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DECEMBER 2016 ◆ 27 Your donation to the Virginia Athletics Foundation, no matter how big or small, is significant to the Virginia Athletics programs. To make your pledge or donation, visit VirginiaAthleticsFoundation.com or call (800) 626-8723. Now that the "Early" National Letter of Intent (NLI) signing period has concluded, the Compliance Office would like to provide you with insight as to what it means when a prospective student-athlete (PSA) signs an NLI for your favorite UVA sports team. For all sports except football and soccer, the first signing period oc- curred Nov. 9-16, 2016. The signing period for football and soccer does not begin until Feb. 1, 2017. The NLI is a binding agreement between a PSA and UVA. For the NLI to be binding, it must be accompanied by an athletics aid agreement. A PSA not re- ceiving athletics aid is not permitted to sign an NLI. The athletics aid agreement is subject to NCAA rules (either a one-year athletic scholarship or a multi-year athletic scholarship). When a PSA signs with UVA, he or she agrees to attend the institution full-time for at least one academic year (two semesters). Conversely, UVA agrees to provide athletics financial aid for at least one academic year (two semesters). Once the Compliance Office receives the PSA's signed NLI, UVA may an- nounce their signing and publicize their attendance to the University. However, that is not the case for all new signees. New NCAA legislation for the 2016-17 academic year specifies that high school seniors who graduate early from high school, sign an athletic scholarship after August 1 of their senior year, plan to enroll in January of the same academic year (at UVA or another Division I school) that UVA may not announce their signing until after their enrollment begins. Stay tuned after classes begin in January 2017 for any new mid-year additions to your favorite UVA team. Finally, once the PSA signs with UVA, other institutions must respect the PSA's NLI signing by ceasing all recruitment. This recruiting ban remains in effect until the PSA enrolls at UVA. Once enrolled, the student-athlete is governed by NCAA recruiting regulations. If the PSA does not enroll at UVA, the recruiting ban will be lifted after the institution's academic year has elapsed (e.g., PSA signs during 2016-17, recruiting ban applies through the end of the 2017-18 academic year). Eric Baumgartner Associate Athletics Director for Compliance COMPLIANCE CORNER AN INSIDE LOOK INTO THE NEW UVA SIGNING CLASS OF 2021 Juliana Schulte O'Reilly received her B.A. de- gree from UVA in 1986. She was a member of the Women's Swimming and Diving team, serving as team captain in 1985 and 1986. She was a three-time All American, four-time All-ACC Conference Honoree, competed in the NCAA Swimming and Diving Champion- ships in each of her four years and qualified for Olympic Trials. It is no surprise that her success in the pool and in the classroom translated into success in her professional career. Juliana graduated from the George Washington University Law School and is currently SVP & Managing Counsel, Regulatory, Banking & Insurance of Ameri- can Express. She has served in leadership roles for various bar associations and non-profit organizations and is a member of the VAF Board of Trustees, serving as chair of the Audit and Oversight Committee. Juliana points to her time as a UVA student-athlete as to why she has had so much success in her professional career. She noted, "I learned time manage- ment skills, which forces discipline, staying focused with your time and getting things done in a very organized, efficient way." Juliana has her hands full with a time intensive law practice and a demanding schedule. She declares, "Swim- ming gave me the skills to be able to manage and juggle all of those other things, and thank- fully to do them well." She shared, "UVA was such an incredible ex- perience — I had a great run as a student-ath- lete, I was privileged to live on the Lawn and I met incredible people that I still keep up with today. That experience likely would not have been possible for me if I had not received a scholarship. Because I was fortunate to receive an athletics scholarship, I have always felt that it is important to pay back for that privilege." Giving back is not anything new for Juliana. As a student, she volunteered with Big Brother and Big Sisters and the History Honor Society, while balancing the academic rigor and major time commitment of her sport. Her professional participation in non-profit organizations and associations along with her dedi- cated service to the Virginia Athletics Foundation embodies what it means to be a part of the UVA community. She notes, "There is some other bright student out there who is a great athlete and who will be a great leader some day; it is important for me to help fulfill the dreams of other students by giving back." 2016 YEAR-END GIVING Below are the guidelines for donors who wish to pay their pledge balances or make year-end gifts to the Virginia Athletics Foundation that will count towards 2016 contributions and be eligible for a 2016 VAF tax receipt. If you have questions about any of the pay- ment methods, please contact a member of the VAF staff at 434.982.5555 or 800.626.8723. It is important to plan ahead so that you will receive 2016 tax credit for your end of the year gift payments. Checks — Checks must be postmarked by Satur- day, Dec. 31, 2016. Online Credit Card Payments — Online pay- ments must be made by midnight Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016 at VirginiaAthleticsFoundation.com. Our office will be closed on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016. If you need help making a payment online, please call our office by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 30, 2016. Credit Card Payments by Phone — Credit card payments made by phone must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 30, 2016. Credit Card Payments by Mail — If you are making a gift or paying a pledge by credit card through the mail, please plan ahead as VAF staff must process the payment by Friday, Dec. 30, 2016. Gifts of Stock — Stock gifts must be made early enough that the stock is received into VAF's brokerage account by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 30, 2016. Stock transactions typically take several days to transfer be- tween brokerage firms. Brian and Juliana O'Reilly with daughters Meaghan (Class of 2020) and Jacqueline (Class of 2017). CAVS FOR LIFE SPOTLIGHT: JULIANA SCHULTE O'REILLY