POLICY 04:15:00

COMMUNITY COLLEGE ATHLETICS

This policy is consistent with Tennessee Board of Regents Policies 8.01, 8.02, 8.03 (formerly G-041).

Comprehensive Policy on Intercollegiate Athletics and Financial Administration (Combined from TBR Policies 8.01, 8.02, and 8.03)

Policy/Guideline

Participation in Intercollegiate Athletics
1. All community colleges in the system are authorized to participate in intercollegiate athletics in affiliation with the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
2. All community colleges participating in intercollegiate athletics shall comprise the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association (TCCAA) which shall be an operating unit within the TBR system.
3. The TCCAA shall be governed by the Presidents Athletic Council (PAC), which shall be comprised of all the presidents of the community colleges that participate in intercollegiate athletics.
4. All administrative expenses of the TCCAA shall be funded by membership and other fees assessed each participating college, as determined by the PAC. All funds belonging to the TCCAA shall be held in an account at TBR.
5. The TCCAA may contract with an independent contractor to provide administrative services to the conference. Compensation under any such contract shall be for services rendered and, subject to TBR policies, travel expenses only and may not include other employee benefits of any kind. Any such contract shall be submitted to the Office of General Counsel for review and approval.
6. The books and records of the TCCAA shall be subject to audit by the TBR Office of System-wide Internal Audit and the Office of the Comptroller of the State of Tennessee.
Presidents Athletic Council
Membership: The Presidents Athletic Council (PAC) shall be comprised of all the presidents of the community colleges that participate in intercollegiate athletics.
Duties:
1. The PAC shall adopt by-laws governing the operations of the Council. The By-laws shall be submitted to the Board of Regents for approval.
2. The PAC shall adopt policies and procedures governing the administration of intercollegiate athletics through the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association.
3. All policies and procedures must comply with the requirements of the National Junior College Athletic Association.
4. All policies and procedures must comply with all applicable state and federal laws, including, but not limited to, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
5. All policies and procedures must comply with TBR policies and procedures.
6. All policies and procedures must be submitted to the TBR Office of General Counsel for review and approval.
7. The PAC shall adopt an operating budget each fiscal year, which shall coincide with the fiscal year of the TBR system.
8. The budget must adhere to TBR Policy 4.01.00.01, Budget Principles and TBR Policy 8.03, Athletic Program Finances, as applicable. If there is a conflict between those two policies, Policy 8.03 will control.
9. The budget must be submitted to the Board of Regents for approval at the June Board meeting.
Financial Administration in Intercollegiate Athletics
This section is established to provide a necessary level of control and consistency among the TBR community colleges in the financial administration of intercollegiate athletic programs.
- Effective July 1, 2003, each community college is authorized to spend a maximum amount (CAP) from student maintenance fee allocations as described by TBR staff and communicated in the annual budget guidelines.
- The maximum amount will be reviewed annually by Board staff and may be adjusted based on such factors as the number and type of sport programs offered, student fee increases, inflation, and mandated salary and employee benefit increases.

Program Authorization:

- Each community college is authorized to participate in any of the following intercollegiate sports: basketball, baseball, softball, tennis, golf, volleyball, soccer, and cross country.
- Participation in additional sports will require written justification by the president and approval by the Chancellor.
  Revenue:
- Athletic revenue may be derived from student maintenance fee allocation, gate receipts, concession receipts, and restricted fees.

Expenses:

- Athletic CAP expenditures include salaries, employee benefits, supplies, materials, travel, scholarships, communications, etc.
  Out-of-State Tuition Performance-Based Scholarships:
- Institutions may award out-of-state tuition performance-based scholarships up to a maximum number equal to one-third of the NJCAA Scholarship limit per sport offered at the institution.
- These scholarships will be excluded from the athletic cap.

Post-Season Competition:

- Post-season expenses must be charged to separately identified account(s), per sport, within the athletic budget and are not subject to the expenditure cap.

Sports Governance:

- TBR community colleges shall operate within the limitations established by the NJCAA as referenced in the association’s NJCAA Handbook and Casebook for recruiting, governance, scholarships, and all other aspects of the colleges’ athletic programs.

Housing:

- TBR community colleges are not authorized to lease or provide, directly or indirectly, housing for student athletes.
  Federal and State Regulations:
- Each president is responsible for ensuring institutional compliance with all pertinent federal and state regulations relative to student participation in intercollegiate athletic programs.

Conference Membership:

- This policy is based on the understanding that each TBR community college with athletic programs shall hold memberships in the TCCAA conference and the NJCAA conference.

Exceptions:

- Exceptions to this policy must be approved by the Chancellor.

Sources: TBR Policies 8.01, 8.02, 8.03; T.C.A. § 49-8-203(a)(1)(D); T.C.A. § 49-8-203

Reviewed/Recommended: President’s Council, February 26, 2024
Approved: President L. Anthony Wise, Jr., February 26, 2024