Is it a NCAA violation for a coach to drink with legal aged athletes?

sc42 wrote:

Except that this is clearly not allowed under the explicit policy of virtually every D1 university athletics program. Just as a random example, let's take a look at the Cornell athletics policy handbook:

"Alcohol and tobacco are prohibited at practices, competition sites, team meetings, team meals, team banquets, in locker rooms, in coaches offices, on or during travel by any means, on away trips ..."

No drinking or smoking on team trips, coach. Pretty easy to understand.

You are quoting from the student-athlete handbook. That doesn't apply to coaches.

And even though I coached there for 10 years, I never was aware that it was illegal for a student athlete to drink on a trip. I can pretty much guarantee you that isn't enforced by anyone. I was in Eugene and saw an NCAA athlete celebrating a national title with her parents. Beer was at the table. You want her kicked off the team for having a drink while in Eugene for a week?

When I ran for Oiselle, the cougars there would get me drunk after every meet and try to take advantage of me. That's why I switched to NOP. Salazar is better looking.

The oiselle chicks have really aged well for a bunch of 30-something dudes.

Perhaps not at Cornell and I am not going to bother looking it up, but I suspect you are simply wrong. It certainly applied to everyone on a (university-paid) XC or track trip at the school where I coached for 7 years. I never saw any coach in my conference drinking with their athletes at a meet, even though we almost always ended up eating in the same places as a bunch of other teams.

Paraprhased: "Sorry Officer, this is a 35mph zone? Golly, I didn't see the signs?!?!"

No I do not want her kicked off the team, but if she was with her parents as you stated, then she was released and school policy does not apply. And the entire season was over, in the example you mention.

Though one or two previous posts touched on it, I think it's worth noting that drinking under the age of 21 is illegal in all 50 of the United States (AFAIK).

A coach who condones underage drinking is, at best, unwise. A coach who abets it is, strictly speaking, a criminal.

Jim Beam wrote:

More specifically, in Eugene while on a team multi-day trip. Athletes were on his team and had concluded their competition, but they were still officially on a school trip.

Wow you mustn't have met your expectations and are looking to lash out

This is exactly what is wrong with americans and their twisted and warped puritanical "values." A BroJo goes as far as saying a college student does not know the difference between drinking and getting blitzed. If the taboo around alcohol were removed that distinction would be easy for any college student. There is nothing wrong, unethical or unprofessional for adults to order a beer with their meal, especially if they are simply walking back to their hotel.

"A college student does not know the difference between drinking and getting blitzed". Hmm. I know a lot of college students, and pretty much all of them know the difference.

But a lot of them are quite prone to follow the herd. Which is why a coach showing that he can somehow get through a weekend without hitting the sauce is of some value.