Representative of Athletics Interest (NCAA Bylaw 13.02.11)
A Representative of Athletics Interest (booster) is anyone who is known (or should be known) by a member of the institution’s executive or athletic administration to:
• Participate in or have been a member of a sport support group or booster club.
• Provide or have helped arrange employment for student-athletes or provided benefits to enrolled student-athletes.
• Have been involved in the promotion of Union University’s athletics program.
• Participated as a varsity athlete at Union University.
Note: Once an individual is identified as a Representative of the Institution’s Athletics Interest, the person retains that identity forever.
Institutional Control and Compliance (NCA Bylaw 6.01)
• Institutional Control of athletics is a fundamental requirement of NCAA Legislation. Specifically, the NCAA Constitution provides that each institution shall be responsible for:
• Controlling its intercollegiate athletics program in compliance with the rules and regulations of the NCAA.
• Monitoring its program to insure compliance, identifying and reporting to the NCAA any instances in which compliance has not been achieved and taking appropriate corrective actions.
• Insuring that members of the institution’s staff, student-athletes and other individuals or groups representing the institutions athletics interests comply with NCAA rules.
Rules Governing Recruitment of Prospective Student-Athletes (PSA’s) (NCAA Bylaw 13)
• A prospective student-athlete is defined by the NCAA as any person who has begun classes in the ninth grade.
• A prospective student-athlete remains a prospect even after he or she has signed or accepts an offer of financial aid to attend Union University.
• The prospect remains a prospect until they report for the first day of classes for a regular term (fall or spring).
• Only coaches and athletic department staff members can be involved in the recruiting process off campus. A contact is defined as any face-to-face encounter between a prospect or the prospect’s parent or legal guardians during which time any dialogue in excess of an exchange of a greeting occurs.
• In general, all representatives of the institution’s athletics interest who are not employed by Union University are prohibited from contacting off campus a prospect or prospect’s family to encourage the prospect to participate in intercollegiate athletics at Union University.
You are prohibited from: (NCAA Bylaw 13)
• Contacting a prospect in person on or off our campus.
• Writing or telephoning a prospect or a member of the prospect’s family.
• Making arrangements for a prospect or the prospect’s relatives or friends, to receive money or financial aid of any kind.
• Providing transportation for a prospect or the prospect’s relatives or friends to visit our campus.
• Providing free tickets or tickets at a reduced cost for prospects or the prospects relatives or friends to attend an athletic event.
• Entertaining high school, prep school or community college coaches.
As a representative of the institution’s athletic interest, you are permitted to:
(NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.3)
• Notify our coaches about prospects in your area that may be strong additions to our teams.
• Attend high school or two-year college athletic contests or other events where prospects may compete; however, you may not contact the prospect or the prospect’s relatives.
• Continue existing friendships with families of prospects, but you may not attempt to recruit the prospect. (Bylaw 13.1.2.2-d).
Rules Governing Contacts and Benefits for Student-Athletes (NCAA Bylaw 16)
In addition to regulating contact of our representative of athletics interest with prospects, the NCAA also regulates contact with current Union University student-athletes, as well as their relatives and friends.
An extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representatives of athletics interest to provide a student-athlete, prospect, or their relatives or friends a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation.
In general, you may not provide a benefit that is not authorized by NCAA legislation or make special arrangements for student-athletes and prospective student-athletes that are not available to the general student population.
Examples of prohibited extra benefit not allowed by NCAA rules, but are not limited to, are as follows: (NCAA Bylaw 16)
• Providing cash or loans in any amount, or signing or co-signing for a loan.
• Providing gifts of any kind, including birthday cards, gift cards and holiday gifts.
• Providing special discounts for goods and services (e.g. car repairs, legal services, meals).
• Providing free rent or reduced rent-housing.
• Purchasing complimentary admissions from a student-athlete.
• Providing an honorarium to a student-athlete for a speaking engagement.
As a representative of the institution’s athletics interest, you are permitted to: (NCAA Bylaw 16)
• Invite a student-athlete into your home for an occasional meal, but please coordinate such activity with the compliance office.
• Make a donation to Union University Athletics Department.
• Provide summer employment for enrolled student-athletes with appropriate documentation on file with the compliance officer.
Consequences to Boosters for NCAA violations:
Institutions are required by the NCAA to notify boosters of consequences regarding rules violations. Boosters found in violation of NCAA rules are subject to losing benefits and privileges, including season tickets.
The NCAA Committee on Infractions has processed cases in which penalties have included both the disassociation of boosters with the institution and the loss of season ticket privileges.
Rules Governing Student-Athlete Employment
Student-athletes receiving grant-in-aid will be eligible for employment during the regular academic year as well as during the university’s official vacation periods (winter and spring break) and the summer.
The following rules are applicable to student-athlete employment:
• The student-athlete is compensated only for work actually performed.
• The student-athlete is compensated only at the “going rate” for the work performed.
• The student-athlete has not been hired based on his or her athletic ability.
Rules Governing Promotional Activities for Student-Athletes:
All charitable, educational, and nonprofit promotional activities involving student-athletes must have prior approval from the Athletic Director.
Student-athletes are not permitted to be involved in the advertisement, recommendation or promotion of sales or use of a commercial product or service of any kind.
Rules Governing Agents and Amateurism (NCAA Bylaw 12)
A student-athlete who loses his or her amateur status shall not be eligible for intercollegiate competition in a particular sport if:
• The student-athlete or family member negotiate, sign or enter into any written or oral agreement with an agent.
• The student-athlete or family member accepts or receives any extra benefits from an agent or anyone who wishes to represent the student-athlete.
• The student-athlete competes with a professional sports team or competes as a professional in any individual sport and receives any compensation for participation.
• The student-athlete uses his or her skills for pay or promise of pay.
Rules Governing Gambling (NCAA Bylaw 10.3)
A student-athlete, coach and/or employee of the Union University Athletic Department may not provide information to individuals involved in any type of organized gambling concerning sporting events. In addition, student-athletes, coaches and staff of the Union University Athletics Department may not solicit or accept any wager on any intercollegiate or professional athletics contest.
• Free or reduced cost rent or housing.
• Use of a car or other personal property (i.e. house).
• Promise of employment after graduation.
• Employment for a prospect's friends or relatives.
• Payment of registration fees for athletic camps.
FAQs
Q: What if a prospect approaches/calls me with questions about playing for Union University?
A: You should not speak with him/her in excess of a friendly greeting and explaining that NCAA rules prohibit you from talking with them further. You can tell them they will need to contact the coach and then take steps to end the conversation.
Q: What if a prospect knows I am a Union University graduate and calls me with general questions about Union University?
A: If a prospect initiates a phone call to you, a booster, you may answer questions regarding various aspects of attending Union University as long as NO discussion occurs regarding the Union University athletics program. If a prospect asks about Union University athletics, you must refer him/her to the appropriate coaching staff member.
Q: May I provide anything to a recruit?
A: No. The NCAA's "extra benefit" rule (as defined above) prohibits you from providing any benefit to a prospect or his/her family or friends when the benefit is not available to the general public or all Union University students (e.g. tickets to an athletic, institutional or community event).
Q: If I have family friends with a son or daughter who is a prospect, do the rules change my relationship with them?
A: Not necessarily. The rules are not meant to alter relationships that started for reasons unrelated to athletics, especially prior to a individual reaching such an age or status. You may continue relationships with family friends who have a son or daughter of recruit-able age and is considered a prospect (e.g. backyard BBQs, picnics). But, you cannot encourage the PSA's participation in Union University athletics or provide benefits that you were not providing before he/she became a prospect.
Q: Do the extra benefit rules also apply to enrolled student-athletes and their families and friends?
A: Yes. You are not allowed to provide any benefit or special arrangement to an enrolled student- athlete (e.g. tickets to a sporting event or concert, a meal or snack, an award or gift for athletic performance, special discounts). Again, the rules are not meant to alter pre-existing relationships, but note that the benefits provided must be the type of benefits that you provided prior to the student-athlete's enrollment at Union University.
Q: I am a parent and would like to host my son's team at my home for a meal while they're traveling to our hometown. Is that ok?
A: Yes. Parents of current student-athletes can provide an "occasional meal" to their son/daughter's team.
Other types of boosters can provide student-athletes with an "occasional meal" too, BUT there are restrictions on where they can provide the meal. Boosters can provide student-athletes with a meal in their home, on campus, or at a facility that is regularly used for home competition. The meal can even be catered but it can only happen "occasionally" and with prior-approval from the compliance office. The meal cannot be at a restaurant.
Q: Can an Athletics Representative be involved in any way when a prospect is on an official or unofficial visit?
A: Yes. However, the Athletics Representative may have contact only on campus during the prospective student-athletes official or unofficial visit. Off campus contact is prohibited.
Q: Is it permissible for an Athletics Representative to provide summer employment for student-athletes?
A: Yes. Please remember that compensation must be paid only for work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality for services of like nature.
Q: Can I contact prospects to encourage them to attend the institution?
A: No. Any such contact could result in the prospect being declared ineligible to participate in athletics at Union University.
Q: May I engage in evaluation activities on behalf of the institution?
A: Yes. You may view a prospect’s contest on his/her own initiative, provided no contact is made with the prospect or his/her family. However, this evaluation may not take place at the request or direction of an institutional staff member, and you are not permitted to contact anyone associated with the prospect in an effort to evaluate him/her.
Q: May I attend a public event (e.g., high school awards banquet or dinner) at which prospects are in attendance?
A: Yes, Contact with prospects or their families may not occur, and no attempt can be made to recruit the prospect.
Q: May a student-athlete’s name, picture, or appearance be used in a promotional activity?
A: It depends on the situation. Please contact the Compliance Officer with your specific question.
