I heard that for a year or two when CR first came that the women were practicing against the men's team. At that time you could see most if not all the men at the women's games routing them on. I'm sure that the NCAA put a stop to that. As for scrimmage teams, I think that males are allow as long as they follow set guidelines.
NCAA Bylaw Interpretation
Top of Form 1
Male Students Practicing with W
omen's Teams:
Interpretation:
NCAA member institutions should note that in accordance with NCAA Bylaw 14.1.6.1
(Bylaw 14.1.7.1 in Division III), a student-athlete must be enrolled in a minimum full-
time program of studies leading to a baccalaureate or equivalent degree to be eligible to
participate in organized practice sessions.
The former NCAA Interpretations Committee determined that male students who practice
with an institution's women's teams on an occasional basis must be verified as eligible for
practice and have eligibility remaining. Further, the former Interpretations Committee
determined that if male students practice on a regular basis with the institution's women's
teams (and vice versa), those male students must be certified in accordance with all
applicable NCAA eligibility regulations (e.g., the individual must be enrolled in a
minimum full-time program of studies, have eligibility remaining under the five-year/10-
semester rule, must sign a drug-testing consent form and must be included on the
institution's squad list).
In addition, the former Interpretations Committee also determined the following issues
related to male student-athletes practicing with women's teams:
a. It is permissible for an institution to provide apparel to male students for the purpose of
practicing with the institution's women's team.
b. It is not permissible for an institution to provide male students financial assistance (i.e.,
room and board, tuition and fees, and books) in return for practicing with the women's
team.
c. It is not permissible for an institution to provide male students with room and board to
remain on campus during vacation periods to participate in practice sessions with the
women's team.
d. It is not permissible for an institution to allow male students who are nonqualifiers to
participate in practice sessions with the women's team.
Division I institutions should note that during its October 17, 2001, meeting, the NCAA
Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet Subcommittee on Legislative
Review/Interpretations confirmed that a male student-athlete who is serving his academic
year of residence as a partial qualifier may participate in practice sessions against a
women's team on campus or at the institution's regular practice facilities, provided all the
other applicable legislation and interpretations established for male student-athletes
practicing with a women's team are satisfied.
Furthermore, during its February 18, 1999, meeting, the Subcommittee on Legislative
Review/Interpretations confirmed that a male student-athlete who is a counter in a men's
sport may not engage in practice sessions with an institution's women's team in any sport.
Division II institutions should note that during its July 27, 1999, meeting, the NCAA
Division II Management Council agreed that an institution is not permitted to allow a
male student-athlete who is receiving athletically related financial aid in any sport to
practice with the women's basketball, volleyball or field hockey team on a regular basis.
Division I and II institutions should note that in sports other than football, participation
by student-athletes in individual skill-related instruction is permitted outside the
institution’s declared playing season, provided no more than four student-athletes from
the same team are involved in skill-related instruction with their coach(es) at any one
time in any facility and the student-athletes request the instruction. Thus, if male students
are involved in skill-related instruction with a women’s team, they must be included in
the permissible number of student-athletes involved in such instruction at any one time in
any facility (i.e., no more than four).
Additionally, institutions should note that it is permissible to provide actual and
necessary travel expenses (i.e., transportation, lodging, meals) to a student-athlete for
participation in athletics competition, provided the student-athlete is representing the
institution (competes in the uniform of the institution) and is eligible for collegiate
competition in the applicable sport. Thus, it is not permissible to provide a male student
(who is practicing with a women's team) with travel expenses to an away-from-home
competition, inasmuch as such students will not be representing the women's team in the
competition. Finally, although it is permissible for a male student to serve as a team
manager for a women's team, the individual's duties should be limited to those
traditionally performed as managers. It is not permissible to place a male student in the
position of a manager for the purpose of receiving expenses to practice with the women's
team on away-from-home competitions.
In addition, Bylaw 16.2.1.1 does provide four complimentary admissions for an
intercollegiate athletics event to a student-athlete in the sport in which the individual
particpates (either practices or competes), regardless of whether the student-athlete
competes in the contest.
