While sport-related concussion is an inherent risk in all contact and collision sports, the NCAA has taken a leadership role, in collaboration with multiple key stakeholders, in evaluating the impact of concussions and repetitive head impact, as well as developing groundbreaking research and best practices to mitigate the potential effects of head injuries in sport.
NCAA member schools are a critical component of these efforts. In addition to playing rules aimed at providing a safer playing environment, member schools are required to have a concussion management plan in place. The SSI also provides resources to raise awareness of concussions among student-athletes and collaborates with more than a dozen medical associations, as well as administrators, athletic trainers and coaches, to provide recommendations through its NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook and through consensus-based guidance and resources.
Education & Resources
Concussion Safety Protocol
The following Concussion Safety Protocol template is designed as a tool for NCAA schools to consider using to satisfy NCAA Divisions I, II and III concussion safety protocol legislation. The NCAA Concussion Safety Advisory Group regularly reviews the Concussion Safety Protocol Checklist and, where appropriate, recommends updates to the document for consideration by the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports.
Should schools choose to use the Template, it highlights all components of the updated NCAA Concussion Safety Protocol Checklist and includes shaded cells for schools to use to personalize their protocol. Schools are not required to use the template; rather, it is offered as a resource to support athletic departments in their concussion safety efforts. The content of this template is offered for educational purposes only and is not intended to constitute, or be a substitute for, medical or legal advice. The content is not intended to be exhaustive, and we encourage membership to review these materials with applicable campus medical, legal and risk-management authorities to determine whether and how best to use this information to address individual institutional risks and requirements. All concussion safety protocols, regardless if developed using the template or another mechanism, must be consistent with all applicable divisional legislative requirements.
Concussion Fact Sheets
These downloadable concussion fact sheets provide quick and easy-to-read information for student-athletes, coaches and educators.
Concussion Reporting Process
Section IX.C. of the Arrington Settlement Agreement obligates the NCAA to “create a reporting process through which member institutions will report instances of diagnosed concussions in NCAA student-athletes and their resolution.” In January 2020, all three NCAA divisions passed emergency or noncontroversial legislation (Division I Constitution 4.3.4.21;Division II Constitution 3.3.4.18; Division III Constitution 3.2.4.18) requiring an active member institution “to report all instances of diagnosed sport-related concussions in student-athletes and their resolution to the NCAA on an annual basis pursuant to policies and procedures maintained by the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports.”
Schools should use the online reporting tool for submitting the annual report on concussions. Step-by-step reporting instructions and a Frequently Asked Questions guide may be helpful for member schools.
The annual cycle for reporting concussions is from July 1 to June 30 of the following year. This cycle parallels the footprint of a typical academic year. Schools may report at any time during the year, but it is anticipated that most schools will elect to report late in the cycle to ensure that they have an accurate accounting of the concussions that occurred during the preceding academic year.
Upon successful submission of the concussion report, the individual that reports on behalf of the school will immediately receive an email confirming that the report has been submitted. This email will also contain a confirmation number and the number of reported and resolved concussions for the purpose of checking reporting accuracy.
Please contact ssi@ncaa.org with questions.
Data and Research
Data collection, research and evidence-based decision making are central to SSI’s approach. The SSI studies concussion trends, outcomes and responses to improve student-athlete health, safety and performance and develop effective concussion mitigation strategies.
This research helps member schools adopt science-driven policies and refine campus concussion management practices.
NCAA–Department of Defense CARE Consortium
Established in 2014, the NCAA–Department of Defense CARE Consortium is the most comprehensive concussion study ever conducted. It advances knowledge on concussion detection, recovery and long-term outcomes for both athletes and service members.
Mind Matters Challenge
A part of the NCAA and U.S. Department of Defense Alliance, the Mind Matters Challenge is a $7 million education and research grand challenge aimed at changing important concussion safety behaviors.
The challenge focuses on two important areas related to concussion: changing attitudes about concussions in young adults (a long-term impact research challenge); and educational programs targeting young adults (an immediate impact education challenge).
