NCAA Drug Testing Information
NCAA Drug Testing Program /
NCAA Faq
General Stuff:
Division III schools (Stockton) are only tested by the NCAA during the NCAA Championship Tournaments. The NCAA determines if testing will take place during a Division III Playoff Tournament (it is not "automatic"). Testing does not take place during the regular or off- seasons. Stockton does not have a separate institutional drug testing program for intercollegiate athletes.
If an intercollegiate athlete tests positive after an NCAA Playoff game it has no impact on the results of that game or any subsequent NCAA Playoff games the student-athlete participates in. Test results can take up to 30 days. The athlete that tested positive will be suspended from NCAA participation for 1 year.
There are thousands of substances banned by the NCAA. A drug test does not test for every possible banned substance. The NCAA determines which substances are tested with each drug test.
Alcohol is not a banned substance by the NCAA. However every student-athlete is held to the Universities policies on alcohol.
ral Stuff:
Guidelines for Stockton Athletes:
- Report ANY and ALL medications you are taking (even over the counter drugs, such as cold medications) to the the Athletic Training Staff for information on possible side effects and NCAA Legality.
- If you are taking medicine for a designated medical reason or illness, take them faithfully and follow the directions of your physician.
- Know what medications you are taking, why you are taking them, and how long you are going to be taking them.
Drug Testing Specifics:
- An athlete is tested for drugs by analyzation of the athlete's urine sample in a laboratory.
- An athlete is notified immediately after the game or event if he/ she has been selected for drug testing, and he/ she has 1 hour to report to the drug testing station. Every athlete on the team is not tested.
- If an athlete refuses to take the drug test he/ she will be acted upon as if the test was positive and will be subjected to the same penalties.
- After the drug test if the athlete has not heard from the NCAA within 30 days, the test results may be assumed negative.
Penalties for Testing Positive
- The athlete is ineligible for regular and post-season play for 1 year after the positive test.
- The NCAA can test for drugs anytime during the disqualification period.
- To regain elibility, the athlete must test negative and have her/ his eligibility restored by the NCAA Eligibility Committee.
- After being reinstated the athlete is subjected to more severe penalties, including expulsion for life from NCAA eligibility, should she/ he test positive again.
Supplement Advisory:
NCAA member institutions are required to educate student-athletes about banned drugs and the products that may contain them. Please note that each year student-athletes test positive while using nutritional/dietary supplements obtained from a “health food store” or via web-based services, a personal trainer, a friend or family member or others they trust. Because nutritional/dietary supplements do not have to prove purity, efficacy or safety, student-athletes take these at their own risk. Some of these products have banned ingredients on the labels, and some are contaminated or spiked with unlabeled banned substances, which when consumed can result in the loss of a student-athlete’s eligibility. Before consuming any supplement, including vitamin and mineral supplement products, student-athletes are advised to first evaluate such products with the appropriate athletics staff. Student-athletes and athletics staff have access to Drug Free Sport AXIS, the only NCAA authorized service to check medications and supplement product labels for NCAA banned substances. Contact AXIS at 816-474-7321 or dfsAXIS.com using the passwords ncaa1 (for Division I schools), ncaa2 (for Division II schools) or ncaa3 (for Division III schools).
Understanding Dietary Supplements
Substance Use Statistics
Alcohol
Alcohol is not a banned substance by the NCAA. However, alcohol has numerous serious side effects and is one of the leading causes of death due to drugs in the United States.
Effects on Athletic Performance
Alcohol has been shown to decrease:
- Reaction Time
- Hand Eye Coordination
- Visual Tracking
- Balance
- Accuracy
- Fine & Complex Motor Skills
These decreases in performance have been shown to occur with as little as two drinks per day. This same amount may cause negative effects on heart rate, stroke volume, work capacity, peak lactate levels, blood pressure, respiratory dynamics including VO2 max, and increased risk of dehydration.
The social use of alcohol the night before an athletic event (4 to 5 drinks) can significantly decrease visual and motor skills the following day.
Caffeine
Caffeine intake is restricted (but not totally banned) by the NCAA. Urine concentrations up to 15 mcg/ml are permitted by the NCAA, about 500 mg of caffeine ingested within one hour would approximate this level in a normal adult male. Levels above this would result in a failed drug test.
| Product |
Amount of Caffeine |
Equiv. in Urine |
| 1 cup regular coffee |
100 mg |
1.5 mcg/ml |
| 1 coke/pepsi |
46 mg |
.7 mcg/ml |
| 1 No Doz |
100 mg |
1.5 mcg/ml |
| 1 Vivarin |
200 mg |
3.0 mcg/ml |
Possible side effects from caffeine include heart palpitations, anxiety, nervousness and insomnia.
