NCAA Regulations Governing Foreign Tours for Member Institutions

17.30 FOREIGN TOURS

17.30.1 Institutionally Certified Tours. A member Institution may participate in competition in any sport on foreign tours certified by the institution in accordance with procedures set forth under 30.7. (Revised: 1/11/89, 1/14/97 effective 8/1/97)

17.30.1.1 Contest Exclusions. Any contest(s) or date(s) of competition played on a certified foreign tour shall be excluded from the limitations set forth in this bylaw.

17.30.1.1 Tour to U.S. Territory or Commonwealth. A tour to a United States commonwealth (e.g., Puerto Rico) or a United Sattes territory (e.g., Virgin Islands) is not considered a foreign tour.

17.30.2 Sanctioned Outside-Team Tours. An outside team that includes student-athletes from more than one member institution may participate in international competition in any sport on a foreign tour. However, any such outside team that includes more than the following number of student-athletes from the same member institution must be certified by the institution in accordance with procedures set forth in 30.7 (Revised: 1/14/97 effective 8/1/97)

Baseball (4) Gymnastics (2) Swimming and Diving (5) Basketball (2) Ice Hockey (4) Tennis (2) Cross Country (2) Lacrosse ( 5) Track and Field (7) Fencing (4) Rifle (2) Volleyball (2) Field Hockey (5) Skiing (4) Water Polo (4) Football (5) Soccer (5) Wrestling (5) Golf (2) Softball (4).

17.30.2.1 Institutional Foreign-Tour Limitations. A member institution shall be charged with its foreign-tour opportunity in a sport and its once-in-four-years limitation (Divisions I and II) or once-in-three-years limitation (Division III) if the institution is represented by more than the number of student-atheletes specified under 17.30.2 on the outside team participating in a foreign tour in that sport.

30.7 FOREIGN TOURS AND COMPETITION

A member institution may participate in a foreign tour in any sport (see 17.30), provided the conditions specified below are met. (Revised: 1/11/89)

30.7.1 Certification of Tour. The Institution must certify in writing that the conditions set forth in this section are met and must maintain the certification on file in the athletics department. (Revised: 1/11/89)

30.7.2 Eligibility of Student-Athletes. The eligibility of student-athletes on the tour shall be governed by the following (see also 14.2.4.7):

(a) If the tour takes place during the summer, the student-athletes shall have been eligible for intercollegiate competition during the previous academic year, or

(b) If the tour takes place after the academic year has started, the student-athletes shall be regularly enrolled in the institution and eligible for intercollegiate competition.

30.7.2.1 Incoming Student Participation. In a sport that has no limitations on preseason practice, it is not permissible for an incoming student-athlete to participate as a member of the institution’s team on a foreign tour that occurs prior to the beginning of his or her first term. In sports with limitations on preseason practice (e.g., football, basketball), it is permissible for an eligible incoming student-athlete to represent the institution only on a foreign tour that begins after the permissible starting date in the sport involved or after the first day of classes of his or her first regular term at that institution.

30.7.3 Football Postseason Opportunity. A foreign football tour shall be considered that institution’s postseason opportunity for that season, the accounting period to commence with the start of the institution’s normal beginning of fall football season.

30.7.4 Time Lapse Between Tours. An institution shall not engage in a foreign tour in each sport more than once every four years in Divisions I and II or more than once every three years in Division III. In Divisions II and III, participation during the summer is counted in the previous academic year. (Revised: 1/11/89)

30.7.5 Maximum Number of Contests/Competition Dates. A team shall be limited to a maximum of three football games, 10 basketball games, or 10 contests or dates of competition in any other sport during and as part of the tour. (Revised: 1/11/89)

30.7.6 Opponents. The team shall not compete during the tour against other American teams (colleges or other U.S. teams) other than teams composed of U.S. armed forces personnel stationed at U.S. military bases in foreign countries.

30.7.7 Practice Limitation. Not more than 10 days of practice are permitted prior to departure.

30.7.8 Timing of Tour. The tour shall be scheduled during the summer vacation period between the institution’s spring and fall terms or during any other vacation period published in the institution’s official catalog. All travel to and from the foreign country must take place during such a vacation period. However, if the team crosses the international date line during the tour, the change of date will be disregarded and the equivalent time as measured in the United States will be used to determine the institution’s vacation period. (Revised: 10/18/89)

Please consult the NCAA for additional information. Their website is www.ncaa.org.