Rules governing certain mid-season coaching transitions

(a) In general An individual who serves, or has served at any point during a competitive season, as football athletic personnel for a varsity sports team for intercollegiate football at an institution shall not, during that same competitive season, perform for another institution any duties or responsibilities customarily associated with a head coach of a varsity sports team for intercollegiate football, including, at a minimum— (1) recruiting or contacting prospective or current student athletes; (2) directing, participating in, or materially influencing recruiting strategy or evaluations; (3) directing, participating in, or materially influencing roster management decisions, including decisions relating to transfers; (4) facilitating, coordinating, negotiating, or otherwise materially influencing name, image, and likeness activities involving student athletes; (5) directing, supervising, or materially influencing coaching staff or team operations; (6) participating in practice planning, game preparation, strategic decision-making, or on-field activities; (7) publicly representing the institution in an intercollegiate football-related capacity in a manner that reflects or implies authority over the intercollegiate football program; and (8) undertaking any other activity customarily associated with a head coach of a varsity sports team for intercollegiate football. (b) Application Subsection (a) shall apply without regard to title, formal designation, compensation structure, employment status, or timing of any public announcement, and the applicable intercollegiate athletic association may prohibit any arrangement that, in substance or effect, provides an individual described in subsection (a) with authority or responsibilities customarily exercised by a head coach. (c) Determination of ineligibility An individual described in subsection (a) who accepts employment, appointment, or designation as head coach of a varsity sports team for intercollegiate football at another institution during the same competitive season is ineligible to participate in intercollegiate athletic competition for intercollegiate football as head coach for the hiring institution through the conclusion of the competitive season, including any postseason competition, of the prior institution or the hiring institution, whichever occurs later. (d) Penalties for non-Compliance In the event an individual who accepts employment, appointment, or designation as head coach of a varsity sports team for intercollegiate football at another institution violates this section, that individual shall be ineligible to assume the duties as head coach of the varsity sports team for intercollegiate football at the hiring institution for the subsequent competitive season after the season in which the violation occurred and be subject to additional penalties sufficient to ensure compliance with this section. (e) Application This section applies only to institutions that compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision, as defined by bylaw 20.9.9 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or a successor bylaw. (f) Definitions In this section: (1) Applicable intercollegiate athletic association The term applicable intercollegiate athletic association means only an intercollegiate athletic association that has at least one member institution that is a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision, as defined by bylaw 20.9.9 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or a successor bylaw. (2) Competitive season The term competitive season means the period beginning with the first regularly scheduled intercollegiate athletic competition for intercollegiate football for an institution during a season and ending with the conclusion of the final intercollegiate athletic competition for intercollegiate football for the institution during that season. (3) Football athletic personnel The term football athletic personnel means any individual employed by, contracted with, or otherwise engaged by an institution who provides coaching, instruction, recruiting, roster management, or training as the head coach or a coordinator, including an offensive, defensive, or special teams coordinator, of student athletes who are members of or participate with the varsity sports team for intercollegiate football of the institution. (4) Intercollegiate football The term intercollegiate football — (A) means football played between institutions for which eligibility requirements for participation by a student athlete are established by an intercollegiate athletic association; and (B) does not include a recreational, intramural, or club sport.