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IWLCA Statement Regarding NCAA Bylaw 13.12.1.5

By IWLCA Admin, 06/05/17, 9:00AM EDT

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IWLCA Statement Regarding NCAA Bylaw 13.12.1.5

The Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division I Legislation Committee would like to respond to recent questions regarding recruiting contact at camps and clinics, as it pertains to the new lacrosse recruiting legislation (2017-1) passed on April 14, 2017 by the NCAA.

For nearly three years, the mission of this IWLCA committee has been to stem the tide of early recruiting by establishing September 1 of junior year as the beginning date for all recruiting contact.

The NCAA Division I Council adopted this exact language in its stated rationale for 2017-1: “This proposal was intended to simplify the legislation by making September 1 of a prospective student-athlete’s junior year the starting date for all communications and contacts.”

September 1 of junior year was intended to be a bright line rule, including all methods, modes, types and locations of recruiting contact – no exceptions.

Soon after the NCAA Division I Council adopted the proposal, making it effective immediately, a question arose regarding recruiting conversations at camps and clinics.  A sub-provision entitled “Recruiting Calendar Exceptions” in Bylaw 13.12.1.5 of the NCAA Division I Manual allows recruiting conversations to occur at a camp or clinic only with a host institution’s staff.

Bylaw 13.12.1.5 was not listed as a “legislative reference” in either the early recruiting proposal or the new rule 2017-1. This was an oversight; it absolutely should have been included in 2017-1.  Camps and clinics were never intended to be an exception to the new recruiting contact rule.

As soon as this oversight was discovered, members of the IWLCA Division I Legislation Committee contacted the NCAA Division I staff immediately to include 13.12.1.5 in the new 2017-1 rule.

Kerstin Kimel, chair of the IWLCA Division I Legislation Committee, explains: “Our intent has been clear and consistent from the beginning. We worked very hard for almost three years to close every possible loophole and establish September 1 of junior year as the starting date for all recruiting contact. For the past month, we have been working feverishly to close this camps and clinics exception. It must be included in 2017-1, otherwise the entire rule and concept are essentially nullified. We have been urging the NCAA to issue an editorial revision as soon as possible, which would take effect immediately. We are hopeful this revision will come this week.”

The IWLCA will provide an update on the status of 13.12.1.5 as it pertains to the new lacrosse recruiting rule, as soon as a decision is made by the NCAA.