Colorado State University Athletics

Compliance Guidelines

FALL COUNTABLE ATHLETICALLY RELATED ACTIVITIES (CARA)

Men's and Women's Basketball
Transition period begins Sept. 21 and includes a maximum of 12 hours per week of required activities with not more than eight hours spent on skill instruction and requires two days off per week

Football
Limit of 20 hours per week

Track and Field/Cross Country
Normal out of season 8-hour rules apply until October 26th. Beginning October 26th, can utilize full 20 hours as normal.
 
Swimming and Diving
Limit of 20 hours per week
 
Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball
Limit of 14 hours per week
  • 8 hours of practice/skill conditioning
  • 4 hours of strength and conditioning
  • 2 hours of team meetings

NCAA DIVISION 1 COUNCIL TAKES MULTIPLE ACTIONS
The NCAA D1 Council took action on multiple agenda items on Sept. 16, 2020 including... NCAA Board of Director Decisions Finalized on Friday, August 21, 2020
1.    Terms and Conditions of Financial Aid. The Board of Directors adopted emergency legislation to specify that athletics financial aid awarded to a student-athlete who opts out of participating during the 2020-21 academic year due to concerns about contracting COVID-19 shall not be reduced or canceled as a result of the student-athlete's decision. Additionally, a student-athlete who decides to opt out of participating due to concerns stemming from COVID-19 is not considered to have voluntarily withdrawn from the sport for personal reasons. The Council clarified that the legislation should apply to student-athletes in all sports for aid awarded that includes any regular academic term of the 2020-21 academic year, including multiyear aid agreements. It would not apply to renewals of athletics aid after the 2020-21 academic year.

2.    Season of Competition Waivers. The Board of Directors approved a blanket waiver allowing institutions to self-apply season of competition waivers for fall sport student-athletes who compete up to the maximum permissible amount of competition during the 2020-21 academic year as a result of the disruption and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

3.    Extensions of the Five-Year Period of Eligibility. The Board of Directors approved a blanket waiver allowing institutions to self-apply extensions of eligibility for fall sport student-athletes who are unable to compete, elect not to compete or who qualify for a season of competition waiver due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

4.    Financial Aid Limitations (Exemptions). The Board of Directors approved a blanket waiver to allow an institution to exempt athletics aid of a returning senior student-athlete who would have exhausted eligibility in 2020-21, provided the student-athlete received a season of competition waiver and/or extension of eligibility based on COVID-19 and returns to the same institution. An institution may exempt aid up to an amount equivalent to the aid counted toward team financial aid limits during 2020-21 from the 2021-22 financial aid limitations. In addition, an institution may reduce or not renew such aid for the eligible student-athletes without being required to provide an opportunity to appeal the decision.

5.    Waiving Legal Rights as a Condition of Participation. The Board of Directors adopt emergency legislation specifying that an institution shall not require a student-athlete to waive legal rights regarding COVID-19 as a condition of athletics participation. This legislation would apply to all student-athletes. 

6. COVID-19 Related Medical Expenses. The Board of Directors adopt emergency legislation requiring institutions to: (1) Review the insurance coverage for all student-athletes who may compete in the fall and provide them with information; (2) Inform student-athletes of the risk classification of their sports according to the Resocialization of Sport Guidelines; and (3) Provide detailed information about how the institution is complying with the NCAA Resocialization of Sport: Developing Standards for Fall Competitors. This recommendation was made in response to the Board of Governors' directive requesting that institutions cover student-athletes' COVID-19 medical expenses related to infections that local health officials reasonably believe were the result of student-athletes' participation in athletics. The Council's concerns related to the original directive will be discussed with the Board of Directors. Importantly, the Council noted that the opt-out protections provide opportunity to make choices to participate. 

7. Conducting Fall Championships in the Spring. The Board of Directors approve conducting the fall sport championships in the spring of 2021. 

8. Temporary Changes to Football Practice Season – Canceled or Postponed Fall Seasons. The Council adopted temporary emergency legislation, in football, to specify that institutions that have canceled their fall seasons or postponed their fall seasons to the spring shall be restricted to up to 12 hours of noncontact activities each week from August 24 through October 4, 2020. The 12 hours of activities may include weight training, conditioning, meetings (e.g., film, team, position and individual) and up to five hours of on-field skill instruction, during which footballs, helmets and spider pads may be used. A four-hour daily limit applies to these activities and student-athletes must be provided with at least two days off per week.Â