Compliance

Welcome to Fredonia State Athletics!

Our job in athletic compliance is to oversee student-athletes, department staff members, faculty, and alumni, ensuring that the Department of Athletics & Recreation and are compliant with all of the Fredonia State Athletics, State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC), and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III rules and regulations.

While this page does not touch on all of the rules and regulations set forth by the NCAA, the SUNYAC, and SUNY Fredonia, it is a great reference point and will help you from violating any NCAA rules. Fredonia State is committed to taking institutional responsibility to abide by NCAA rules and regulations and, through continued cooperation of administrators, coaches, faculty, student-athletes, and other representatives of the institution’s athletic interests, is dedicated to maintaining control of the athletic programs in a manner that is consistent with the standards set by the NCAA. Compliance with the rules and regulations is essential to creating an environment filled with pride for all Blue Devil athletic teams and student-athletes.

ASK BEFORE YOU ACT. If, at any point, you have any questions, please reach out to Angela Pucciarelli Rice, at 716.673.3542 or via email at angela.pucciarellirice@fredonia.edu.

For your reference, the Fredonia State Compliance Guidelines can be found HERE.

NCAA Principles of Rules Compliance

Per the NCAA Constitution, a member institution will comply with all applicable NCAA rules and regulations. An institution is also responsible for monitoring its athletics program to ensure compliance for identifying and reporting all instances in which compliance has not been achieved.

It is the responsibility of every individual involved with Fredonia State Athletics to be aware of the rules which administer participation in collegiate athletics.

Fredonia State Athletics Compliance Guidelines

It is the responsibility of Fredonia State Athletics to adhere to all applicable NCAA, SUNYAC, and University rules and regulations in the conduct of its athletic programs. It is the responsibility and obligation of all department staff members to act within all applicable rules and regulations at all times. All department coaching and administrative staff members are required by NCAA Bylaws to sign the NCAA Certification of Compliance annually in good faith.

Required Information Needed for Participation

In order to be eligible and cleared to participate in practice or contests, each student-athlete must complete the following requirements:
- Medical clearance from a physician AND the Fredonia State Athletic Training staff (ATS).
  - Requirements include:
    - Concussion screening
    - Medical history
    - Physical
    - Insurance
  - This is managed through SportsWare Online (SWOL).
    - The ATS sends out this information annually.
- Be enrolled full-time (12 credits), making satisfactory progress toward a degree.
- Complete all components in Spry
  - Eligibility Packet:
    - Fredonia State Athletics Code of Conduct
    - NCAA annual compliance forms
    - FERPA Consent Form
    - Student-Athlete Attestation Form for compliance with the NCAA Board of Governors Policy on Campus Sexual Violence
  - Fredonia State Athletics Publicity Form
  - Additional Athletic Training Packet:
    - Insurance acknowledgment and information sheet
    - Electronic communication acknowledgment
    - Buckley Amendment acknowledgment
    - Assumption of Risk
    - Drug Testing consent form
    - Concussion fact sheet acknowledgment
  - SMHAT-1 Mental Health Screening Tool
- Sign all other Fredonia State Athletics paperwork regarding institutional, conference, and NCAA policies and regulations.
If you are an international student-athlete, clearance through the NCAA Eligibility Center is required. Instructions are sent out to coaches to communicate with any potential student-athletes.

Reporting an NCAA Rules Violation

Any individual may report an alleged, rumored, or suspected violation to the Fredonia State Athletics compliance office. Furthermore, any alleged violation observed by an athletics staff member must be reported to the compliance office in a timely manner. Information may be submitted verbally or in writing and may be held anonymous upon request.

Some helpful links to answer questions regarding NCAA Division III rules and regulations: