110 ILCS 25/ Collegiate Athletic Association Compliance Enforcement Procedures Act.

(110 ILCS 25/1) (from Ch. 144, par. 2901)

Sec. 1. This Act may be cited as the Collegiate Athletic Association Compliance Enforcement Procedures Act.

(Source: P.A. 87-462.)

(110 ILCS 25/2) (from Ch. 144, par. 2902)

Sec. 2. Findings. The General Assembly finds that:

(a) All parties to any type of contract in Illinois are entitled to certain protections under law in the making of contracts and the resolution of disputes under those contracts. The duty of the State and its institutions to protect its citizens, institutions of higher learning, businesses, and other entities is especially strong where the parties have greatly unequal bargaining power and one party is essentially a monopoly providing a needed product, service, or relationship which cannot be obtained elsewhere.

(b) Collegiate athletic associations are national unincorporated associations consisting of both private and public colleges and universities and are essentially monopolies controlling intercollegiate athletics throughout the United States, giving them great leverage in dealing with local Illinois institutions that need membership to participate in sports on a national level.

(c) Participation in sports on a national level is essential because it brings recognition to the university or college. It also creates a greater sense of pride and loyalty among students, faculty, alumni, and other citizens who may contribute more to the school of their choice because of its sports successes or support it more intensely in other ways. Further, participation in national sports brings in revenue to the university that helps to fund its various programs.

(d) Membership in a national collegiate athletic association of schools of similar size or function is essential for Illinois institutions of higher learning to compete on a national level in all sports of any significance.

(e) Collegiate athletic associations adopt rules governing member institutions' admissions, academic eligibility, and financial aid standards for collegiate athletes. Any member institution must agree contractually to administer its athletic program in accordance with a collegiate athletic association's legislation.

(f) Obviously, collegiate athletic associations exercise great power over member institutions by virtue of their monopolistic control over intercollegiate athletics and the power to prevent a nonconforming institution from competing in intercollegiate athletic events or contests.

(g) Again, obviously, the procedures employed to determine whether violations of association rules have occurred are of paramount significance. Present collegiate athletic association rules provide that association enforcement procedures are an essential part of the intercollegiate athletic program of each member institution. This can provide an inadequate method of protecting Illinois institutions and their students and employees, such as coaches or athletic directors, if the procedures are not fair to all those charged with violations.

(h) Collegiate athletic associations engage in a governmental or regulatory type of activity amounting to State action over all member institutions. Further, when the regulation is of a State-created institution funded by taxpayer dollars, it should be obvious that the association receives its authority from the State or its agents. By force of their rules, applicable only by agreement with the public institution, they can cause such an institution to take certain actions necessary to remain in the association, with all that entails. Any sanction against a public institution, then, must be effectuated by the joint action of that association and the public institution. This regulatory activity amounts to State action that should require and does require the application of all due process protections provided by the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois.

(i) The State of Illinois has a deep public interest in ensuring that the procedures for determining whether violations of association rules have actually occurred are fair to its students, university or college employees, institutions of higher learning, and the communities in which the institutions operate.

The individual student athlete or employee, such as a coach or athletic director, risks serious damage to his or her reputation, the means to make a livelihood, and personal and professional aspirations.

The institution may suffer a substantial monetary loss and serious disruption of its athletic programs. Any such consequences upon an Illinois public institution of higher learning also has a direct impact on the amount of taxpayer support that must be provided to that institution. Moreover, the State has a right to feel pride in the accomplishments and reputations of its institutions of higher learning and seek to protect its institutions' reputations from harm inflicted by unfair means.

(j) If fairness and due process are not required in the determination of whether violations have occurred, the possibility exists of imposing penalties in an arbitrary and capricious manner resulting in the unwarranted tarnishing of the reputations of great institutions of higher education and of many individuals associated with those institutions.

(k) The State has an interest in protecting the communities in which its schools are located from losing the economic benefits reaped from hosting major sporting events.

(l) The present procedures of collegiate athletic associations do not reflect the principle that one is innocent until proven guilty. Because of such potentially serious and far-reaching consequences, the procedures used to determine whether a violation of substantive association rules has occurred should reflect greater fairness and due process considerations than now apply and should provide for a speedier determination than at present of whether a violation of association rules has occurred.

(Source: P.A. 87-462.)

(110 ILCS 25/3) (from Ch. 144, par. 2903)

Sec. 3. Definition. In this Act, "collegiate athletic association", "athletic association", or "association" means a collegiate athletic association that, in fact, monopolizes all or any significant part of an intercollegiate athletic sport on a national level.

(Source: P.A. 87-462.)

(110 ILCS 25/4) (from Ch. 144, par. 2904)

Sec. 4. Hearing required as prerequisite to finding of violation; Procedures applying at hearing.

(a) No penalty may be imposed by a collegiate athletic association on any institution of higher education operating in the State of Illinois, nor shall any collegiate athletic association require or cause any institution of higher education to impose a penalty on any student or employee, unless the findings upon which the penalties are based are made at a formal hearing in conformity with the rules in this Section. Any association may adopt rules prescribing the procedures for such a hearing, including the method of selecting a presiding officer; provided, that such rules are not inconsistent with this Act.

(b) Any finding must be made in writing and supported by clear and convincing evidence.

(c) Any individual employee or student who is charged with misconduct must be notified in writing prior to the hearing of the specific charges against that individual, that a hearing will be held at a specific date and time to determine the truth of the charges, and that a finding that the misconduct occurred may result in penalties imposed on the institution or imposed by the institution on the individual. The institution shall also be notified in writing of the hearing on the charges.

(d) Any person or institution so notified has the right to have counsel present, to interrogate and cross-examine witnesses, and to present a complete defense.

(e) The rules of evidence applying at civil trials in Illinois shall apply at the hearings.

(f) Any individual charged with misconduct that might result in a penalty, and the institution with which he or she is associated, shall be entitled to full disclosure of all facts and matters relevant to the same degree as a defendant in a criminal case and shall have the same right to discovery as applies in criminal and civil cases.

(g) Any individual or institution may suppress at the hearing any evidence garnered from any interrogation of any party if the evidence was not procured in accordance with Section 6 or if obtained indirectly because of interrogations not in conformity with Section 6.

(h) Any hearing shall be open to the public unless any party charged with misconduct or the institution involved objects.

(i) No hearing may be held on any given charge unless commenced within 6 months of the date on which the institution of higher education first receives notice of any kind from the association that it is investigating a possible violation of its rules, or, in a situation in which the institution itself brings the possibility of a violation to the attention of the association, unless commenced within 9 months of the date any notice is provided to the association. The running of the 6 or 9 month period shall be tolled because of any delay occasioned by the institution or individual being investigated, whether or not for good cause. Any individual charged with a violation or the institution with which he or she is affiliated may petition the circuit court for a determination of whether the provisions of this subsection (i) have been violated prior to proceeding with the hearing. The filing of any such petition tolls the running of the 6 or 9 month period.

(j) Any findings made pursuant to the hearing under this Section are subject to review in the circuit court based on the standard of whether the findings are consistent with the manifest weight of the evidence.

(Source: P.A. 87-462.)

(110 ILCS 25/5) (from Ch. 144, par. 2905)

Sec. 5. Penalties.

(a) Any penalty imposed upon an institution by an association or any penalty required by the association to be imposed on a student or employee must bear a reasonable relationship to the violation committed.

(b) Any penalty must be commensurate with those applied in similar situations for similar violations.

(c) Any penalty imposed on an institution or, because of an association directive, on an individual shall be subject to review in circuit court.

(Source: P.A. 87-462.)

(110 ILCS 25/6) (from Ch. 144, par. 2906)

Sec. 6. Rights in interrogations.

(a) In any interrogation of any person suspected of a violation of association rules, at the point at which the association should reasonably believe the person might have violated association rules, it shall inform the person that it is investigating him or her for misconduct that might result in the imposition of a penalty on such individual or his or her institution.

(b) At such point, the person interrogated is entitled to have counsel present at any further interrogation and need not respond further until provided with reasonable time to obtain counsel. The person interrogated is entitled to a complete recording of any subsequent interrogation and a transcript of the full interrogation made at the expense of the association. The transcript shall be made by a certified Illinois court reporter.

The association or its agent shall inform the person to be interrogated of these rights before proceeding and shall obtain written acknowledgement of such provision.

(c) In any proceeding or hearing held to determine whether a violation has occurred under Section 4, any party who has been subject to an interrogation, or the institution with whom he or she is associated, may seek to suppress evidence obtained during or as a result of the interrogation if the interrogation was not conducted in accordance with this Section.

(Source: P.A. 87-462.)

(110 ILCS 25/7) (from Ch. 144, par. 2907)

Sec. 7. Nothing in this Act limits the right of any individual or institution to claim the abridgement of any other due process right not enumerated in this Act.

(Source: P.A. 87-462.)

(110 ILCS 25/8) (from Ch. 144, par. 2908)

Sec. 8. Prohibitions.

(a) No association shall impose a penalty on any institution for a violation of the association's rules or legislation unless the findings that are the basis for the penalty are made, and the penalty itself is imposed, in accordance with this Act.

(b) No association shall impose a penalty on any college or university for failure to take disciplinary action against any employee or student for the violation of association rules or legislation unless the findings that are the basis for the penalty are made, and the penalty itself is imposed, in accordance with this Act.

(c) No association may terminate the membership of any institution because of the enactment or application of this Act, nor shall any association impose a penalty upon any institution for seeking redress under this Act.

(d) An association may not impose a penalty against any member institution because of any student or employee's seeking redress under this Act.

(Source: P.A. 87-462.)

(110 ILCS 25/9) (from Ch. 144, par. 2909)

Sec. 9. Liability.

(a) An association that violates this Act is liable for damages to an aggrieved institution or individual incurring injury as a result of the violation of this Act. Damages shall include, but are not limited to, all financial loss incurred due to the imposition of a penalty in violation of this Act. Any association found guilty of violating this Act is also liable for the costs, litigation expenses, and attorney's fees of any party prevailing against it.

(b) Any institution or individual aggrieved as a result of this Act shall also be entitled to appropriate equitable relief.

(Source: P.A. 87-462.)

(110 ILCS 25/10) (from Ch. 144, par. 2910)

Sec. 10. Exclusions. This Act does not apply to the following:

(a) Investigations conducted by and penalties imposed by a collegiate athletic association that relate solely to academic qualifications.

(b) Investigations conducted solely by the institution of higher education or by the institution's association representative.

(Source: P.A. 87-462.)

(110 ILCS 25/11) (from Ch. 144, par. 2911)

Sec. 11. Waiver.

(a) An institution, student, or employee who is subject to an investigation and penalties may waive any of the rights granted by this Act.

(b) A waiver must be in writing, must be knowingly, freely, and voluntarily made, and must specify each right being waived.

(c) A waiver may not be made irrevocable and may be revoked at any time by the institution, student, or employee giving the waiver.

(d) A collegiate athletic association shall not, under any circumstances, require a waiver to be given or impose harsher penalties if the institution, student, or employee refuses or fails to give a waiver.

(Source: P.A. 87-462.)

(110 ILCS 25/12) (from Ch. 144, par. 2912)

Sec. 12. Application.

(a) Any rights created under this Act shall apply to any matter or investigation not concluded as of the effective date of this Act.

(b) The provisions of this Act apply notwithstanding any contract or agreement entered into before, on, or after the effective date of this Act. Any contractual provision to the contrary is invalid and unenforceable. No provision of this Act may be waived by any member institution as a condition of continued membership in the association or otherwise.

(Source: P.A. 87-462.)

(110 ILCS 25/13) (from Ch. 144, par. 2913)

Sec. 13. Cumulative remedies. The remedies provided in this Act are cumulative and in addition to any other remedies provided by law.

(Source: P.A. 87-462.)

(110 ILCS 25/14) (from Ch. 144, par. 2914)

Sec. 14. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.

(Source: P.A. 87-462.)