The Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (“Athletics”) through an ongoing educational program will continue to emphasize the health risks of all illegal and potentially harmful substances including alcohol and tobacco. This is not limited to substances tested by the NCAA. The substances for which the student-athlete may be tested include the following:
- Stimulants
- Cocaine
- Marijuana (THC & Derivatives)
- Anabolic Steroids
- Opiates
- Barbiturates
- Alcohol
- Testing Protocol
- The Athletic Director or his designee will ensure that collection of samples is carried out in a manner suitable for reliability and confidentiality.
- The Athletic Director or designee will select the number and types of tests in coordination with the Athletics Health Care Administrator and the Head Team Physician(s) or the assigned physician overseeing the drug testing program (“Designated Team Physician”).
- Random Testing: Athletics will contract with an independent testing agency to assure specimens will be collected on a random basis throughout the year (in-season, out-of-season, and summer school). Random individual and/or random team testing will be performed as determined by Athletics. The independent testing agency will assign a random number to each student-athlete. The independent testing agency is responsible for the random selections of numbers corresponding to individuals to be tested.
- Reasonable Suspicion: Specimens may also be collected based on reasonable suspicion. A student-athlete selected based on reasonable suspicion may be tested with or without notice. The Athletics Senior Staff member who oversees the Athletics Sports Medicine Department, in consultation with the Athletic Director, will determine reasonable suspicion. The designated team physician will be informed that an individual has been identified for a test under reasonable suspicion. Circumstances that may constitute reasonable suspicion include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Current or past involvement with the criminal justice system for drug- related activities.
- Admission of a current substance problem and unwillingness to enter into the Self-Referral Program described in Section F.
- Pattern of aberrant behavior.
- Team Testing: The Athletics Senior Staff member who oversees the Athletics Sports Medicine Department, in consultation with the Athletic Director, will determine team testing requests at any time. The designated team physician will be informed that a team has been identified for testing.
- NCAA Qualifiers: The Athletic Department may screen athletes eligible for NCAA championship competition to provide an educational experience concerning the collection process and provide information on the NCAA program.
- Selected student-athletes may have scheduled or unannounced screening prior to the competitive season, during the competitive season, or after the competitive season.
- Collection of Urine Samples
- Athletics utilizes an independent testing agency to administer the collection of the samples to be tested under the direction of the Athletic Director or Designee and Athletics Health Care Administrator.
- Collection will be done in a manner and at a time coordinated with the Athletics Health Care Administrator.
- Under the direction of the Athletic Director or his designee, coaches will be responsible for providing notification to student-athletes that they have been selected for testing.
- Urine specimens will be obtained under observation by members of the independent testing agency and monitored until sealed and identified by a random number corresponding to the student-athlete's name on the custody and control form to ensure confidentiality. All procedures for chain of custody will be followed as identified by the independent testing agency.
- Custody and control forms will be maintained in secure manner by the Athletics Health Care Administrator to avoid breaches of confidentiality.
- Notification of Results
- The Athletics Health Care Administrator or his designee will have access to review the results of the urine tests from the testing agency. Individuals that test positive for a banned substance will be contacted by the Athletics Health Care Administrator and be referred to the Head Team Physician, or Designated Team Physician who will discuss the student-athlete's results, review and determine the circumstances and reliability of the test, and will recommend whether it is necessary to repeat the testing.
- If the Head Team Physician or Designated Team Physician determines that the testing result is a true positive test for a banned substance, the Athletics Health Care Administrator or his designee, will facilitate notification of a positive drug test result to the following individuals: Head Team Physician or Designated Team Physician, Athletic Director or designee, the student-athlete's head coach, and the student-athlete’s sports administrator. A disclosure will also be made to a counselor/referral agency if the student-athlete is referred for an alcohol or other drug assessment or counselling.
- The Athletic Director or his designee will notify a student-athlete by utilization of campus email of any positive results. If the student-athlete has a concern about a possible false positive result, he/she must notify the Athletic Director or designee within one week from the date of receipt of the notification letter. The Athletic Director or his designee will determine action based upon all possible findings.
- Corrective Actions
Any action by Athletics that would affect the student-athletes athletically related financial aid is subject to the same five step process mandated by NCAA rules (See Section IV.E on “Appeals”).
- First Offense
- A student-athlete with a positive test result will be referred to a designated credentialed provider for an alcohol and other drug assessment. The student-athlete may be referred to a counseling and/or rehabilitation program by the designated team physician. The student-athlete, if directed by the designated team physician, will be expected to contact the program or a private state-licensed treatment program within one (1) week after being referred or provide a reasonable explanation to the designated team physician for failure to do so.
- The student-athlete may be subjected to non-random follow-up testing as designated by the designated team physician and/or testing based on reasonable suspicion as described in the Testing Protocol (see I.G).
- Second Offense
- A second positive test result or failure of the student-athlete to comply with the program may result in a maximum thirty (30) day, or twenty (20) percent of the student-athlete’s competitive season, suspension from competition. The student-athlete will continue to have access to educational, medical and other support programs sponsored by Athletics. In some circumstances the student-athlete may be excluded from training or other activities under the auspices of Athletics.
- If the second offense is the result of testing based on reasonable suspicion, the student-athlete’s head coach in consultation with the Athletic Director or his Designee may dismiss the student-athlete from the team. Athletically related financial aid may be revoked by the Athletic Director or his Designee.
- Third Offense
- The student-athlete may be indefinitely suspended from all athletic activity under the auspices of Athletics with the possibility of dismissal.
- Athletically related financial aid may be revoked by the Athletic Director or his designee.
- The student athlete who is suspended will continue to have access to educational, medical and other support programs sponsored by Athletics.
- Failure to Comply with The Drug Screening Program
- The student-athlete may be suspended or expelled from activities under the auspices of Athletics for failure to comply with the drug screening program
- The student-athletes athletically related financial aid may be revoked for failure to comply with the drug screening program.
- A student-athlete who does not report as directed for a drug test will be immediately suspended from all voluntary or mandatory athletically related activities. The student-athlete will be expected to submit an acceptable sample within 24 hours from the time of the student-athlete’s initial testing appointment. If a student-athlete fails to provide an acceptable sample within 48 hours of the student-athlete’s initial collection appointment, the student-athlete will be considered to have tested positive under this policy and applicable penalties for this positive test will be imposed as specified in the policy. In the event a student-athlete is notified of a drug test and willfully and intentionally refuses to test or to make himself/herself available for testing, the student-athlete will be suspended from the team and subject to dismissal.
- Appeals
An Athletic Department action against a student-athlete for the student-athlete’s failure to comply may be appealed by the student-athlete in writing to the athletic director. Any action that would affect athletically related financial aid is subject to the five-step process mandated by NCAA rules. This includes an appeal to the faculty athletic representative and the Office of Financial Aid Review Committee.
- Self-Referral Program
- General. Consistent with the educational mission of the Screening Program for Substance Abuse, Athletics has adopted a Self-Referral Program in order to encourage student-athletes to seek voluntarily assistance for improper substance use or abuse. This is an individualized process designed to allow student-athletes, without fear of disciplinary action, to initiate the contact by which substance use or abuse issues are identified, confronted and addressed through voluntary participation in assessment, medical evaluation, counseling, and education. The student-athlete is exempt from departmental sanctions while participating in this process. Student-athletes may avail themselves of the Self-Referral Program one time during their association with Athletics. Student-athletes may not self-refer for assistance regarding the use of anabolic steroids and similar growth enhancing or performance enhancing substances.
- Procedure. The Self-Referral Program shall be conducted as follows:
- The student-athlete shall advise the head team physician or the designated team physician of his/her desire to self-refer for assistance with substance use or abuse. Such notification must be made before the student-athlete is notified that s/he has been selected for testing pursuant to the Screening Program for Substance Abuse.
- The student-athlete shall identify the substances used for which assistance is requested.
- The student-athlete may be required to submit to an immediate drug test to determine the presence and concentration of drugs in the student-athlete’s system. If the drug test reveals the presence of a prohibited substance not disclosed by the student-athlete at the time of self-referral, the student-athlete may be automatically removed from the Self-Referral Program and subject to disciplinary action as set forth in the Screening Program for Substance Abuse.
- The designated team physician shall meet with the student-athlete, conduct a medical evaluation, as appropriate, and determine the characteristics of the student-athlete’s drug use or abuse. Thereafter, the student-athlete may be required to submit to periodic drug tests as determined by the designated team physician so that the level of drugs in the student-athlete’s system can be continuously monitored. If any drug test reveals the presence of a prohibited substance not disclosed by the student-athlete at the time of self-referral, the student-athlete may be automatically removed from the Self-Referral Program and subject to disciplinary action as set forth in the Screening Program for Substance Abuse.
- The designated team physician shall refer the student-athlete to health care professionals for assessment, counseling and education as deemed necessary to address issues regarding the student-athlete’s drug use or abuse.
- The designated team physician may release a student-athlete from the Self-Referral Program at any time once the student-athlete has completed all required counseling and education, and it is determined that the drugs in question are no longer present in the student-athlete’s system. The designated team physician may remove a student-athlete from the Self-Referral Program at any time if it is determined that the student-athlete is not fulfilling his/her obligations under the program or that the student-athlete is continuing to use the drugs for which the student-athlete self-referred.
- While participating in the Self-Referral Program, a student-athlete shall not be subject to testing as otherwise required by the Screening Program for Substance Abuse unless there is reasonable cause to believe the student-athlete may be using a prohibited substance not disclosed by the student-athlete at the time of self-referral, and shall not be subject to discipline action for positive test results for drugs for which the student-athlete self-referred.
- A student-athlete’s participation in the Self-Referral Program shall be confidential. The decision of the student-athlete to communicate their participation in the Self-Referral Program with others including family, guardians and coaches is voluntary.
- Alcohol Use
Athletics is committed to the principle that student-athletes who choose to drink alcohol, do so responsibly and legally.
- Student-athletes are expected to comply with state and federal law and University of Wisconsin – Madison and Athletics rules regarding alcohol, including use on campus and athletic related trips.
- When Athletics personnel, including coaching, medical and academic staff have reason to believe a student-athlete has used alcohol inappropriately, the student-athlete may be required to leave competition, meetings, training sessions, practice, academic appointments or any activity sponsored by Athletics. The student-athlete may be referred for evaluation and counseling.
- Distributing, Recommending, and Influencing Illicit Drug Use
Athletics will not tolerate its employees encouraging student-athletes to use illicit substances (i.e. any illegal drug or anabolic steroids). Any Athletics employee who distributes, recommends, or influences any student-athlete use of illicit substances will be suspended immediately and may be subject to dismissal.
