OVERVIEW.  Compliance with NCAA and institutional regulations is an integral part of the Athletic Department at GMC. As a student athlete, you have a vested interest in ensuring compliance with the guidelines outlined by the NCAA and the College. It is your responsibility to know and abide by the guidelines set forth by the NCAA and GMC. Failure to abide by these guidelines may result in your ineligibility to participate and/or your team's forfeiture of games, matches, or tournaments.  What is outlined below is NOT a comprehensive list of the rules for which you may be responsible, but instead a summary of some more commonly applicable ones.  Please check with the Athletic Director if you have any questions about NCAA regulations or refer to the NCAA Manual Here.

ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY.  In order to compete in intercollegiate athletics, GMC student-athletes must meet all NCAA Division III and Conference eligibility rules. In addition, the following guidelines are applied to GMC to clarify academic good standing as defined by the College as it pertains to the certification of student-athletes under the NCAA Division III eligibility rules:  

• 1. All student-athletes must be in academic good standing as defined by GMC when they are certified in order to compete in intercollegiate athletics. These standards consist of the following:
  • A. The Student Athlete must remain enrolled in 12 credit hours per semester
  • B. The Student Athlete must meet the minimum GPA requirement shown in the scale below for satisfactory academic progress:

• 2. Any student-athlete who has been certified eligible at the beginning of the academic year and becomes academically ineligible at mid-year to attend, as defined by the College, will be ineligible for the remainder of that academic year to compete in intercollegiate athletics. The ineligibility will become effective no later than the first day of classes of the spring academic term.
• 3. By College policy, first year students are granted admission for a full academic year.
• 4. If a continuing student-athlete is not in good standing at the beginning of the academic year and is not certified as eligible to compete, the student-athlete may achieve academic good standing at mid-year and, at that time, be certified to compete by the first day of classes of the new academic term. In a case in which the student-athlete becomes eligible at the end of the term, the earliest date on which they can become eligible to compete is the day after the date of the last scheduled examination listed in the institution's official calendar for the term that is ending.
• 5. The policy outlined in #4 does not apply to transfer students who have been enrolled full-time at GMC for only one term.

A student-athlete who has reached senior status as defined by GMC must have a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in order to be certified to compete.

MISSED CLASS POLICY.  Each student-athlete who will be missing class because of a competition must notify her/his instructor at the beginning of the semester and is responsible for all tests, papers, homework, and materials that are covered while he/she is absent. Please use the Class Dismissal Form to gain approval for missing or departing a class early.  Student-athletes are not permitted to miss class due to practice times or team meetings. This is considered an NCAA violation.  It is critical to make arrangements and open lines of communication with your professors well in advance of any required absence.  NCAA by-law 17.1.6. It reads:

"Missed Class Time-Practice.  No class time shall be missed for practice activities except when a team is traveling to an away-from-home contest and the practice is in conjunction with the contest."

WITHDRAWAL FROM CLASS.  All student-athletes must be enrolled in 12 credit hours (full time) to participate in athletics. The registrar's office will not allow you to drop a class that puts you below 12 credit hours while you are in season.  However, it is still your responsibility to maintain a full time course load (at least 12 credit hours). 

COUNTABLE ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES.  Countable athletic activities are defined as:

• 1. Practice, including team conditioning/fitness activities, field, floor, or on-court activity, setting offensive or defensive alignments, chalk talk, lecture/discussion of strategy, activities using equipment relating to the sport, and review of game film. Practice cannot be conducted after competition except between contests, rounds, or events in a multi-day or multi-event competition. No class time can be missed for practice except when a team is traveling.
• 2. Competition, including all competition and any athletically related activities on the day of competition, counts as three hours regardless of the actual duration.
• 3. Required weight-training and conditioning activities.
• 4. Videotape reviews of practices or contests required, supervised, or monitored by institutional staff.
• 5. Required participation in camps, clinics, or workshops.
• 6. Meetings initiated by coaches or institutional staff on athletically related matters.
• 7. Individual workout required or supervised by a member of the coaching staff.
• 8. Captain's practices.
• 9. Visiting the competition site in the sports of cross country and golf.

The activities listed can take place only during your sport's declared season. Your coach determines the duration of the season by following the length of playing season guidelines listed in the NCAA Division III Manual.

There must be one day off per week in which no countable athletic activity occurs. This day may be a travel day or a day of cancelled competition. The exception to this rule occurs prior to the first day of classes, between terms, and during participation in NCAA Championships.

As a student athlete you may not miss class time for practice activities except when a team is traveling to an away from home contest and the practice is in conjunction with the contest. No class time may be missed for a practice or competition in the non-traditional season as well.

Outside of the declared playing season, student-athletes and members of the coaching staff shall not engage in athletically related activities per bylaw 17.02.1.1

PLAYING AND PRACTICE SEASON.  The playing season (practice and competition) for a particular sport is the period of time between the date of an institution's first officially recognized practice session and the date of the institution's last practice session or date of competition, whichever occurs later.  An institution is only permitted to conduct officially recognized practice and competition during the playing season as regulated for each sport.  The playing season for a particular sport is the only time within which an institution may conduct athletically related activities. 

The segments of the playing season are defined as follows:  traditional segment which is defined as that portion of the playing season that concludes with the NCAA Championship in the sport and non-traditional segment which is defined as the remaining portion of the playing season.

During the playing season, all athletically related activities are prohibited during one calendar per week, except during participation in NCAA Championships.

Limitations on athletically related activities occurring during the academic year do not apply in periods between academic terms when classes are not in session or during the institution's pre-season practice that occurs prior to the first day of classes.

OUTSIDE COMPETITION.  A student-athlete who participates during the academic year in any outside competition becomes ineligible for intercollegiate competition in the sport for the remainder of that academic year and for the next academic year. Exception - a student-athlete may participate as a member of an outside team during the period between separate fall and spring seasons.  For example, in sports other than basketball, you may compete outside your team's declared playing season during an official vacation period recognized by the College.  However, you MUST receive permission from the Athletic Director PRIOR to your participation.  Student athletes may not receive any type of payment for play, prize money, or receive expenses for participation.

RECRUITING.  All student athletes who assist in recruiting must strictly adhere to the following:

1.   To conduct oneself in a responsible manner at all times.
2.   To be a representative of the College and the athletics program.
3.   To ensure that the prospect is not taken any place where there are drugs or alcohol.
4.   To be concerned about the safety and welfare of the recruit. This includes comfort, food, sleeping quarters and staying with the prospect.
5.   To discuss and plan activities with the head coach prior to all recruit visitations. The coach should be available for suggestions.
6.   If a personal vehicle is used for off campus activities, be advised that the owner's insurance is responsible for all coverage.

Student Host Receipt and Instructions:

Your role as a student host is very important in the recruiting process for our athletics teams.  You have the responsibility to understand and abide by NCAA, and institutional regulations.  Please carefully review the following rules:

1.   Only one student-athlete per day from our institution can serve as an official host for each prospect.  Other students may assist with hosting the prospect, but shall pay for their own entertainment and meals.

2.   A maximum of $20 for each day of the visit may be provided to cover all actual costs of entertaining yourself, the prospect (and the prospect's parents, legal guardians or spouse), excluding the cost of meals and admission to campus athletics events.  These funds may not be used for the purchase of souvenirs such as T-shirts or other institutional souvenirs.  It is permissible for you to receive an additional $10 per day for each additional prospect you entertain.

3.   No cash may be given to the visiting prospect or to anyone accompanying the prospect.

4.   You may not use vehicles provided or arranged for by any coach, institutional staff member or booster of the university.  Never allow the prospect to use or drive your car.

5.   You may not transport the prospect or anyone accompanying the prospect more than 30 miles from the campus.

6.   You should not allow recruiting conversations to occur on or off campus between the prospect and a booster of the athletics program.  (If an unplanned meeting occurs, only an exchange of greetings is permissible).

7.   You may receive a complimentary admission when accompanying a prospect to a campus athletics event.

TRANSFER REGULATIONS.  All student-athletes seeking a transfer can issue a self-release (see link above) in order to speak with a coach at any institution.  The self release must be received prior to conversations taking place.  It is recommended that any student-athlete considering a transfer speak with the Athletic Director to learn of rules and regulations concerning transfer status.

EMPLOYMENT.  All compensation received by a student-athlete must be consistent with the limitations on financial aid set forth in Bylaw 15 of the NCAA Division III manual. Compensation may be paid to a student athlete:

• Only for work actually performed
• At a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality for similar services

You may not receive compensation at any time after enrollment in the College for teaching or coaching sports skills or techniques in your sport on a fee-for-lesson basis.

PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES.  Before participation in any institutional, charitable, educational, or nonprofit promotion, you need to check with the Athletic Director to see if the activity is permissible by the NCAA.

AWARDS.  You may never accept a cash award or a cash-equivalent award for athletics participation. Check with the Athletic Director before accepting any award based on athletic ability (e.g. first place in summer tournaments, half-time contests, etc.). Please see the Athletic Director with specific questions.

AGENTS.  An individual shall be ineligible for participation in an intercollegiate sport if he or she ever has agreed (orally or in writing) to be represented by an agent for the purpose of marketing his or her athletic ability or reputation in that sport.  For further information on this subject matter please check with your Athletic Director or refer to the NCAA Division III manual under bylaw 12.3.

GAMBLING.  Student-athletes shall not knowingly:

• 1. Provide information to individuals involved in organized gambling activities concerning intercollegiate athletics competition,
• 2. Solicit a bet on any intercollegiate team,
• 3. Accept a bet on any team representing the institution,
• 4. Solicit or accept a bet on any intercollegiate competition for any item (e.g. cash, shirt, dinner) that has tangible value, or
• 5. 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.

Please see NCAA Bylaw 10.3 for clarification.