(a) For purposes of this section:

(1) “Athletic program” means any intercollegiate athletic program of an institution of higher education in this state that recruits student athletes by soliciting them to apply to, enroll in or attend such institution for purposes of participating in intercollegiate sporting programs, events, contests or exhibitions at such institution.

(2) “NCAA” means the National Collegiate Athletic Association or its successor.

(3) “Student athlete” means an individual who attends an elementary, middle or secondary school program of education or an institution of higher education and participates in any interscholastic athletic program in this state, whether or not such individual receives scholarship funds for such individual's athletic participation.

(b) Commencing January 1, 2012, an institution of higher education that offers athletic scholarships shall provide a hyperlink entitled “Student Athletes' Right to Know” on the front page of its official athletic Internet web site, which shall be linked to a web page containing all of the following information:

(1) Athletic scholarship information, including, but not limited to:

(A) The most recent cost of attendance expenses as published by the institution of higher education's financial aid office for the academic year and for the summer school session.

(B) The sum of expenses identified in subparagraph (A) of this subdivision that are prohibited from inclusion in a full grant-in-aid athletic scholarship pursuant to the NCAA'S rules and regulations.

(C) The policy of the institution of higher education's athletic program regarding whether student athletes will receive athletic scholarships for summer school sessions, and, if so, whether such scholarships are proportional to athletic scholarships received during the regular academic year.

(D) The full grant-in-aid athletic scholarship payment received by all student athletes who live on campus during the academic year and off campus during summer school session.

(E) The following information relating to NCAA scholarship rules: (i) A verbal commitment is not binding on either the student athlete or the institution; (ii) the National Letter of Intent is a binding agreement between a prospective student athlete and an institution of higher education in which the institution agrees to provide a prospective student athlete, who is admitted to the institution and is eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules, athletics aid for one academic year in exchange for the prospective student athlete's agreement to attend the institution for one academic year; (iii) the National Letter of Intent must be accompanied by an institutional financial aid agreement; and (iv) if the prospective student athlete signs the National Letter of Intent but does not enroll at that institution for a full academic year, such student athlete may be subject to specific penalties, including loss of a season of eligibility and a mandatory residence requirement.

(F) The policy of the institution of higher education regarding whether or not such institution may choose to sign more recruited student athletes than it has available athletic scholarships and the consequences to the athletic scholarship opportunities of recruited and current student athletes in such situations.

(2) Athletic scholarship renewal information, including, but not limited to:

(A) The NCAA'S policy regarding scholarship duration.

(B) The policy of the institution of higher education's athletic program concerning the renewal or nonrenewal of an athletic scholarship, including circumstances in which a student athlete in good standing suffers a temporary or permanent sports-related injury, there is a change in coaching, or a student athlete's athletic performance is deemed to be below expectations.

(3) Athletically related medical expenses information, including, but not limited to:

(A) The NCAA'S policy regarding whether athletic programs are mandated to pay for athletically related medical expenses.

(B) The policy of the institution of higher education's athletic program regarding whether such program will pay for a student athlete's athletically related medical expenses, including deductibles, copayments and coinsurance, or any such medical expenses that exceed any maximum insurance coverage limits.

(C) The policy of the institution of higher education's athletic program regarding who is required to pay for any required athletically related insurance premiums for student athletes who do not have insurance coverage.

(D) The duration of time the institution of higher education's athletic program will continue to pay for athletically related medical expenses after a student athlete's athletic eligibility expires.

(E) Whether or not an athletic program's medical policy covers expenses associated with attaining a second medical opinion for an athletically related injury from a physician who is not associated with the athletic program, and whether the athletic program provides coverage for services provided by such a physician.

(4) Athletic release information, including, but not limited to:

(A) The NCAA'S policy regarding whether an athletic program may refuse to grant an athletic release to a student athlete who wishes to transfer to another institution of higher education.

(B) The policy of the postsecondary educational institution's athletic program regarding whether it may refuse to grant an athletic release for a student athlete who wishes to transfer to another institution of higher education.

(c) Commencing January 1, 2012, an institution of higher education that provides, by any delivery method, written material regarding its athletic program to a student athlete shall include in such materials a direct link to such institution's Internet web page, where the student athlete shall have access to the “Student Athletes' Right to Know” hyperlink and all of the information regarding the institution's athletic scholarship program as provided in subsection (b) of this section.

(P.A. 11-92, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 11-92 effective July 1, 2011.