What generally constitutes an NCAA rules violation and what is the required action when suspected?

• A. Any action violating NCAA, conference, or institutional rules; suspected violations must be reported to the compliance office for review and investigation.
• B. Only violations involving financial aid require reporting to the NCAA enforcement staff.
• C. Violations are only reviewed after an internal audit, with no external reporting.
• D. Suspected violations should be ignored unless confirmed by the head coach.

Answer: (A)

Any action that violates NCAA, conference, or institutional rules is considered a rules violation. When something suspicious is noticed, the proper step is to report it to the school's compliance office for review and possible investigation. The compliance office is responsible for collecting information, assessing the situation, and determining whether a formal investigation is needed. If the issue involves NCAA rules or could lead to sanctions, the compliance office may escalate the matter to NCAA enforcement staff. This pathway ensures violations are handled consistently and the campus maintains integrity. It isn’t limited to financial aid issues, and it’s not appropriate to wait for an internal audit to finish or to ignore suspected violations or rely on a coach’s confirmation alone.