Enrolled Student-Athletes

This sub-site is intended to highlight some pertinent NCAA rules for you as an enrolled student-athlete at UC San Diego.  It is impossible to cover every NCAA rule that impacts you as a Division II student-athlete.  If you ever have any questions about NCAA rules and regulations, please contact the Compliance Office staff. 

Definition of a Student-Athlete:

An enrolled student-athlete is a student who has begun his/her first day of initial full-time collegiate enrollment or who has reported for intercollegiate practice at UC San Diego.

Essential Information for Enrolled Student-Athletes:

Academic Eligibility

You must meet certain academic requirements to be eligible to practice and compete as a Division II student-athlete at UC San Diego.  Click here for a complete breakdown of Division II academic eligibility rules as they apply at UC San Diego.

Athletic Scholarships

The NCAA has strict limits on the amount of full scholarships allowed for each sport.  Included in the NCAA limit are any athletics aid received by a student-athlete, known as a Grant-In-Aid, and all other aid that is considered "countable" by the NCAA.  Athletic scholarships can only be offered on a one academic year basis.  At the end of the academic year, the scholarship can be renewed or non-renewed at the coach's discretion.  All non-renewals are appealable through the Financial Aid Office and must be submitted in writing within 2 weeks of the non-renewal notice.  

Outside Scholarships

All outside scholarships (e.g., booster club awards, local scholarships, etc) received by UC San Diego student-athletes must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office for review.  Outside scholarships can impact your individual/team scholarship limits AND your eligibility, so it is important to report these awards in an accurate and timely manner to both the Financial Aid Office and the Athletics Department.  Even if you get a check directly from the awarding agency, you still must report this aid.  If you have not already reported your aid, please fill out the Outside Aid Form and return it to Sara Robinson in the Compliance Office.

Private Lessons

Division II student-athletes are allowed to conduct private lessons, however there are strict rules they must follow.  As a UC San Diego student-athlete, you are not allowed to provide lessons anywhere on campus and there are restrictions on how you can advertise your lessons.  Prior to any advertisement or offer of lessons, contact Katie McGann in the Compliance Office.

Sports Wagering

NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes from participating in any gambling activity that involves any sport sponsored by the NCAA at any level.  Any activity that involves putting something at risk for the chance to win something in return is considered sports wagering and an NCAA violation.  Risk + Reward = Violation.  This includes fantasy leagues and tournament brackets that meet the above guidelines.

Non-Athletically Related Promotional Activities

NCAA rules prohibit DII student-athletes from allowing their name or picture to be used to advertise, promote or endorse a commercial product/service.  To do so will jeopardize the student-athlete's eligibility.  The NCAA has limited exceptions to this rule.  For details please contact the Compliance Office.

Year-Round Drug Testing

The NCAA randomly selects institutions and student-athletes for drug testing throughout the academic year, including the summer. All student-athletes are subject to drug testing before, during or after their competitive seasons.  All student-athletes need to be aware of the NCAA Banned Drugs list and should check with the Athletic Trainers for any questions. Student-athletes who test positive are subject to at least a one-year suspension and loss of eligibility.

Many nutritional/dietary supplements contain NCAA banned substances. In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not strictly regulate the supplement industry; therefore the purity and safety of nutritional/dietary supplements cannot be guaranteed. Impure supplements may lead to a positive drug test. The UC San Diego Athletics Department does not promote the use of nutritional/dietary supplements and the use of such supplements is at the student-athlete's own risk. Student-athletes should contact the Head Athletic Trainer, Kevin Messey (kmessey@ucsd.edu) or Director of Strength and Conditioning, Rudy Thomas (r4thomas@ucsd.edu) for further information.

Additional information may also be found through the Center for Drug Free Sport, which sponsors a confidential Resource Exchange Center (REC)  for student-athletes and athletics staff with questions about nutritional supplements The REC may be contacted toll free at (877) 202-0769 or by clicking the link above.  When accessing the REC via the Internet, the required password is ncaa2.

California Assembly Bill 2079

On September 30, 2010, AB 2079 was signed into California law by the Govenor.  This law requires educational institutions that offer athletics scholarships, or that provide, by any delivery method, written mateiral regarding their athletic program to a student-athlete, to provide a direct link to the institution's Internet web page where the student-athlete shall be able to access all information regarding the institution's athletic scholarship program.  By clicking here you will find information and links that provide a comprehensive review of all issues related to UC San Diego athletics scholarships, medical related expenses and the transfer release process.

Additional Resources

Student-Athlete Resources

Student-Athlete Compliance Quiz (TBD)

Contacting the Compliance Office

Remember this is not a complete list of NCAA rules. Please contact a compliance staff member if you have any questions or before taking action that may be contrary to NCAA rules.  Click here to view the Compliance staff contact information.