Indiana University Athletics
Compliance Corner: Student-Athlete Promotional Activities
1/21/2014 12:00:00 AM | Varsity Club
Jan. 21, 2014
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- During the year, student-athletes are asked to participate in a variety of activities in addition to school and team obligations. Also called “promotional activities,” these requests range from assisting campus organizations with fundraising efforts, participating in community events and volunteering at local elementary schools, to appearing in campus publications. For every event in which a student-athlete is requested to participate, there are a series of questions that must be answered to ensure the event is permissible and participation does not impact the student-athlete’s eligibility.
These questions include:
- Does the event benefit the university or a university organization, the Big Ten Conference, or a non-institutional charitable, educational or nonprofit agency?
- Student-athletes may not participate in events benefitting commercial entities (i.e. for-profit agencies).
- Does the event/activity involve sponsorship or co-sponsorship, advertisement or promotion by a commercial agency?
- On occasion, it is permissible for the event to occur at a commercial establishment. However, the commercial entity MAY NOT utilize student-athlete names or likenesses in the advertisement or promotion of the event.
- Will the student-athlete’s name or likeness be used to advertise the event? How will it be used?
- An individual analysis is needed based on the nature of the event.
- If the event is a fundraiser, do all moneys derived from the activity or project go directly to the member institution, member conference or the charitable, educational or nonprofit agency?
- All moneys derived must go directly to the agency holding the event.
- If the event is a fundraiser, will there be auction items that include student-athlete names, likenesses, images or autographs?
- An individual analysis is needed based on the nature of the event and the items requested.
- Will the student-athletes receive actual and necessary expenses to participate in the event (transportation, food, and lodging)?
- Student-athletes are permitted to receive actual and necessary expenses but MAY NOT receive payment or gifts for their participation.
- Will the student-athlete’s participation result in he or she missing class?
- Student-athletes MAY NOT miss class in order to participate in a promotional activity.
For each promotional activity request, the IU Compliance Office analyzes each independently to ensure student-athlete participation is permissible. As required by NCAA rules, promotional activity requests must be pre-approved by the Compliance Office. A promotional activity appearance that has not been approved may result in a NCAA violation and render the student-athlete(s) ineligible.
We know the application of NCAA rules can sometimes be confusing. Please feel free to contact the IU Athletics Compliance Office (iucomply@indiana.edu) with any questions you may have. Thank you for helping IU Athletics play by the rules.
