The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the national governing body for amateur collegiate sports in the United States. As a member in good standing of the NCAA, Northern State University (NSU) is obligated to abide by NCAA rules and regulations governing the eligibility, amateur status, and recruiting of student-athletes. Under these rules, boosters of the University are just as responsible for rules compliance as are our coaches and staff members. Thus, the Department of Athletics must take every effort to educate those supporting our programs.
Who are NSU's Boosters?
"Booster" is the common term for individuals the NCAA defines as "representatives of athletics interests." A representative of an institution’s athletics interests is an individual who is known (or should have been known) by a member of the institution’s executive or athletics administration to:
- Have participated in or to be a member of an agency or organization, including corporate entities (e.g., apparel and equipment companies), promoting the institution’s intercollegiate athletics program;
- Have made financial contributions to the athletics department or to an athletics booster organization of that institution;
- Be assisting or to have been requested (by the athletics department staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospects;
- Be assisting or to have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families; or
- Have been involved otherwise in promoting the institution’s athletics program.
Note: Once an individual is identified as such a representative, that person retains that identity indefinitely.
10 RULES BOOSTERS SHOULD KNOW
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO! If you are not sure, CALL the Athletics Director or the Compliance Office. NCAA rules are complex and not uniformly applied.
ACTIVE RECRUITING INVOLVEMENT is limited to coaches. Only coaches are permitted to be directly involved in the recruiting process. They are the only ones who may meet a prospect or the prospect's parents in person; place a phone call to the prospect; or write to a prospect. BOOSTERS ARE PROHIBITED from making in-person, on or off-campus recruiting contacts, as well as written or telephone communications with a prospect or the prospect's family.
ALUMNI/BOOSTER EVENTS can violate recruiting regulations if prospects are in attendance. A coach's appearance at an event where prospects are present could make it a "recruiting event" and everyone present would be committing a violation. If you are arranging or attending alumni or booster events, do not bring or invite prospects and explain to parents the importance of prospect-age youngsters not attending.
EXTRA BENEFITS are any special arrangements by an institutional employee or booster to provide a currently enrolled student-athlete or prospect, or their parents and relatives, a benefit not expressly authorized by the NCAA or which is not available to all students in general. Boosters shall not offer, provide or arrange financial assistance, directly or indirectly, to pay (in whole or in part) the cost of the prospect's educational or other expenses other than summer employment.
ATTENDING ATHLETICS CONTESTS at schools in your community is permitted, but contacting a prospect, prospect's parents or prospect's coach while you are there is prohibited.
OCCASIONAL FAMILY HOME MEALS may be provided to an enrolled student-athlete, or an entire team. The meal must be served at the host's home. (It cannot be at a restaurant.) It may be catered. Such meals must be restricted to infrequent and special occasions. Only the host and school staff members may provide transportation to the function. NCAA REGULATIONS DO NOT PERMIT SPONSOR FAMILIES OR ADOPT-A-PLAYER ARRANGEMENTS.
UNAVOIDABLE INCIDENTAL CONTACT with a prospect is not a violation if the contact: a.)was not prearranged; b.)doesn't take place on the grounds of the prospect's educational institution or site of a competition; c.) is not made for the purpose of recruitment, and d.) involves only normal civility. For example if you meet a prospect in the normal course of your business, there is no violation as long as you do not try to influence the prospect's choice of schools; or if you attend an athletics event and come into contact with a prospect or the prospect's parents, there would be no violation if you excuse yourself in a timely and courteous manner and do not discuss Northern State (even if the other party brings up the subject). If there is an established, long-time relationship with a prospect and his/her family, you can continue that relationship, but you should not become involved in the prospect's consideration of which school to attend.
EMPLOYING STUDENT-ATHLETES AND PROSPECTS is permissible in limited situations. A booster can employ a prospect only during the summer immediately prior to the prospect attending Northern State. Enrolled student-athletes are limited by financial aid considerations in job arrangements. In all cases the individual must be paid the same as others employed in similar positions in your area and must actually perform the work. CONTACT THE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR BEFORE EMPLOYING PROSPECTS OR STUDENT-ATHLETES.
STUDENT-ATHLETE APPEARANCES are permissible at a local church, school, charity or non-profit agency. The appearances must be carefully arranged and have prior written approval of the Athletics Director (not just a coach).
USING A STUDENT-ATHLETE'S NAME, PICTURE OR LIKENESS is permitted only if the purpose of the ad is to recognize the individual (or team) or to extend best wishes. In this case only the name, address and official logo of the business may appear in the ad. Advertising for a commercial product or service of any kind, which includes an enrolled student-athlete's picture, is not permitted. This includes group pictures where individuals are not identified and/or not in uniform (e.g. a "game action" photo).
