Athletics Veritas is a weekly series aimed at helping higher education executives, faculty, and other stakeholders stay tuned in on trending national issues impacting college athletics, especially NCAA Division I. Athletics Veritas is created by senior DI athletic administrators around the nation.
Term-in-Ology: In-Person Scouting of Opponents at NCAA Tournaments
NCAA rules state that off-campus, in-person scouting of future opponents (in the same season) is prohibited. There are two primary exceptions, though, It is permissible to scout a future opponent participating in the same event at the same site (e.g., think regular season, multi-team tournament) or when a team is participating in their institution's conference championship or an NCAA championship contest in which a future opponent participates. This includes opponents that would be in the next line on your conference or NCAA tournament bracket as well as a future opponent later in the year (e.g., field hockey team in fall NCAA championship observing a team in the same NCAA tournament that they will play in a spring non-championship game).
With March here, everyone’s attention has turned to the college basketball tournaments. In-person scouting will not be an option this year, though. The NCAA’s safety protocols for post-season tournaments will prohibit coaches from staying in the arena to scout potential future opponents. This would normally be permitted; however, the NCAA has indicated that coaches will not be allowed to scout upcoming opponents' games in person. The NCAA will instead supply teams with video as soon as games end.
Athletics Veritas is presented for information purposes only and should not be considered advice or counsel on NCAA compliance matters. For guidance on NCAA rules and processes, always consult your university’s athletics compliance office, conference office, and/or the NCAA.
