Consensus-Based Guidance
The below listed publications are consensus- and/or evidence-based guidance developed by the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports and reflects a consensus of representatives from science, medicine, sports medicine organizations and the NCAA membership.
Mental Health
The Mental Health Best Practices provide evidence- and consensus-based recommendations to member schools for supporting and promoting student-athlete mental health.
Schools are legislatively required to provide mental health services and resources available to student-athletes, consistent with the Mental Health Best Practices. Additionally, Division I schools must attest to being in compliance with the Mental Health Best Practice.
Concussion Safety
The Concussion Safety Protocol Checklist and Concussion Safety Protocol Template are reviewed annually by the Concussion Safety Advisory Group, which is composed of subject matter experts from external scientific and medical professional organizations and representatives from the NCAA membership to determine whether available research data and accepted industry practices may warrant revisions to its content.
Schools are legislatively required to have a concussion management plan that is consistent with the Concussion Safety Protocol Checklist. Additionally, Division I schools must attest to being in compliance with the Concussion Safety Protocol Checklist and Template.
Catastrophic Sport Injury
Enhancing a culture of safety in college sports is foundational to reducing the occurrence of catastrophic injury and death. The Interassociation Recommendations: Preventing Catastrophic Injury and Death in Collegiate Athletes are a product of discussions between medical and scientific experts representing various industry medical organizations related to the prevention of catastrophic injury and death in collegiate athletes.
Preventing Catastrophic Injury and Death in Collegiate Athletes is Association-wide policy approved by the NCAA Board of Governors. Additionally, Division I schools must attest to being in compliance with the Preventing Catastrophic Injury and Death in Collegiate Athletes document.
Cardiac Care
The SSI collaborates with multidisciplinary teams, content experts, leading medical and sports medicine organizations, and member schools to develop and endorse best practice recommendations related to cardiac care.
As part of the Division I Core Guarantees, Division I schools must attest to being in compliance with the Cardiac Care documents.
Independent Medical Care Best Practices
The NCAA Sport Science Institute and leading scientific and sports medicine organizations have developed recommendations for athletics departments and athletics health care providers to use in the delivery of care for college athletes. The Independent Medical Care Best Practices is a resource of best practice guidance for athletics administrators, team physicians and athletic trainers in support of efforts to deliver student-athlete-centered athletics healthcare.
NCAA legislation requires schools to have an administrative structure that provides for the “unchallengeable autonomous authority” of primary athletics health care providers to have final decision-making authority for diagnosis, management and return-to-play determinations for student-athlete care. The legislation also requires the designation of an “athletics health care administrator” to oversee a school’s athletic health care administration and delivery.
As part of the Division I Core Guarantees, Division I schools must attest to being in compliance with the Independent Medical Care Best Practices.
Athletics Health Care Administration
The NCAA Sport Science Institute and leading scientific and sports medicine organizations have developed recommendations for athletics departments and athletics health care providers to use in the delivery of care for college athletes.
Sexual Violence Prevention Toolkit
The NCAA Sport Science Institute, in partnership with the NCAA Office of Inclusion, engaged leading higher education organizations across the country to develop the publication Sexual Violence Prevention: An Athletics Tool Kit for a Healthy and Safe Culture.
Other Guidance
Doping and Substance Misuse
The SSI partners with the National Center for Drug Free Sport to administer year-round championship drug-testing programs and funds more than $5 million annually in both testing for performance-enhancing drugs and providing educational efforts to help each member school address the risks involved with the misuse of alcohol and recreational drugs.
Harm Reduction Considerations for Gambling & Sports Betting in Collegiate Sports
This document discusses harm reduction strategies in the context of gambling and sports betting in collegiate sports and provides relevant resources. The information provided is resultant from discussions of the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports.
SSI Spotlight webinars
The NCAA Sport Science Institute hosts an educational webinar series, SSI Spotlight, which features one-hour discussions between the NCAA’s Chief Medical Officer and guest speakers about various mental and physical health, safety and performance topics. The discussions explore strategies, resources and best practices that may be implemented on NCAA campuses.
