Bigger, Stronger, Faster, Better… – Ohio State Buckeyes
8/20/1999 12:00:00 AM | General
The NCAA and its member institutions must constantly investigate locker rooms and weight rooms to keep up with the latest trends and fads in athletic performance enhancement so that at least in collegiate sports, the playing field remains as level as possible and young people do not cause themselves permanent harm. In this latest installation of the “Compliance Corner,” we will try to answer some of the questions that Buckeye fans may have about the performance enhancing drugs and supplements that student-athletes may be using to “…fight that team across the field, ” and what we do to keep the games our young men and women play clean.
1. “Does the NCAA have a drug policy in effect?”
Absolutely. NCAA bylaw 18.4.1.5 of the Division I Manual provides that a student-athlete who is found to have utilized a substance on the list of banned drugs shall be declared ineligible for further participation in post season and regular-season competition during the time period ending one calendar year after the student-athlete’s positive drug test, and shall be charged with the loss of a minimum of one season of competition in all sports if the season of competition has not yet begun for that student-athlete or a minimum of the equivalent of one full season of competition in all sports if the student-athlete tests positive during his or her season of competition.
2. “What drugs are on the ‘list of banned drugs’?”
The list of banned drugs is found at NCAA Bylaw 31.2.3.1 and includes some thirty “stimulants” [ephadrine, pipradol, methamphetamine, etc.], twenty-one “anbolic agents” [androstenedione, clenbuterol, nandrolone, etc.], eighteen “diuretics” [bumetanide, metolazone, etc.], “street drugs” [heroin, marijuana, etc.], “substances banned for specific sports” [alcohol, pindolol, etc.], and a group of substances known as “peptide hormones” [erythropoiein, human growth hormone – HGH, etc.].
3. “When does the NCAA test for banned drugs?”
Heather Lyke, the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at OSU, says that the NCAA randomly visits each member institution’s campus about two times each year. Also, student-athletes will be randomly tested while participating in a championship event or a post season football game.
4. “Does Ohio State have a drug testing policy of its own?”
Yes. All student-athletes are subject to drug testing while participating in a varsity sport at The Ohio State University. OSU administers four types of drug tests: 1. Random Testing, where a randomly selected portion of the student-athlete population is tested at regular intervals, 2. Total Team Testing, where whole teams are tested upon the recommendation of the head coach with the approval of the Appeal Committee or after an anonymous review by an impartial medical committee, 3. Just Cause Testing, used in cases where a student-athlete demonstrates symptoms or behaviors which are indicative of substance abuse, and 4. Reasonable Cause Testing, use in cases where a student-athlete has previous violations of the Athletic Department Drug Program policy. The procedures used for handling student-athletes who violate the drug policy include a tiered approach to handling first-time and subsequent offenses. “Ohio State’s focus in implementing its ADD program is more on finding out why the student-athlete is using the banned drug and getting him or her adequate counseling and help than just punishment for the young person, says Lyke. “However, we do impose strict consequences on student-athletes who repeatedly violate the institution’s drug policy.”
If anyone has any questions concerning the drug testing policy at The Ohio State University, please contact the Compliance Office at 614.292.2681, or write us at:
The Ohio State University
Department of Athletics,
Athletic Compliance
410 Woody Hayes Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43210.
-GO BUCKS!-
