Updated: Aug 28, 2025
Athletics Compliance Forms
The University of Southern Maine conducts its intercollegiate athletics program as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division III level. The University abides by all applicable NCAA Division III rules, regulations and interpretations.
Division III is the NCAA’s largest division with 450 total members and 42 voting conferences represented by more than 190,000 student-athletes. The NCAA sponsors 28 Division III specific championships annually.
To be eligible to participate in intercollegiate athletics, student-athletes must be academically and athletically eligible under NCAA rules, regulations and interpretations, and all other applicable conference and institutional policies at the time of participation. At USM, the Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance and Athletic Media Relations, in coordination with the Director of Athletics, the Associate Director of Athletics, the Faculty Athletics Representative and other institution academic authorities, determines a student-athlete’s eligibility to participate.
Every student-athlete wishing to participate in intercollegiate athletics must undergo an annual University administered pre-participation physical examination (PPE) prior to engaging in any physical activity (NCAA Div. III bylaw 17.1.6.4). All student-athletes must attend an annual NCAA compliance meeting and sign all applicable NCAA and University required documents (NCAA Div. III bylaws 14.1.3 and 14.1.4) prior to any outside competition.
Meet Your Husky Compliance Team
USM's Office of Compliance is located in the Costello Sports Complex, and is adjacent to the Learning Center.
Mitchell Bean, Athletics Compliance Officer
mitchell.bean@maine.edu | (207) 780-5434
John Sutyak, Director of Athletics
john.sutyak@maine.edu | (207) 780-5588
Kim Turner, Associate Director of Athletics & Senior Woman Administrator
kmturner@maine.edu | (207) 780-5997
Dominique Ross, Faculty Athletics Representative
dominique.ross@maine.edu | (207) (207) 780-5659
NCAA Sexual Violence Policy
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE ANNUAL STUDENT-ATHLETE CONDUCT DISCLOSURE FORM |
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE STUDENT-ATHLETE PRIOR INSTITUTION DISCLOSURE FORM
The NCAA is a voluntary membership organization dedicated to promoting and developing its core values of academics, well-being, and fairness among the 1,100 member schools and more than 450,000 student-athletes who participate in college sports. Sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual and interpersonal violence violate human decency and the Association's core values. Association's Efforts in Sexual Violence Prevention. The Association has been actively engaged in addressing sexual violence prevention through proactive membership and societal engagement measures since 2010. In 2010, the NCAA Executive Committee (now NCAA Board of Governors) issued a directive to the NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct to support the membership in addressing sexual violence on campus. The directive was followed-up with the 2011 Summit on Violence Prevention. In 2012, the NCAA sponsored a think tank, which led to the production of the comprehensive 2014 guide titled " Addressing Sexual Assault and Interpersonal Violence."
In August 2014, the Executive Committee passed a resolution that specifies that appropriately addressing sexual violence is integral to responsible intercollegiate athletics programs. Specifically, the resolution states that addressing sexual violence: (1) Is consistent with the values and principles articulated in the NCAA Constitution; (2) Is mandated by state and federal laws; and (3) Must be part of a collaborative effort with campus policies. Following the resolution, a newly formed interdisciplinary task force produced the " Sexual Violence Prevention Toolkit" in 2016 and updated in 2019, which is endorsed by 12 Higher Education organizations, five NCAA committees, and three national organizations. Also in 2016, the NCAA convened the Higher Education Summit on Sexual Assault and Interpersonal Violence which included representatives from higher education associations, NCAA Association-wide committees, and subject matter experts. In August of that year, the Board of Governors appointed a Commission to Combat Campus Sexual Violence, for which the commission defined the aspirational culture for colleges and universities as A positive and thriving athletics team culture that revolves around respect and empathy for all, fostering a climate in which all feel that they are respected, valued and contributing members of their teams, athletics programs and institutions; and creating an environment in which students(athletes and non-athletes alike feel safe and secure, both emotionally and physically, and are free of fears of retaliation or reprisal. The positive culture exuded by a member institution's NCAA teams is the catalyst for a positive culture across an entire campus.
In keeping with this aspirational culture, the commission recommended the Board of Governors adopt an Association-wide policy to reinforce previous efforts of the Association in addressing campus sexual violence and this document represents the Board of Governors’ adoption of such policy.
Overarching Principles
1. Intercollegiate athletics departments should be informed on and integrated in overall campus policies and processes addressing sexual and interpersonal violence prevention and acts of sexual violence, particularly those related to adjudication and resolution of matters related to sexual and interpersonal violence.
2. Intercollegiate athletics departments should review annually the most current Checklist Recommendations of the NCAA Sexual Violence Prevention Toolkit, using it as a guide with resources to conduct ongoing, comprehensive education for student-athletes, coaches and athletics administrators.
3. Intercollegiate athletics programs should utilize their platform to serve as leaders on campus through engagement in and collaboration on efforts to support campus-wide sexual and interpersonal violence prevention initiatives. This includes involving student-athletes in prevention efforts in meaningful ways across the campus, including encouraging use of leadership roles on campus to support such efforts.
Each university chancellor/president, director of athletics and campus Title IX coordinator* must attest annually that:
1. The athletics department is informed on, integrated in, and compliant with institutional policies and processes regarding sexual violence prevention and proper adjudication and resolution of acts of sexual and interpersonal violence.
2. The institutional policies and processes regarding sexual violence prevention and adjudication, and the name and contact information for the campus Title IX coordinator*, are readily available within the department of athletics, and are provided to student-athletes.
3. All student-athletes, coaches and staff have been educated each year on sexual violence prevention, intervention and response, to the extent allowable by state law and collective bargaining agreements.
4. All incoming, continuing and transfer student-athletes have completed an annual disclosure related to their conduct that resulted in discipline through a Title IX proceeding or in a criminal conviction for sexual, interpersonal or other acts of violence.** Transfer student-athletes also must disclose whether a Title IX proceeding was incomplete at the time of transfer. Failure to make a full and accurate disclosure could result in penalties, including loss of eligibility to participate in athletics as determined by the member institution.
5. Institutions have taken reasonable steps to confirm whether incoming, continuing and transfer student-athletes have been disciplined through a Title IX proceeding or criminally convicted of sexual, interpersonal, or other acts of violence.** In a manner consistent with federal and state law, all NCAA member institutions must share relevant discipline information and incomplete Title IX proceedings as a result of transfer with other member institutions when a student-athlete attempts to enroll in a new college or university.
6. An institution choosing to recruit an incoming student-athlete or accept a transfer student-athlete must have a written procedure that directs its staff to gather the information that reasonably yields information from the former institution(s) to put the recruiting institutional leadership on notice that the student left the institution with an incomplete Title IX proceeding, was disciplined through a Title IX proceeding or has a criminal conviction for sexual, interpersonal or other acts of violence.** Failure to have it written and to gather information consistent with that procedure could result in penalties.
Note: Item Nos. 4 to 6 above require attestation beginning with the 2022-2023 academic year attestation.
Further, the athletics department will cooperate with college or university investigations into reports and matters related to sexual and interpersonal violence involving student-athletes and athletics department staff in a manner compliant with institutional policies for all students.
If a school is not able to attest its compliance with the above requirements, it will be prohibited from hosting any NCAA championship competitions for the next applicable academic year.
*For international members and schools that do not receive federal funding, or are otherwise exempt from Title IX, the signature should be from the Title IX Coordinator or institutional staff member with comparable responsibilities
**A person who has been disciplined through a Title IX proceeding or criminally convicted, regardless of the degree, and whether the result of a plea or court determination, of either of the following:
Interpersonal Violence: Violence that is predominantly caused due to the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator, including dating and domestic violence.
Sexual Violence: A term used to include both forcible and non-forcible sex offenses, ranging from sexual battery to rape.
Other Acts of Violence: Crimes including murder, manslaughter, aggravated assault or any assault that employs the use of a deadly weapon or causes serious bodily injury."
Current Student Athletes & Prospective Student Athletes
Maintaining student-athlete intercollegiate eligibility is the priority of USM Compliance. A student-athlete's eligibility is compromised when rules are not followed, by not only themselves, but others as well. Current student-athletes, enrolled or on break, are to comply with ALL rules and regulations set forth by the NCAA, Little East Conference, and the University of Southern Maine. Many of these rules/regulations can be found in the USM Student-Athlete Handbook.
Student-Athlete Resources
2025-26 NCAA Division III Summary of Key Regulations | 2025-26 Student-Athlete Statement & Drug Testing Consent | Self Release Form
NCAA Transgender Student-Athlete Participation Policy
What is a Prospective Student-Athlete? Bylaw 13.02.7
A prospective student-athlete (PSA) is any student who is in high school (ninth grade and beyond) and has yet to enroll full-time at any four-year institution. Whether you are in high school, prep-school, or recently graduated and taking a year off before enrolling at a college or university, you are considered a PSA.
Recruiting:
When it comes to recruiting, all interactions between an NCAA coach and a PSA are regulated per sport and method of communication. Coaches, student-athletes and PSAs can use the Division III Athletics Recruiting/Communication Quick Reference Guide
Boosters | Representatives of Athletics Interest
A "Representative of Athletics Interest," also known as a "Booster" is a term the NCAA uses to classify a broad range of constituents to any particular member institution. Common groups that are deemed representatives of athletics interests are alumni/alumnae, parents of student-athletes, ans, and more. It is important to understand that the NCAA regulates the actions of representatives of athletics interests and requires each institution to be responsible for those actions.
Definition: Bylaw 13.02.9 Representative of Athletics Interests or Booster
The NCAA defines a representative of athletics interests as an individual, independent agency, corporate entity (e.g., apparel or equipment manufacturer), or other organization who is known (or who should have been known) by a member of the institution's executive or athletics administration to:
- Have participated in or to be a member of an agency or organization promoting the institution's intercollegiate athletics program;
- Have made financial contributions to the athletics department or to an athletics booster organization of that institution;
- Be assisting or to have been requested (by the athletics department staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes;
- Be assisting or to have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families; or
- Have been involved otherwise in promoting the institution's athletics program.
Resources:
Guidelines for Representatives of Athletics Interest
