Caring About CARA: The COI’s Recent Sensitivity to In-Person Practice Monitoring

Abstract

Recent cases involving legislated limitations on coaching staff and/or countable athletically-related activities (“CARA”) suggest that the NCAA Committee on Infractions (“COI”) is sensitive to both the quantity and quality of compliance staffs’ in-person practice monitoring. In fact, it was a “close call” for the COI whether to find a failure to monitor in a recent case where the enforcement staff did not make the allegation and the university asserted that its policies and procedures aligned with or exceeded industry standards.

This article underscores the COI’s recent emphasis on in-person practice monitoring so industry professionals can make decisions regarding resources and written policies and procedures devoted to in-person practice monitoring and implement them on campuses. To do so, Part I describes the NCAA’s enforcement process. Part II analyzes and provides takeaways and themes from recent cases where the COI has provided commentary regarding the appropriateness of a university’s in-person practice monitoring. A brief conclusion follows.

Keywords: College Athletics, NCAA, NCAA Infractions, NCAA Enforcement, Administrative Law, Higher Education