While 20 percent of tested Ball State University athletes tested positive for banned substances in a drug test, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tom Collins said he does not think it reflects on the athletics department.
The Oct. 5 drug test found five of the 25 athletes who were tested had positive results for banned substances.
Collins said he does not know how the number compares to previous drug tests at Ball State. The most recent number of positive tests are likely more than normal, he said.
"It's unfortunate that we had people test positive," he said.
Collins said he does not think the findings reflect on the athletics department as a whole. While it is unfortunate that the athletes tested positive, he said, the university is trying to help them with the issue.
"We're trying to be proactive and help them," Collins said.
According to documents obtained from a Freedom of Information Act request, the athletes must go to evaluation and/or counseling with a substance abuse counselor, which the Director of the Amelia T. Wood Student Health Center has to approve. The students must pay for all costs related to the counseling, according to the documents. If the athletes do not go to the counselor, the athletics department will suspend them indefinitely, according to the documents.
Three of the athletes were suspended for 30 days because they tested positive for the first time, according to the documents. Two of the athletes were suspended for 90 days because they tested positive for the second time, according to the documents.
The athletes' names, sports and substances they tested positive for were not released because of privacy issues, Associate Director of Athletics Karin Lee said.
The athletes who tested positive for banned substances have to take follow-up drug tests and can be reinstated up to three times for positive drug tests, according to the university's drug testing policy and procedures. After the fourth positive test, the athletes are permanently suspended and they can lose their scholarships, according to the document.
Lee said the athletes are tested for substances on the NCAA's banned drug list. The list includes approximately 100 banned substances, including alcohol, marijuana and human growth hormone.
Lee said the athletes who are tested are chosen randomly.
Athletes from 15 of Ball State's 19 athletics teams were tested. Soccer, women's tennis and men's and women's swimming and diving were not in Muncie Oct. 5.
"We inform the coaches and they inform [the athletes]," she said.
According to the Ball State policy, coaches are not allowed to tell the athletes about the test more than 24 hours before the test.
The tests are conducted by an outside company, Lee said, and are scheduled to based on the company's availability.
In addition to randomly selecting athletes, the tests are also random, Lee said.
"We don't have a set number of times we do it," she said.
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