Dive Summary:
- In a 2009 NCAA survey, 92 to 96% of programs at institutions across all three divisions reported that they do random drug testing of all sports, though some colleges have recently attracted attention for beginning random testing for the first time or for increasing the testing's frequency or penalties.
- Aside from testing at championship events, the NCAA started doing annual random testing of Division I and II institutions in 1990, covering 13,500 samples a year, but many Division III schools opted out of the year round testing in favor of reducing drug use through education.
- Despite this, colleges on the whole are increasing their testing in a bid to make their athletic programs better, and penalties typically include counseling and suspension, increasing in severity with each violation.
From the article:
In 1986, the National Collegiate Athletic Association started testing athletes for performance enhancing drugs at championship competitions. The move prompted serious pushback from those concerned about legality and privacy issues. Fast-forward 25 years, and scores of colleges are testing any athlete, any time - not just for drugs that could give them an advantage on the field, but for any banned substance at all, from marijuana to methamphetamine. ...