Student-Athlete Drug Testing Policy

Authority: Athletics
Date Enacted or Revised: Enacted February 6, 2017; Revised March 15, 2022

Purpose

McNeese State University believes that the use of controlled substances and performance-enhancing drugs constitutes a threat to the integrity of intercollegiate athletics, represents a danger to the health and careers of student-athletes, and unduly exposes student-athletes to exploitation. To ensure the health and safety of student-athletes, McNeese will follow the guidelines in this document when conducting drug tests and interpreting results. This policy is not to be construed as a contract between McNeese and the student-athletes; however, signed consent and notification forms shall be considered affirmation of the student-athlete’s agreement to the terms and conditions contained in this policy. McNeese reserves the right to amend this policy at any time. This policy is separate and distinct from the NCAA drug testing program.

Procedures

Selection Methods

Utilizing the services of Drug Free Sport, McNeese student-athletes, who are on the active roster, will be tested during the fall and spring semesters of each academic year. Student-athletes will be selected for drug testing randomly, or for the following reasons:

  • Reasonable Suspicion Screening: A student-athlete may be subject to testing at any time when the director of athletics or his/her designee determines there is individualized reasonable suspicion to believe the participant is using a prohibited drug. Such reasonable suspicion may be based on objective information as determined by the director of athletics or by a deputy athletics director, associate athletics director, assistant athletics director, coach, athletic trainer, or team physician and deemed reliable by the director of athletics or his/her designee. Reasonable suspicion may include, without limitation, 1) observed possession or use of substances appearing to be prohibited drugs, 2) arrest or conviction for a criminal offense related to the possession or transfer of prohibited drugs or substances, or 3) observed abnormal appearance, conduct, or performance reasonably interpretable as being caused by the use of prohibited drugs or substances. Among the indicators which may be used in evaluating a student-athlete’s abnormal appearance, conduct, or performance are: class attendance, significant GPA changes, athletic practice attendance, increased injury rate or illness, physical appearance changes, academic/athletic motivational level, emotional condition, mood changes, and legal involvement.
  • Post-season/Championship Screening: Any participant or team likely to advance to post-season championship competition may be subject to additional testing. Testing may be required of all team members or individual student-athletes at any time within 30 days prior to the post-season competition. If a student-athlete tests positive, he/she will not be allowed to compete at the post-season event and will be subject to the sanctions herein.
  • Re-entry Testing: A student-athlete who has had his/her eligibility to participate in intercollegiate sports suspended as a result of a drug violation may be required to undergo re-entry drug testing prior to regaining eligibility.
  • Follow-up Testing: A student-athlete who has returned to participation in intercollegiate sports following a positive drug test under this policy may be subject to follow-up testing. Testing will be unannounced and will be required at a frequency determined by the director of athletics or his/her designee.

Notification and Reporting for Collection

Testing will be unannounced, and student-athletes will be notified if selected for testing a minimum of 15 minutes prior to the testing time. Each student-athlete will be notified by the team’s athletic trainer either in person or via a phone call. Upon notification, the student-athlete will read and sign the drug testing acknowledgement statement. Failure to appear and provide a specimen will result in sanctions equal to those of a positive drug test, and the student-athlete will follow appropriate sanctions.

Collection Process

The student-athlete will be directed to a private restroom where he/she will be asked to provide a urine specimen via direct observation. Please refer to Drug Free Sport’s collection guidelines at the end of this policy for specific information on the collection process.

Reporting Results

A representative from Drug Free Sport will notify the director of sports medicine and director of athletics when the results may be accessed on their secure website to maintain confidentiality. If a student-athlete tests positive for one or more banned substances, the director of athletics will notify the head coach in person or via phone call. The head coach and director of athletics will schedule a meeting with the student-athlete to go over the results and appropriate sanctions.

Sanctions for Drug Policy Violation

Drug Free Sport works with a lab partner that performs screening and confirmation testing. NCAA drug testing results will be included in the institutional testing results. For example, if a student-athlete tests positive during an NCAA drug test, and again during a McNeese State University drug test, the institutional drug test result would count as a second violation.

First Violation

  1. Once the positive results have been discussed in the meeting with the head Coach and director of athletics, the student-athlete will be asked to call his/her parents in the presence of the director of athletics to inform them of the violation.
  2. The student-athlete will continue to be tested per the selection methods for follow-up testing described above.

Second Violation

  1. Once the positive results have been discussed in the meeting with the head coach and director of athletics, the student-athlete will be asked to call his/her parents in the presence of the director of athletics to inform them of the second violation.
  2. The student-athlete will be suspended from the athletic team until completing a rehabilitation/counseling program. 
  3. In order to be reinstated into the McNeese State University athletic program, the student-athlete must be enrolled in a chemical dependency program for therapy at his/her expense. Upon successful completion of the therapy, the student-athlete will be reinstated to the McNeese athletic program.

Third Violation

  1. Once the positive results have been discussed in the meeting with the head coach and director of athletics, the student-athlete will be asked to call his/her parents in the presence of the director of athletics to inform them of the third violation.
  2. The student-athlete will be dismissed permanently from the McNeese athletic program and all privileges as a student-athlete will be terminated and athletics aid will be canceled.

Refusal

Failure to comply with any part of McNeese State University’s drug testing policy constitutes insubordination and will render the student-athlete ineligible for athletics.

Drug Classifications to be Tested

May include, but not be limited to, any or all of the following:

  1. Cannabinoids (i.e., marijuana, hash);
  2. Cocaine (i.e., crack);
  3. Stimulants (i.e., amphetamines, MDM);
  4. Hallucinogens (i.e., PCP, LSD);
  5. Depressants (i.e., barbiturates, quaaludes);
  6. Tranquilizers (i.e., Valium); and
  7. Sports enhancing drugs

Communication

This policy is distributed via the University Policies webpage and directly to student-athletes by the Division of Athletics via signed consent and notification forms.