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NCAA Violation

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What is an NCAA violation?

A violation of NCAA rules is an action that provides an impermissible benefit and/or recruiting, competitive, or other advantage to a student-athlete, coach, team or institution. An impermissible benefit is any special arrangement provided to a student-athlete or their family or friends not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation.

Examples of NCAA Violations

  • Impermissible off-campus contacts and or communication with prospective student-athletes
  • Academic dishonesty and/or integrity issues (i.e., falsifying academic records, cheating, plagiarism, etc.)
  • Benefits above and beyond those typically afforded student-athletes (i.e., cash, gifts provided by non-NCAA and/or institutionally approved sources)
  • Name, Image, Likeness agreements that are not based upon work performed and are tied to athletic performance and/or enrollment at the institution

How to report an NCAA violation

Reports can be made via online form or directly to the Athletics Compliance Office.

File an Online Report

Reporter: Any individual can use EthicsPoint, which has anonymous reporting options.

Confidentiality: While such complaints will retain anonymity, the University's ability to investigate and respond to anonymous complaints is limited

File an EthicsPoint Report

Report to Athletics Compliance Staff

Reporter: Any individual may report an NCAA infraction

Confidentiality: The University will keep your information as private as possible

Contact Compliance Staff Directly

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the next steps? Will I be told the resolution or outcome of what I shared?

If a reported NCAA violation is substantiated, the violation is reported to the NCAA by the institution's athletics compliance office. Typically, the outcome remains confidential between the NCAA and the institution and are not shared publicly.

Know your rights: Northwestern's Non-Retaliation Policy

Northwestern's Policy on Non-Retaliation strictly prohibits retaliation against any member of its community for reporting or inquiring in good faith about suspected wrongful or unlawful activity, or participating in an investigation or proceeding related to such activity. The University considers such actions to be protected activities in which all members may freely engage without worry of negative consequences.