BY BRAD KIRTLEY
APSU Sports Information Director
Most times when the term compliance coordinator is utilized in college athletics, it is followed by the words NCAA violation.
In fact, compliance coordinators often are viewed as the Darth Vaders of their respective athletic departments. They have the thankless job of being the bad guy, or bad gal in Austin Peay's case, of monitoring activities in areas of prospective student-athlete recruiting, playing and practice seasons, student-athlete scholarship awards, benefits and expenses along with monitoring the conduct of athletics personnel, in particular making sure the coaches adhere to all institutional, conference and NCAA rules and regulations.
As a result, when the compliance coordinator knocks on a coach's door or calls his/her office, normally the first thing they do is hold their breath.
Tara Pfeifler has served as APSU athletics department compliance coordinator for 10 years. She originally helped handle position responsibilities when she was an administrative assistant for then-Athletics Director Dave Loos. When then-compliance coordinator Glenda Warren experienced health issues in 2003, Pfeifler became more involved and then immersed herself in the position on an interim basis when Warren was forced to resign because of those health problems.
Being a one-person shop, she is forced to oversee all 15 sports—coaches and players—literally on a daily basis. Pfeifler, for instance, usually is the first athletic department person a coach contacts in setting up a recruiting visit, making sure the prospective student-athlete has the necessary academic background to be a potential scholarship candidate. Pfeifler also is on the docket for each student-athlete visit to campus, making sure the prospective student-athletes and their respective families understand what is permissible and not during the recruiting process.
Seemingly from the point a prospective student-athlete signs with APSU, Pfeifler literally becomes an extended member of that family, making sure that student-athlete and his/her family submit the necessary paperwork to the NCAA Clearinghouse and the University. She loves working one-on-one with student-athletes, often demonstrated by the number of APSU athletes who stop by her office to just talk about life or former student-athletes who stay in contact with her well past their Austin Peay days.
Over the years, though, Pfeifler's greatest dread has been speaking to large groups, as she does each fall when she meets with all APSU respective teams. She has drawn more than a few chuckles from friends with her rants about the upcoming prospect of those public speaking engagements.
That's why it is so surprising Pfeifler spent multiple nights during the fall going to Clarksville-Montgomery County high schools to speak to prospective student-athletes and their parents about the recruiting process and initial-eligibility requirements, answering questions that will help them better understand the rules.
“There is a big push by the NCAA to get the information out to high schools about the new, higher initial-eligibility requirements that are going to come in effect for students first matriculating Aug. 1, 2016,“ Pfeifler said. “The Eligibility Center is doing its part by sending information to high school guidance counselors, but college institutions also need to extend a hand to help with this endeavor.
“I believe there is a lot more to be learned from face-to-face conversations than from a document or email. These high school visits also give parents an opportunity to get informed, ask questions and be involved.”
Pfeifler actually started visiting local schools five years ago, when Clarksville High School requested her attention. Each year that number has grown, with this year being the first all Montgomery County schools scheduled visits. Sycamore High School, located in Pleasant View, and Father Ryan, in Nashville, also have reached out to her about visiting this school year.
“The primary goal of the NCAA is to graduate student-athletes,” Pfeifler said. “The NCAA wants to ensure a student is prepared to be academically successful when they transition from high school to college. The academic requirements are increasing for students to be able to practice, receive aid and compete during their initial year of collegiate enrollment.
“Students need to take care of their academics starting their freshman year – they won't be able to make up for early academic missteps by making up or loading up on core courses during their junior or senior years. It is imperative high school freshmen and sophomores know and understand this to begin establishing good study and work habits as soon as possible.
“We've had a long history of quality student-athletes in the Clarksville community. The importance of them understanding the rules, regulations and expectations regarding academics, recruiting and the nature of college athletics is paramount in helping them to take that next step in their athletic endeavors.”
Pfeifler begins her presentation by explaining what the NCAA is and its purposes and goals, the differences in the three NCAA Divisions (I,II, III), and the five-year eligibility clock before talking about the NCAA's Eligibility Center.
“I review the meanings of qualifier—new requirements are reviewed—nonqualifer, academic redshirt for those coming 2016 and later and partial qualifiers,” she said. “I list the things the EC (eligibility center) is going to be looking at to determine their eligibility—graduation, core courses, grade-point average, test scores, amateurism.”
But that is just a start. Pfeifler discusses what the NCAA considers a core course and high school's 48H (list of approved courses) form, along with how the ACT/SAT are superscored and the importance of submitting all test scores, how to calculate GPA for the 16 core courses the NCAA looks at, submitting official transcripts for each high school along with amateurism.
“We discuss DI requirements and the slide scales – both the current one and the new one that will be in effect starting in summer 2016, D2 and their requirements and how D3 certifies their own students,” Pfeifler said. “I touch on the athletics activities the EC will question them about and what may be issues. I go into a brief explanation of key recruiting elements (recruiting periods, visits, NLI, extra benefits, communications).”
She also outlines the yearly high school process and progress necessary to achieve their eligibility and the corresponding work that will be required when they ascend to the next level. However, Pfeifler also emphasizes it is up to the individual to make sure they are cleared by the eligibility center—not their high school or the college they are planning to attend.
“I close my presentation,” she said, “by directing them to the resources on the NCAA EC website that go into more detail regarding amateurism and sport specific recruiting rules, stressing that rules are changing all the time--they need to stay informed.”
After the presentation closes, Pfeifler entertains questions from school administrators, coaches, parents and student-athletes. Many questions center on recruiting, AAU competition, pre-high school classes, homeschooling and test scores. Pfeifler knows many of these hopeful prospective student-athletes may not end up playing collegiately, and even fewer for the hometown University.
“For me, these visits are about helping students achieve their goals of continuing their athletic careers at the collegiate level,” Pfeifler said. “Hopefully, I can convey to the student, their parents, the high school coach and administrators the importance not only of the athletic talent, but also of their academics, work ethic and character.
“If I can help one kid get an athletic scholarship to help them pay for college, these presentations are a success. In the past, mis-advisement--or no advisement—could be a mitigating factor in filing an initial eligibility waiver with the NCAA. This is not the case any longer.
“It would be a shame if a student missed an opportunity to play and receive athletics scholarship at the collegiate level because they knew nothing about initial eligibility requirements or didn't know about it until it was too late to rectify the situation.”
-AP-
