This FAQ document has been developed in support of published updates to the NCAA Drug-Testing Program.Content is not exhaustive in that it consists of responses to some frequently asked questions and is not intended and should not be used as a substitute for the complete information contained in the Program and related NCAA forms and legislation or legal or medical advice. Rather, it is intended as supplemental information for member schools and student-athletes to use in coordination with those resources and other institutional educational tools. Content should be considered accurate as of the date of last publication and it remains subject to further revision as the Program and related legislation may be revised.
What drugs are banned by the NCAA?
The NCAA bans drugs by class, along with any substance chemically/pharmacologically related to those classes. The banned drug classes, which align with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list of prohibited classes (with the exception of the glucocorticoid class) are: anabolic agents; stimulants; beta blockers (for rifle only); masking agents such as diuretics; narcotics; cannabinoids; peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances and mimetics; hormone and metabolic modulators (anti-estrogens); and beta-2 agonists.
How can a student-athlete find out whether a medication or other product they are using contains a banned substance?
A student-athlete should consult with their athletic trainer and/or team physician about all medications and other products prior to use.
Many nutritional/dietary supplements are contaminated with banned substances not listed on the label.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not review or approve nutritional/dietary supplements for safety or effectiveness and it has warned that supplements can have strong unanticipated biological effects that can involve health risks. Products containing hidden drugs are also sometimes falsely marketed as dietary supplements, putting consumers at even greater risk. Because the regulation of nutritional/dietary supplements is so limited,any nutritional/dietary supplement or other product that may unknowingly contain a banned ingredient is taken at the student-athlete’s own risk.
Drug Free Sport AXIS™ is available to answer questions regarding NCAA banned substances ataxis.drugfreesport.com(password: ncaa1, ncaa2 or ncaa3).
Are certain over-the-counter supplements approved by the NCAA for use by student-athletes?
The NCAA has not approved the use of any specific nutritional/dietary supplement. Student-athletes have tested positive and lost their eligibility using nutritional/dietary supplements and other products that contain banned substances. Use of any nutritional/dietary supplement or other product that may unknowingly contain a banned ingredient is taken at the student-athlete’s own risk.
Who is responsible for testing and educating student-athletes?
The NCAA and its member schools can conduct drug testing. The NCAA conducts testing at its championships in Division I, II, and III, and year-round on campus in Division I and II programs. In addition, member schools can and do conduct their own institutional testing programs independent of NCAA testing programs. Member schools are required to disseminate the list of banned-drug classes to all student-athletes, including student athletes who transfer mid-year, and to educate them about products that might contain banned substances.
Why was the penalty structure for a positive test in the cannabinoid class changed?
In consideration of the evolving landscape regarding cannabis use and a continued interest in identifying and properly responding to substance misuse, the changes are designed to reflect a structure that recognizes the potential benefit of permitting continued eligibility, where combined with education and institutional support, to facilitate behavioral change.
What is the penalty for failing a school-administered drug test?
Each NCAA member school has the discretion to establish an institutional drug-testing program and determine related penalties.If a testing program is established by a member school, the school is obligated to enforce related penalties and failure to do so can lead to NCAA sanctions.
Can student-athletes appeal a positive NCAA drug test?
An NCAA member school may appeal on behalf of a student-athlete and the outcome of any such appeal may be an upholding, reduction or elimination of the original penalty. All appeals are submitted to the CSMAS Drug-Test Appeal Subcommittee for preliminary review. If the Subcommittee’s decision is not unanimous it will refer the appeal submission for an oral hearing, typically conducted by teleconference. In the event of an oral hearing, a representative from the NCAA’s designated drug-testing agency, Drug Free Sport International, will contact the applicable school representative to communicate relevant procedural details. More information on the appellate process can be found atwww.ncaa.org/drugtesting.
How are student-athletes tested and how long does it take?
Student-athletes are required to provide a urine specimen under observation by a doping control officer designated by the NCAA’s drug-testing agency.
The process can be completed in less than 20 minutes, but timing depends on the student-athlete’s ability to provide a specimen of adequate volume and specific gravity (measures specimen diluteness). Provision of a low volume or highly diluted specimen can result in delayed collection times.
How does consuming large amounts of fluids impact drug-testing procedures and results?
NCAA drug-testing protocols require that the specific gravity of each student-athlete’s urine sample be analyzed onsite prior to sending it to the lab.If the specific gravity reveals that the specimen is too dilute, the student-athlete will be required to remain in the drug-testing collection station until an adequate specimen is collected. This could take several hours. Dilute specimens sometimes result from urine manipulation or diuretics and can negatively impact testing accuracy.A student-athlete who produces multiple diluted samples may be subject to additional follow-up drug tests.
Does a student-athlete have to disclose the use of medications to the doping control officer or the NCAA?
No. The doping control officer will not ask for or accept any information about medications that a student-athlete may have taken or is currently taking.
If a student-athlete tests positive and believes it is because of a prescribed medication, the school may request a medical exception as outlined in the NCAA Drug-Testing Medical Exceptions Procedures atwww.ncaa.org/drugtesting.
How can a school help prepare its student-athletes for NCAA drug testing?
Schools are required to educate student-athletes about NCAA banned substances and drug-testing policies and should consider doing so at the start of each academic year, periodically throughout the academic year and as they approach the championship season. Guidance related to drug education can be found in theNCAA Drug-Testing Programmaterials
Year-Round Drug Testing
How and when are institutions notified of year-round drug testing selection?
The NCAA designated drug-testing agency will notify the director of athletics, compliance administrator and drug-testing site coordinator via email of its selection for drug testing no earlier than two days before the day of testing. In most cases, institutions will be notified one day before the test day. Some test events will include no-notice testing.
How are student-athletes notified of their selection for participation in year-round drug testing?
The school will provide the NCAA-designated drug-testing agencywith the official eligibility or squad list or complete roster (if the first outside competition has not yet occurred)for the sport(s) selected for drug testing. The NCAA may select any student-athlete for testing and student-athletes may be randomly selected for drug testing or selected on the basis of sport, position, competitive ranking, athletics financial-aid status, playing time, directed testing, or any other NCAA approved selection method. A student-athlete, a school, or both may be selected for testing on one or multiple occasions. The NCAA-designated drug-testing agency will provide the names of the selected student-athletes to the site coordinator or designee.
The site coordinator or designee will notify the selected student-athletes in-person or by direct phone communication of their selection for drug testing.
Selected student-athletes will be required to sign the NCAA Student-Athlete Notification Form and report to drug testing at the designated testing facility on the date and time designated by the site coordinator.
What if a student-athlete has a previously scheduled conflict with the designated year-round testing day/time?
The site coordinator or designee may notify the NCAA-designated drug testing agency or the doping control officer and request to reschedule the test in the event of a conflict with an academic obligation or competition event, sickness, injury or any other reason previously approved by the NCAA-designated testing agency.
What if a student-athlete has trouble providing an adequate specimen during year-round testing? Can the student-athlete leave and come back later?
The student-athlete cannotbe released from drug testing until a specimen of adequate volume and specific gravity is provided. In the event a student-athlete must leave the collection station, it must be approved and documented by the drug doping control officer who may, in their discretion, discard any partial specimen and require that a new specimen be collected.
What does the NCAA test for during the year-round program?
- Anabolic Agents
- Diuretics and masking agents
- Peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances and mimetics
- Hormone and metabolic modulator (anti-estrogens)
Note: Student-athletes who have had a previous positive result, or had previous multiple dilute specimens, may be subject to additional follow-up tests and may be tested with an expanded panel that includes all banned-substance classes.
When and how are year-round test results communicated?
Year-round drug-testing results are typically available 15-20 business days after the drug test. Negative results are communicated to the director of athletics, compliance administrator and drug-testing site coordinator via email.Positive results are also communicated via email but only to the director of athletics and the individual designated by the institution as the positive results designee.
What happens if a student-athlete tests positive during year-round drug-testing?
The NCAA-designated drug-testing agency will provide the director of athletics or their designee the name of any student-athlete who tested positive and the identity of any banned substance found in their urine sample.
All specimens that result in a positive test are re-tested using a second sample from the same specimen. The student-athlete has the option to be present at the lab for the opening of the second sample, or to designate a representative or allow the lab to designate a representative.If the second sample also produces a positive result, the NCAA-designated drug- testing agency will notify the director of athletics or their designee and the institution will be responsible for declaring the student-athlete ineligible.
If the student-athlete tested positive for a substance for which a medical exception is warranted, the school may request a medical exception. The NCAA-designated drug-testing agency will assist with the medical exception process.
Championship Drug-Testing
When is drug testing conducted at an NCAA championship event?
Drug testing can occur at any phase and more than once during an NCAA championship (e.g., first round, second round, quarterfinals, semi-finals or finals).
Participating schools and student-athletes are not given advance notice that drug testing will be conducted at the championship.
When are student-athletes notified of their selection for championship drug-testing?
At team championships, immediately after any NCAA-established postgame cool-down period, student-athletes selected for drug-testing will be notified by a doping control officer or their designee.
At individual/team championships, official drug-testing couriers will notify student-athletes of their selection for drug testing and the doping control officer or their designee will direct the selected student-athlete to test immediately, to defer testing until the completion of their final event of that session or day or to defer testing until the completion of their final event of the championship.
What if a student-athlete has trouble providing an adequate specimen at a championship? Can the student-athlete leave and come back later?
The student-athlete cannot be released from drug testing until a specimen of adequate volume and specific gravity is provided.
If a student-athlete has produced a partial urine sample during individual championships events and must leave the collection station for a reason approved by the doping control officer, the doping control officer may temporarily defer the student-athlete’s collection until they return.
What if the team has to depart the championship site while the student-athlete is still participating in drug-testing?
If the student-athlete’s team must depart the championship site prior to a student-athlete completing drug testing, an institutional representative must stay with the student-athlete.
Some championship events begin late at night which means drug testing will start late as well. What is the NCAA policy on late-night drug testing?
The late-night testing policy pertains to team championship events only.
At any NCAA team championship event other than a final round, when competition begins at 10 p.m. or later local time, an institution may defer testing for all selected student-athletes until the next morning, provided the decision is communicated to the doping control officer immediately after the event and testing begins for all selected student-athletes no later than noon local time the following day at the testing facility from the day before. An institutional representative must be present at the collection site the next morning to identify selected student-athletes.
Which drug classes are tested during championship events?
- Stimulants.
- Anabolic Agents.
- Beta blockers (banned for rifle only).
- Diuretics and masking agents.
- Cannabinoids.
- Narcotics.
- Peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances and mimetics.
- Hormone and metabolic modulators.
- Beta-2 agonists.
Note:Student-athletes who have had a previous positive result or had previous multiple diluted samples may be subject to additional follow-up tests.
- #Drug Testing
