetter said. To change the rule, either to define "nominal" or put a time limit on it, a school or conference would have to initiate legislation, Hostetter said.

In the meantime, and knowing that any change to NCAA legislation takes 10 months to complete, Lyons and Strobel recommend that coaches, staff, athletes, fans and boosters use the "ask before you act" approach. If you're not sure you're breaking a rule, ask someone who knows.

For the full article, go to http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/story/2654165p-9090767c.html