Policies

NCAA Compliance Policy

The Intercollegiate Athletics Program at Franciscan University offers Students-Athletes the opportunity to compete in intercollegiate sports at a high level while focusing on the integration of sports and spirituality. Franciscan's affiliation with the NCAA and the PAC gives Student-Athletes the possibility for a very high level of competition against institutions from around the country.

In order to be a part of the Intercollegiate program, preparation and planning must be taken by the prospective student-athlete. Below is a list of resources to get started.

HOW TO BECOME A STUDENT-ATHLETE

1. Eligibility

Per NCAA Bylaw 14.2, a student-athlete has a total of 10 semesters to complete 4 seasons of intercollegiate participation in any one sport.

In addition, Franciscan University requires that the following criteria are met in order to participate:

a.  Must maintain full-time status during the season (12 credit minimum for undergrad, 9 credit for grad)

b.  Must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements after the end of each academic year

For specific eligibility questions, contact Alexis Basil, Coordinator of Compliance at (740) 284-5810 or abasil@franciscan.edu

Division III Compliance Information Video

2. Contact Admissions or a Head Coach

As a first step on your way to being a Baron, please feel free to contact the Franciscan admission department at (800) 783-6226, or visit the admissions website.

To contact a coach, call (740) 283-6313, or for a complete list of athletic department staff, visit the athletics directory.

3. Apply to Franciscan University of Steubenville

To apply to Franciscan University, call (800) 783-6226, or visit the online application site.

4. Transfer Students
If you are interested in transferring to Franciscan University from your current NCAA Division I or II institution, Franciscan University will need to receive written permission to contact you from your current institution before our coaches can contact you directly.

If you are interested in transferring from Franciscan University to an NCAA Division I or II institution, you are required to contact your current coach and the Compliance Coordinator to grant permission to the other institution to contact you.

If you are interested in either transferring to Franciscan University from another NCAA Division III institution or from Franciscan University to another D-III institution, the NCAA grants NCAA Division III Student-Athletes the right to Self-Release for a limited period of time. You must fill out the form linked below and send this to the potential institution. While you are still highly encouraged to notify your current coach of the desire to pursue a transfer, this allows the conversation to remain confidential for a limited period until a decision has been reached.

NCAA Division III Self-Release - If interested in transferring to Franciscan, complete this form and submit to Alexis Basil at abasil@franciscan.edu.
Learn more about becoming a Division III student-athlete by registering for a free profile page through the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Note: Franciscan University coaches cannot speak with you regarding a possible transfer until this Self-Release form is on file with the Department.

5. Athletic Fee
There is an athletic participation fee of $350.00 per academic year. This fee assists in deferring the costs of secondary insurance for a varsity athletics program.

6. Commit to the Team
Let the head coach know of your intent to be a member of the team.
Compliance For Boosters and Donors (Download)
Role of Boosters and Representatives of Athletics Interests

CURRENT STUDENT-ATHLETES
Summary of NCAA Division III Regulations for Student-Athletes
NCAA Banned Substances
Sports Wagering Prohibitions and Resources

FRANCISCAN ADMINISTRATORS AND COACHES
NCAA Division III Manual
NCAA Division III Rules Test
Practice Start Date Calculator

NAME, IMAGE AND LIKENESS (NIL) GUIDELINES AND POLICY

NIL Policy
NIL Agreement


ALCOHOL POLICY

1. Policy:

The University expects its student-athletes to behave as ambassadors of the program and advance the school's mission of educating, evangelizing, and sending out joyful disciples. Alcohol misuse is not consistent with the mission or philosophy of the program or the conduct of a committed, dedicated student-athlete.

2. Scope:

        a. This policy applies to all student-athletes.

3. Definitions

        a. "Student-athlete" is a student who participates or a prospective participant in any capacity in any intercollegiate athletic activity administered by the         Franciscan University Department of Athletics.

        b."Alcohol Incident" is any alcohol related occurrence that violates federal or state law or Franciscan University policy (see Student Handbook -Alcohol         Policy), including Franciscan Athletics policy.

4. General Principles

        a. All student-athletes are to report any alcohol incidents to their Head Coach immediately. The coach will, in turn, notify their chain of command immediately.

        b. The Department of Athletics may impose sanctions in addition to those imposed by the University and/or any governmental agency.

        c. With the approval of the Department of Athletics Front Office, teams may impose their own policies that may be stricter and carry heavier sanctions than         those of the Athletic Department.

5. Contest Window and Travel

        a. In addition to violations of university or local/state regulations/policies, the Department of Athletics prohibits the following:

                i. Consuming alcohol within 48 hours prior to a contest, regardless of age. Teams may be more restrictive.

                ii. Consumption of alcohol on university sponsored road trips by any student-athlete regardless of age.

6. Disciplinary Process – Tribunal

        a. Student Life Division will conduct its normal disciplinary process for those offenses that violate the student handbook. Once that process is concluded,         the Department of Athletics may convene a tribunal to adjudicate further disciplinary sanctions. Members of the tribunal will be selected by the Director of         Athletics and will include:

                i. Front Office Administrator

                ii. Head Athletic Chaplain

                iii. Head Coach of the student-athlete involved

7. Sanctions
        a. Sanctions will be determined by the tribunal and may include up to and including suspension or dismissal from a team. The totality of the circumstances         will be considered when levying sanctions, including but not limited to:

                i. Severity of offense.

                ii. Disciplinary record of the student-athlete involved.

                iii. Aggravating circumstances.

                iv. Mitigating circumstances. 

ALCOHOL POLICY PDF

SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

I. Statement of Purpose 
Franciscan University of Steubenville educates, evangelizes, and sends forth joyful disciples empowered by the Holy Spirit. As members of our athletics community, student-athletes have a unique and visible platform, and their conduct online reflects on themselves, their teammates, their coaches, and the University. 

Social media (including, but not limited to, Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and any other current or future platform) offers real opportunities to build community, share the story of Franciscan Athletics, and encourage others in faith and sport. This policy exists to help student-athletes use these platforms in a way that is consistent with the mission of the University, the dignity of the human person, and the standards of the NCAA, our conference, and applicable laws. 

II. Scope 

This policy applies to: 

  • Official team and department social media accounts; 

  • Personal social media accounts maintained by student-athletes, whether public or private, including anonymous or secondary accounts; and 

  • Any content a student-athlete posts, shares, likes, comments on, or allows others to post on their behalf, on or off campus, in season or out of season. 

Student-athletes remain representatives of Franciscan University at all times they are enrolled and participating in intercollegiate athletics, not only during competition or official travel. 

III. Official Team and Department Accounts 

Any student-athlete who manages a team's official social media account must meet with the Athletics Communications staff before posting to review platform-specific expectations, brand and graphics standards, and this policy. Only students who have completed this meeting may post on behalf of a team. 

  • The Athletics Communications office reserves the right to remove any post on a team-managed account that does not meet the guidelines below, and to revoke a student's posting access for repeated or serious violations. 

  • Team accounts should not allow open, unmoderated posting by third parties (comments and tags are acceptable, but the account itself should not be handed over to teammates, friends, or family for direct posting). 

  • Team accounts must comply with all NCAA recruiting, NIL, and communications bylaws; when in doubt, check with Athletics Compliance before posting a prospective student-athlete or an NIL-related matter. 

IV. Expectations for All Student-Athletes 

Whether posting on a personal or a team account, student-athletes are expected to portray themselves, their teammates, their team, and the University in a manner consistent with Franciscan's Catholic identity and with federal and state law, NCAA rules, conference policy, and University and Athletics Department standards. 

The following are prohibited on any account, personal or team-managed: 

  • Content that is obscene, pornographic, harassing, threatening, defamatory, or discriminatory (including on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected class); 

  • Content that depicts or promotes the illegal use, possession, or sale of alcohol, drugs, or controlled substances, or the use of tobacco/vaping products by a minor; 

  • Content that could reasonably be seen as a threat to another person's safety or that creates a credible risk of physical or emotional harm to another person, including hazing, bullying, or cyberbullying; 

  • Content involving sports wagering or the promotion of sports betting, consistent with NCAA and University policy; 

  • Negative, disparaging, or unsportsmanlike comments about officials, opposing teams or student-athletes, coaches, or Franciscan teammates and staff; 

  • Sharing information that is confidential to the team (injury status, game plans, internal team matters) or that would violate another person's privacy (FERPA/HIPAA-protected information); 

  • Depictions of team-related or University-identifiable activities — including wearing team uniforms, apparel, or gear — in a manner that is offensive, inappropriate, or inconsistent with University values; and 

  • Allowing or failing to remove offensive third-party comments, photos, or posts on content you control. 

This list illustrates common problem areas; it is not exhaustive. If content would embarrass you, your team, your family, or the University, or would require you to justify it to a coach or administrator, don't post it. 

V. Safety and Privacy 

Student-athletes should be thoughtful about their personal safety and privacy online: 

  • Anything posted online — even from a private or since-deleted account — can be captured, screenshotted, and shared beyond the intended audience. 

  • Be cautious about posting real-time location information, travel schedules, or class schedules, and about accepting followers or friends you don't personally know. 

  • Remember that coaches, recruiters, faculty, future employers, graduate programs, and scholarship committees regularly review social media. 

  • Content and images posted to third-party platforms are generally subject to that platform's terms of service, which may include broad rights to use or display what you post. 

VI. Reporting Concerns 

Student-athletes who have questions about this policy, who wish to raise a concern about content posted about them, or who experience harassment or threats through social media, are encouraged to use the following channel: 

Team Captain ---> Head Coach ---> Assistant Athletic Director of Communication and Development ---> Associate Athletic Director for Compliance ---> Athletic Director 

Concerns involving personal safety should also be reported immediately to Campus Security and, where appropriate, local law enforcement. 

VII. Violations and Consequences 

Content that violates this policy may be removed by the Athletics Communications office (on team-managed accounts) and may result in disciplinary action determined by the Head Coach and Athletic Director in consultation with the University, up to and including loss of posting privileges, suspension from team activities, or dismissal from the team, consistent with the Student Handbook. 

SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY PDF