The NCAA was founded in 1906 to protect athletes from dangerous practices. It has since grown to govern college athletics across three divisions. As part of its mission, the NCAA provides guidelines for health and safety, including mandatory medical exams, concussion protocols, drug testing, and managing risks for heart conditions, sickle cell trait, and sports injuries. This helps student-athletes compete safely and have fulfilling athletic careers.

1. NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association

2. History of the NCAA
The NCAA was founded in 1906 to
protect young people from the
dangerous and exploitive athletics
practices of the time.
For several years, the NCAA was a
discussion group and rules-making
body, but in 1921 the first NCAA
national championship was
conducted: the National Collegiate
Track and Field Championships.
Gradually, more rules committees
were formed and more
championships were
created, including a basketball
championship in 1939.

3. NCAA Membership
The NCAA is made up of three membership classifications that
are known as Divisions I, II and III. Each division creates its own
rules governing personnel, amateurism, recruiting, eligibility,
benefits, financial aid, and playing and practice seasons –
consistent with the overall governing principles of the
Association. Every program must affiliate its core program with
one of the three divisions. Valparaiso University is a division 1
school.

4. The NCAA’s Role
Part of the NCAA’s core mission is to provide
student-athletes with a competitive environment
that is safe and ensures fair play. While each
school is responsible for the welfare of its student-
athletes, the NCAA provides leadership by
establishing safety guidelines, playing rules,
equipment standards, drug testing procedures and
research into the cause of injuries to assist
decision making. By taking proactive steps to
student-athletes’ health and safety, we can help
them enjoy a vibrant and fulfilling career.

5. Mandatory Medical Exams
The NCAA requires all student-athletes beginning their initial
season of eligibility and students who are trying out for a team
to undergo a medical examination before engaging in any
physical activity with the team. Each subsequent year, an
updated medical history is administered.
The screening includes a comprehensive personal and family
medical history, and physical examination. These findings
would provide physicians with information from which they
would decide if additional diagnostic testing is warranted.
Some NCAA institutions also offer an electrocardiogram (ECG)
or echocardiogram (echo) as part of an athlete’s heart screen.

6. NCAA Health and Safety
The NCAA focuses on the following health and
safety areas:
• Concussion
• Drug Testing
• Heart Disorders
• Sickle Cell
• Sports Injuries

7. Concussions
The NCAA has taken a leading role in
ensuring that athletes are properly
protected from and treated for
concussions. The injury, even in mild
forms, is recognized as a type of traumatic
brain injury that requires medical
attention and monitoring.
• Concussions can be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or
body that can change the way your brain normally works.
• Symptoms are unique for each athlete, with estimates suggesting
that 1.6 to 3.8 million concussions occur in sports and recreation-
related activities every year.
• Many are difficult to detect, and athletes may underreport their
injuries. But by knowing the facts about concussion and taking
proper steps to treatment, we can help all athletes enjoy healthy
careers.

8. Concussion Facts
• Signs and symptoms of concussion include headache, nausea,
fatigue, confusion or memory problems, sleep disturbances, or mood
changes. Symptoms are typically noticed right after the injury, but
some might not be recognized until days or weeks later.
• Lack of proper diagnosis and management of concussion may result
in serious long-term consequences, or risk of coma or death.
• Brain injuries cause more deaths than any other sports injury. In
football, brain injuries account for 65% to 95% of all fatalities.
Football injuries associated with the brain occur at the rate of one in
every 5.5 games. In any given season, 10% of all college players
sustain brain injuries.
• Up to 86% of athletes that suffer a concussion will experience Post-
Traumatic Migraine or some other type of headache pain. In fact,
recent evidence indicates that presence and severity of headache
symptoms may be a very significant indicator of severity of head
injury and help guide return to play decisions.

9. Drug Testing
The NCAA shares the responsibility of promoting a drug-free
athletic environment with its member institutions to protect the
health of student-athletes and preserve fair competition. Each
school conducts education to inform student-athletes about
banned substances and the products that may contain them.
The NCAA invests $4.5 million each year to conduct year-round
testing in Divisions I and II and at every level of championship
competition. The majority of NCAA member schools also
operate their own drug-testing programs to support clean
competition and promote student-athlete health and safety.
Through proper instruction and screening, we can ensure all
athletes have a safe and fair opportunity to compete.

10. The NCAA bans the following classes of drugs:
 Stimulants
 Anabolic Agents
 Alcohol and Beta Blockers (banned
for rifle only)
 Diuretics and Other Masking Agents
 Street Drugs
 Peptide Hormones and Analogues
 Anti-estrogens
 Beta-2 Agonists
Note: Any substance chemically related to these classes is also banned.

11. Drugs and Procedures Subject to Restrictions:
• Blood Doping.
• Local Anesthetics (under some
conditions).
• Manipulation of Urine Samples.
• Beta-2 Agonists permitted only
by prescription and inhalation.
• Caffeine if concentrations in
urine exceed 15
micrograms/ml.

12. Examples of NCAA Banned Substances in Each Drug Class
NOTE: There is no complete list of banned drug examples!!
Stimulants:
• amphetamine (Adderall); caffeine (guarana); cocaine;
ephedrine; fenfluramine (Fen); methamphetamine;
methylphenidate (Ritalin); phentermine (Phen); synephrine
(bitter orange); etc.
• exceptions: phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine are not
banned.
Anabolic Agents – (sometimes listed as a chemical formula, such
as 3,6,17-androstenetrione)
• boldenone; clenbuterol; DHEA; nandrolone; stanozolol;
testosterone; methasterone; androstenedione;
norandrostenedione; methandienone; etiocholanolone;
trenbolone; etc.

13. Examples of NCAA Banned Substances in Each Drug Class
Alcohol and Beta Blockers (banned for rifle only):
• alcohol; atenolol; metoprolol; nadolol; pindolol; propranolol;
timolol; etc.
Diuretics (water pills) and Other Masking Agents:
• bumetanide; chlorothiazide; furosemide; hydrochlorothiazide;
probenecid; spironolactone (canrenone); triameterene;
trichlormethiazide; etc.
Street Drugs:
• heroin; marijuana; tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – no other
substances are classified as NCAA street drugs.
Peptide Hormones and Analogues:
• growth hormone(hGH); human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG);
erythropoietin (EPO); etc.

14. Examples of NCAA Banned Substances in Each Drug Class
Anti-Estrogens :
• anastrozole; tamoxifen; formestane; 3,17-dioxo-etiochol-1,4,6-
triene(ATD), etc.
Beta-2 Agonists:
• bambuterol; formoterol; salbutamol; salmeterol; etc.
Any substance that is chemically related to the class of banned
drugs is also banned! (unless otherwise noted)

15. Heart Disorders
Student-athletes are viewed as some of the healthiest
members of society, so sudden cardiac deaths are always
shocking. Various causes of these incidents can occur in
one of every 40,000 student-athletes per year. And though
many athletes with heart conditions can live a normal life
and not experience health-related problems, sudden
fatality from a heart condition is the leading medical cause
of death in NCAA athletes, responsible for 75 percent of all
sudden deaths that occur during exercise, training or
competition. But by providing training to coaches and
team medical staff, and reporting signs and symptoms, we
can provide all athletes with a healthy and exciting sports
career.

16. Signs of Heart Disorders
• Fainting (syncope) or seizure during or after exercise.
• Fainting (syncope) or seizure resulting from emotional excitement,
emotional distress or being startled (e.g., diving into a pool).
• Chest pain during exercise.
• Unexplained fainting or seizures.
• Unusual shortness of breath during exercise.
• Unusual fatigue/tiredness during exercise.
• A racing heartbeat.
• Dizziness/lightheadedness during or after exercise.

17. Sickle Cell Trait
Though it has recently raised alarm in the athletic
community, exercising with sickle cell trait is generally safe
and with proper awareness and education poses no
barriers to outstanding athletic performance. Most
athletes complete their careers without any complications.
But it can affect some athletes during periods of intense
exercise, when the inherited condition causes red blood
cells to warp into stiff and sticky sickle shapes that block
blood vessels and deprive vital organs and muscles of
oxygen. But through testing and proper examinations by a
physician prior to competition, we can help athletes savor
a healthy career.

18. Sports Injuries
Participation in competitive
sports brings with it unavoidable
risks of injury.
The NCAA takes appropriate steps to modify safety
guidelines, playing rules and standards to minimize
those risks and provide student athletes with the best
opportunity to enjoy a healthy career. The injury
surveillance program collects, analyzes, interprets and
disseminates data on injuries in each sport, providing
a wealth of information through which we can provide
athletes with a safe competitive environment.