Ithaca College Athletics

Virtual activities will be permitted within the declared playing season. In-season activities, no matter the manner and scope they are delivered, must adhere to applicable legislation. Institutional staff may not supervise or conduct such workouts. 

On July 21, 2020, The NCAA Division III Management Council, upon recommendation of the Division III Playing and Practices Subcommittee, approved an alternative playing and practice season model for the 2020-21 academic year due to the impact of COVID-19. 

The playing season is defined by days (which do not have to occur consecutively) as opposed to weeks to allow for more flexibility to conduct athletically related activities with student-athletes; and the distinction between traditional and non-traditional segments is eliminated.

Fall Sports

The start date for fall sports is August 10 and the end date is five weekdays before the first day of the institution’s final examinations for the regular academic year. The length of the playing season is 114 days.  

Winter Sports
 

The start date for winter sports is September 7. Except for basketball and wrestling with a start date of October 1. The end date is five weekdays before the first day of the institution’s final examinations for the regular academic year. The length of the playing season is 114 days.

Spring Sports
 

The start date for spring sports is September 7. Except for golf, rowing, and tennis with a start date of August 10. The end date is at the conclusion of the NCAA Championship. However, institutions shall not conduct athletically related activity five weekdays before the first day of the institution’s final examinations for the fall semester through the end of the examination period. The length of the playing season is 114 days except for indoor and outdoor track and field with a playing season of 144 days. 

A day is any day in which athletically related activity (CARA) occurs, included but not limited to: 

1. In person or virtual team meetings with an athletic component; 
2. Required workouts or conditioning sessions; 
3. Practice; 
4. Competition. 

A day shall be treated as “in-season” and included in the 114-day playing season. 

Excluded from CARA and not counted towards the 114-day calculation: 

1. Meetings related to administrative, academic, or that are nonathletic in nature; 
2. Voluntary strength and conditioning activities; 
3. Leadership programming involving athletics-related information that meets the Voluntary Leadership Programming Legislation. 
    

The 114-days must include a conference championship.

A day is for the team and is not student-athlete specific. The 114 days includes varsity and subvarsity contests. Small group and individual sessions can occur multiple times on the same day. A team is required a day off once a week. Multi-sport student-athletes will still be required a day off per week of all CARA. The required day off does not have to be the same for all student-athletes in the sports of track and field and swimming and diving. Student-athletes are not permitted to miss class to engage in CARA with their teams. 

Designation of the Playing Season

While we are not required to declare its playing season before each sport begins, we are required to keep record of the days each team uses and to keep record of those days. 

If a student-athlete engages in athletically related activity within the declared playing season in which no outside competition will be conducted a student-athlete will not be charged with a season of competition. A student-athlete is only charged with a season of participation when the student-athlete participates (practices or competes) during or after the first contest in the traditional segment. 

It is impermissible for coaching staff members to direct student-athletes to engage in outside competition or otherwise arrange opportunities for outside competition that is not counted as part of the 114-days. It remains impermissible for student-athletes to compete on a professional team without losing their eligibility in that sport. In the sport of wrestling a student-athlete may not engage in outside competition prior to November 1. 

Outside Competition Prior to Initial Full-Time Enrollment
 

Review NCAA Bylaw 12.1.3 and contact your sport administrator and/or the compliance office for student-athletes competing on a professional team prior to initial full-time collegiate enrollment. 

Voluntary leadership programming involving athletics information would not count against a team’s 114-days. Such leadership programming is limited to 10 leadership programming sessions outside the playing season and not more than on, 90-minute session per week. All requirements of Bylaw 17.02.1.1.1.5 must be met.

The Leadership Academy and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will conduct virtual programming. This will not count against a team’s 114-days.

Student-athletes will have very limited access to team rooms in an effort to mitigate the risk of potential transmission. Access to athletic training and strength & conditioning facilities will be limited to the extent necessary to maintain health and safety procedures. Whenever possible, activities typically performed in these spaces will be made virtual or moved to larger or outdoor spaces. 

Requirements for Participation:

All student-athletes will be required to complete all athletic training and NCAA paperwork before being eligible for participation. Student-athletes will also have to be enrolled in a full-time undergraduate or graduate program unless prior approval is granted through the Compliance Administrator. In addition, student-athletes will be required to complete the ‘Bomber Promise’ and all other required compliance paperwork. 

Prior to arrival, incoming (first year/transfer) student-athletes will be encouraged to undergo a pre-participation physical exam from their home physician. If this cannot be done prior to arrival, the athletics team physician will conduct this exam. For more information, please contact your sport coach.

Access to the athletic training staff or for treatment/consultation requires an appointment.

In addition to being subject to the ‘Testing and Screening’ procedures, student-athletes will be monitored by members of the athletic training and coaching staff to ensure the health and safety of our teams and campus community.

On March 13, 2020, the Division III Administrative Committee issued a blanket waiver providing relief for spring sports student-athletes regarding their use of a season and semester. Additionally, the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement extended this relief for an additional semester.

On October 28, 2020, Presidents Council approved the following two blanket waivers: 

1. Season of participation waiver: All student-athletes (Fall, Winter, Spring) would not be charged the use of a season of participation for any participation that occurs during the 2020-21 academic year; and 
    
2. Extension waiver: Student-athletes eligible for competition would receive an extension of their 10 semester/15quarter enrollment limit for each semester/quarter used during the 2020-21 academic year. 

A student-athlete wishing to participate during the 2020-21 academic year will be subject to all NCAA enrollment and eligibility requirements. Specifically, they need to be enrolled in a full-time program and in good academic standing. This includes practice or required team activities conducted virtually. 

A student-athlete that is finishing the required courses for their degree is permitted to be less than full-time if: they are in their final semester before graduating; they are enrolled in the course necessary to complete their degree; upon successful completion of the courses they will graduate in that semester; the waiver is approved through the compliance and registrar’s office.

Noncontroversial legislation approved by Management Council would now permit a student-athlete who has completed all the requirements for their degree, but is continuing their work toward a minor or undergraduate certificate program, to apply the final term exception to the full-time enrollment requirement provided they have not previously used the exception, and they are carrying the courses necessary to complete their minor or undergraduate certificate program. This noncontroversial legislation does NOT apply to students that have already graduated. 

Student-athletes must consult with their academic departments about being less than full time and will need to confirm with The Office of Student Financial Services regarding any implications being less than full time will have on their financial aid award.

1. Enrollment in SportsWare electronic medical records system;
2. Completion of BrainCheck concussion baseline testing;
3. Complete and approval of all initial medical forms in ARMS; 
   1. Emergency medical information;
   2. COVID-19 screening form;
   3. PHQ9 mental health screening form;
   4. Injury-illness acknowledgement form.

1. Complete of Pre-participation sports physical exam;
2. Sickle Cell Trait status form.

1. Annual Medical Update Form.

To be eligible for virtual and in person participation student-athletes must complete all required NCAA and compliance forms in ARMS. The forms include: 

1. The Bomber Promise; 
2. NCAA Drug Testing Consent Form; 
3. NCAA Student-Athlete Statement; 
4. NCAA Summary of Regulations; and 
5. Student-Athlete Code of Conduct.

Additionally, Division III student-athletes will not be charged with participation for the 2020-21 season if their team can complete only 50% or less of the sport’s maximum contests/dates of competition due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Division III Administrative Committee approved a recommendation from the Division III Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement to provide a blanket waiver in ALL sports that are unable to reach the 50% threshold, providing student-athletes with the option of extending their participation. 

The committee also approved a second recommendation from the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement for a blanket waiver permitting student-athletes to receive a two-semester extension of eligibility if the following conditions are met: 

• The student-athlete was unable to participate in their sport during the 2020-21 academic year due to the impact of COVID-19, or the student-athlete’s team completed 50% or less of the sport’s maximum contests/dates of competition during the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19.
• The student-athlete was otherwise eligible for competition during the 2020-21 academic year.

DIII Administrative Committee Release. 

Student-athletes will still have to be enrolled full-time to participate in intercollegiate athletics. The blanket waiver for semesters of eligibility will be applied at the end of the academic year if the student-athlete’s sport met the criteria. 

A student-athlete can participate (practice and compete) while enrolled in less than full time if they are in their final semester prior to graduation and are taking classes necessary to complete their degree. Student-athletes should meet with their academic advisors, associate dean or chair to determine the appropriate class schedule and to determine when courses will be offered. This waiver needs approval through the Ithaca College Registrar and through the Compliance Administrator.

Additionally, noncontroversial legislation approved by Management Council would now permit a student-athlete who has completed all the requirements for their degree, but is continuing their work toward a minor or undergraduate certificate program, to apply the final term exception to the full-time enrollment requirement provided they have not previously used the exception, and they are carrying the courses necessary to complete their minor or undergraduate certificate program. This noncontroversial legislation does NOT apply to students that have already graduated.

Student-athletes must consult and confirm with The Office of Student Financial Services regarding any implications being less than full time might have on their financial aid award.

As a department and a DIII institution, we believe that academics should come first and be the priority when making participation decisions. Senior student-athletes are not encouraged nor recommended to drop courses to delay their graduation. 

A student who has graduated from an NCAA Division III institution may participate as a graduate or postbaccalaureate student at the Division III institution he or she most recently attended as an undergraduate or another Division III institution, provided: 

1. The student is enrolled and seeking a second baccalaureate or graduate degree;
2. The student has eligibility remaining; and
3. The student's participation occurs within the applicable 10-semester/15-quarter period.
   
    

Students that Graduate from IC and enroll in a graduate program or continue their enrollment in graduate program.

Student-athletes can enroll in a graduate program that is offered at IC or continue their enrollment as a graduate student (for example PT student-athletes) and be eligible for competition. They must be a full-time student as defined by the graduate program and institution.

Students that graduate from IC and continue their enrollment seeking a second baccalaureate or the equivalent.
 

Student-athletes are also permitted to enroll in a second baccalaureate program. This option provides the most flexibility for continuing students that have graduated from IC. This means that a continuing student-athlete that graduates from IC can be accepted into any of the five schools and take any course that is degree applicable for any of the degrees that IC offers. Additionally, continuing student-athletes that graduate from IC can utilize the Extended Studies program. “A student-athlete who has graduated and is continuing as a full-time student at the same institution while taking course work that would lead to the equivalent of another major or degree as defined and documented by the institution is not required to officially declare or designate another major or degree. The student-athlete must be enrolled in course work that is acceptable toward any of the institution's other majors or degrees”. (Official NCAA Interpretation).

A continuing student would be able to utilize the Extended Studies Program since every course offered in the Extended Studies Program is applicable to all degrees offered at IC and would lead to the equivalent of a degree.

 

Students that graduate from another DIII institution and transfer to IC.

A transfer student-athlete that graduates from another DIII institution and wants to complete their last season of eligibility at IC, would have to either be accepted into a graduate program or into one of the five schools to pursue a second baccalaureate. The legislation does not require they finish the degree. The course work they take as a fulltime student would have to be applicable to any of the degree programs that we offer. They would not be eligible to utilize the extended studies program.

Students that graduate from a DI or DII institution and transfer to IC. 

The Presidents Council also adjusted waiver criteria relevant to graduate transfers.

Division III members adopted legislation in 2018 that permitted graduate and postbaccalaureate students who graduated from Division III schools and have remaining eligibility to transfer and compete at another Division III school. While that change pertained only to those who graduated from Division III schools, a waiver opportunity exists for student-athletes who demonstrated exemplary academic performance at a school outside Division III.

The previous waiver criteria required that graduate student-athletes hailing from outside Division III had to graduate in less than four academic years, among other conditions. The Presidents Council voted to change that rule, per a recommendation from the Management Council Subcommittee on Legislative Relief.

Graduate students from outside Division III will now meet minimum waiver criteria if they graduate within four consecutive academic years with no breaks in enrollment and have at least one season of eligibility remaining with at least a 3.0 GPA. (Their remaining eligibility will be measured by Division III’s parameters — specifically, a redshirt year at a non-Division III institution would count as a season used.) The subcommittee felt the previous standard was no longer an accurate measure of academic success.

Students using their Spring 2020 eligibility granted by Blanket Waiver for COVID-19 would be eligible for this waiver.

It is impermissible for a student-athlete who receives compensation (e.g., tuition remission, stipend) to work as a coach within the athletics department to participate as a student-athlete. Even if they are participating in a sport other than the one they are coaching in. Bylaw 15.01.3 prohibits a member institution from awarding financial aid based on athletics. Also, per the January 14, 2015 official interpretation, an individual who receives any form of compensation for coaching duties at a member institution jeopardizes future intercollegiate eligibility in that sport at that institution as receipt of such compensation would constitute an extra benefit. GA Positions will have to be outside of athletics for a student-athlete to also be eligible for competition.

For specific questions regarding your eligibility please email Erienne Roberts at eroberts1@ithaca.edu to schedule an appointment.

The Division III Management Council Subcommittee for Legislative Relief issued blanket waivers for virtual recruiting to allow:

1. Virtual athletics-recruitment-specific presentations to groups of multiple prospective student-athletes and their families, including outside groups, regardless of age or grade level or who initiates the event;
2. Virtual recruiting events to occur any time of the year. However, student-athlete involvement is restricted to the regular academic year and must be voluntary and no class time is missed;
3. Institutional athletics, coaching staff, representatives from other campus offices, and alumni to participate as permissible recruiters;

Institutions (and conferences) to publicize the informational details about the event but will prohibit promoting or publicizing the participation of individual or group of prospective student-athletes. 

The waiver does not permit coaching staff to be present during a PSAs celebratory signing events. 

Prospective student-athletes are able to participate in team meetings since this is permitted while a PSA is visiting campus. However, a PSA may not attend multiple team meetings beyond a singular event as they are not enrolled student-athletes. The blanket waiver allowing PSAs to join virtual team meetings expires on September 8, 2020 (the first day of classes).