Representatives of athletics interest - Casual conversation frequently uses the term "booster" to refer to these individuals. Under NCAA rules, a "representative of the institution's athletics interest, is any individual that has ever:
A) contributed to the athletics department or it's booster club.
B) joined the institution's booster club.
C) assisted in recruiting prospective student-athletes.
D) provided benefits (e.g. summer job) to enrolled student-athletes.
E) promoted the institution's athletics program.
Please note three important points regarding this definition:
1. It is very easy to meet one of these criterion, thus each institution has thousands of athletics representatives.
2. Once an individual becomes a representative of the institutions athletics interest, he or she retains that identity forever.
3. Under NCAA rules, the institution is responsible for all actions of it's athletic representatives.
Prospective Student-Athlete - (Bylaw 13.02.10) -A prospective student-athlete ("prospect") is a person who has started classes for the ninth grade. A student-athlete who has not started classes for the ninth grade becomes a prospective student-athlete if the individual receives any benefits from an institution or representative of an institution's athletics interest. Actions taken by athletic staff members, that cause a student-athlete to become a prospective student-athlete, include:
A) Providing a prospect an expense paid visit to a collegiate institution.
B) Having an arranged in-person encounter with the student-athlete.
C) Initiating or arranging telephone contact with a prospect or family member.
Contact - (Bylaw 13.02.3) -A contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospect or the prospect's parents, relatives or legal guardian(s) and an institutional staff member or athletics representative during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of a greeting. Any such face-to-face encounter that is prearranged or that takes place on the grounds of the prospect's educational institution or at the site of organized competition or practice involving the prospect or the prospect's high school, preparatory school, two-year college or all-star team shall be considered a contact, regardless of the conversation that occurs.
ENROLLED STUDENT-ATHLETE RULES
You may not provide a student-athlete any benefit or special arrangement that would not be offered to the rest of the student population. Such a benefit may cause a student-athlete to lose his or her eligibility. These activities include, but are not limited to:
A)You may not entertain student-athletes, their friends or family. (Bylaw 13.5.1.1; 16.2.2; 16.12.2.2.3)
B)You may not use the name or picture of an enrolled student-athlete to advertise, recommend or promote any product or service of any kind. (Bylaw 12.5.2.2; 12.5.2.3; 12.5.2.3.1; 12.5.2.3.2; 12.5.2.3.3; 12.5.2.3.4)
C)You may not provide awards or gifts to a student-athlete. (Bylaw 16.02.4; 16.1.3; 16.12.2.3)
D)You may not allow a student-athlete to use your telephone to make free calls, or allow use of a free or discounted automobile. (Bylaw 16.12.2.2.2)
You can however, invite an enrolled student-athlete to your home for an occasional home cooked meal, but you may not take a student-athlete to a restaurant. Any contact or planned activity with an enrolled student-athlete should be cleared by the Compliance Office.
