Indiana University Athletics
A Guide To NCAA Compliance
A Guide To NCAA Compliance
COMPLIANCE Fan & Booster Information
September 2008
"Permissible Recruiters": The Role of our Fans in the Recruiting Process
The NCAA defines a "representative of an institution's athletics interests" as an individual, independent agency, corporate entity (ex: apparel or equipment manufacturer) or other organization who is known (or who should have been known) by a member of the institution's executive or athletics administration to:
(a) Have participated in or to be a member of an agency or organization promoting the institution's intercollegiate athletics program;
(b) Have made financial contributions to the athletics department or to an athletics booster organization of that institution;
(c) Be assisting or to have been requested (by athletics staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes;
(d) Be assisting or to have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families; or
(e) Have been involved otherwise in promoting the institution's athletics program. (Bylaw 13.03.13)
The rules also state that once a person or entity triggers "booster" status, they retain that identity indefinitely. Remember, once a booster, always a booster. Considering the size and sheer volume of the NCAA manual, it is no surprise that the rules surrounding intercollegiate athletics become confusing for members of the general public and boosters alike. Here, we hope to provide some straightforward principles for you to adopt.
NCAA rules specifically prohibit any in-person recruiting contacts between a prospect and a booster, as well as any written (including e-mail or text messaging) or telephonic communications with a prospect or his/her relatives. All in-person, on-campus or off-campus contact with prospects is only to be made by authorized Indiana University staff members. Additionally, our coaches are not permitted to recruit any prospect off campus until the coach has been certified as to their knowledge of applicable recruiting rules on a yearly basis.
There are some exceptions to these basic rules:
1. Admissions Program: Off-campus recruiting contacts made by an admissions program representative and directed at all prospective students (including athletes), are permissible.
2. Coach Who is Prospect's Parent/Legal Guardian: Recruiting contact and evaluation limits do not apply to a coaching staff member who is the parent or legal guardian of a prospect in an activity being observed.
3. Spouse of Prospect's Coach: Recruiting contact and evaluation limits do not apply to a coaching staff member observing a contest that involves a prospective student-athlete coached by his or her spouse, provided that the attendance by the coaching staff member does not involve any personal contact with any prospect participating in the contest being viewed.
4. Established Family Friend: Contact made with a prospect by an established family friend or neighbor are permissible, it being understood that such contacts are not made for recruiting purposes and are not initiated by a member of the IU coaching staff.
5. Spouse of Staff Member: A spouse of an IU staff member may have recruiting contact with a prospect on campus. A spouse of an IU athletics department staff member during a prospect's official visit may have recruiting contact with the prospect within a 30-mile radius of IU's campus.
6. Interpreter: An interpreter may be present during recruiting contact with a prospect, provided that if the institution is involved in arranging for the interpreter, that the interpreter must be a faculty member or a professional interpreter. The interpreter may not be an enrolled student-athlete, a family member of an enrolled student-athlete or a booster of IU.
7. Unavoidable Incidental Contact: Unavoidable incidental contact with a prospect by a booster is permissible provided the contact is not prearranged by the booster or an athletics department staff member, does not take place on the grounds of the prospect's educational institution or at a practice or competition site of the prospect's team. No recruiting contact may be made.
8. Permissible Pre-Enrollment Activities: Contact between a prospect and a booster regarding permissible pre-enrollment activities (ex: a discussion about summer employment arrangements after NLI signing) are permissible.
Additional rules regarding permissible recruiters:
1. IU Faculty members may contact a prospect for recruiting purposes in any sport, as long as the contact occurs on-campus.
2. All IU Staff members (including faculty, athletics department staff and administrators) may write to prospects.
3. Recruiting contacts on or off campus between a member of the IU Board of Trustees and a prospect are not permissible.
There are some additional rules which apply specifically to boosters:
1. An IU booster may speak to a prospect in a telephone conversation, but ONLY if the call is initiated by the prospect, AND the call is not for any recruiting purpose.
2. A booster may view a prospect's athletics contest at his or her own initiative, subject to the requirement that the booster may not have any contact with the prospect (or their parents/guardians/relatives) on these occasions.
3. A booster may not have any contact with a prospect's coach, principal or counselor in an attempt to evaluate the prospect's athletic talent, academic record or other skill. In the same way, a booster may not visit a prospect's educational institution to pick up a videotape or a transcript pertaining to the evaluation of a prospect's athletic or academic ability.
4. An IU booster may not pay for a meal for a team, an individual student-athlete or a prospect, unless the booster is hosting a team of enrolled student-athletes , or an individual student-athlete, at his or her personal residence. These meals must be infrequent in nature, and must be approved by both the coach and compliance office prior to being scheduled.
5. An IU booster attending a live sporting event may not have direct contact with a prospect who is also attending the same event. Boosters present at on-campus recruiting tailgates or other athletic department events should remain uninvolved with the recruits or their families. Unavoidable incidental contact may occur (a "hello" or "excuse me"), but no other contact.
Thank you for your support of intercollegiate athletics. We ask for your support in keeping Indiana University's tradition of athletic integrity intact.
Your assistance also will ensure that the eligibility of both prospective and currently enrolled student-athletes is protected.
Extending Indiana's Hoosier Hospitality . . .
A Guide To NCAA Compliance For Alumni
And Friends Of Indiana University
COMPLIANCE Fan & Booster Information
September 2008
"Permissible Recruiters": The Role of our Fans in the Recruiting Process
The NCAA defines a "representative of an institution's athletics interests" as an individual, independent agency, corporate entity (ex: apparel or equipment manufacturer) or other organization who is known (or who should have been known) by a member of the institution's executive or athletics administration to:
(a) Have participated in or to be a member of an agency or organization promoting the institution's intercollegiate athletics program;
(b) Have made financial contributions to the athletics department or to an athletics booster organization of that institution;
(c) Be assisting or to have been requested (by athletics staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes;
(d) Be assisting or to have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families; or
(e) Have been involved otherwise in promoting the institution's athletics program. (Bylaw 13.03.13)
The rules also state that once a person or entity triggers "booster" status, they retain that identity indefinitely. Remember, once a booster, always a booster. Considering the size and sheer volume of the NCAA manual, it is no surprise that the rules surrounding intercollegiate athletics become confusing for members of the general public and boosters alike. Here, we hope to provide some straightforward principles for you to adopt.
NCAA rules specifically prohibit any in-person recruiting contacts between a prospect and a booster, as well as any written (including e-mail or text messaging) or telephonic communications with a prospect or his/her relatives. All in-person, on-campus or off-campus contact with prospects is only to be made by authorized Indiana University staff members. Additionally, our coaches are not permitted to recruit any prospect off campus until the coach has been certified as to their knowledge of applicable recruiting rules on a yearly basis.
There are some exceptions to these basic rules:
1. Admissions Program: Off-campus recruiting contacts made by an admissions program representative and directed at all prospective students (including athletes), are permissible.
2. Coach Who is Prospect's Parent/Legal Guardian: Recruiting contact and evaluation limits do not apply to a coaching staff member who is the parent or legal guardian of a prospect in an activity being observed.
3. Spouse of Prospect's Coach: Recruiting contact and evaluation limits do not apply to a coaching staff member observing a contest that involves a prospective student-athlete coached by his or her spouse, provided that the attendance by the coaching staff member does not involve any personal contact with any prospect participating in the contest being viewed.
4. Established Family Friend: Contact made with a prospect by an established family friend or neighbor are permissible, it being understood that such contacts are not made for recruiting purposes and are not initiated by a member of the IU coaching staff.
5. Spouse of Staff Member: A spouse of an IU staff member may have recruiting contact with a prospect on campus. A spouse of an IU athletics department staff member during a prospect's official visit may have recruiting contact with the prospect within a 30-mile radius of IU's campus.
6. Interpreter: An interpreter may be present during recruiting contact with a prospect, provided that if the institution is involved in arranging for the interpreter, that the interpreter must be a faculty member or a professional interpreter. The interpreter may not be an enrolled student-athlete, a family member of an enrolled student-athlete or a booster of IU.
7. Unavoidable Incidental Contact: Unavoidable incidental contact with a prospect by a booster is permissible provided the contact is not prearranged by the booster or an athletics department staff member, does not take place on the grounds of the prospect's educational institution or at a practice or competition site of the prospect's team. No recruiting contact may be made.
8. Permissible Pre-Enrollment Activities: Contact between a prospect and a booster regarding permissible pre-enrollment activities (ex: a discussion about summer employment arrangements after NLI signing) are permissible.
Additional rules regarding permissible recruiters:
1. IU Faculty members may contact a prospect for recruiting purposes in any sport, as long as the contact occurs on-campus.
2. All IU Staff members (including faculty, athletics department staff and administrators) may write to prospects.
3. Recruiting contacts on or off campus between a member of the IU Board of Trustees and a prospect are not permissible.
There are some additional rules which apply specifically to boosters:
1. An IU booster may speak to a prospect in a telephone conversation, but ONLY if the call is initiated by the prospect, AND the call is not for any recruiting purpose.
2. A booster may view a prospect's athletics contest at his or her own initiative, subject to the requirement that the booster may not have any contact with the prospect (or their parents/guardians/relatives) on these occasions.
3. A booster may not have any contact with a prospect's coach, principal or counselor in an attempt to evaluate the prospect's athletic talent, academic record or other skill. In the same way, a booster may not visit a prospect's educational institution to pick up a videotape or a transcript pertaining to the evaluation of a prospect's athletic or academic ability.
4. An IU booster may not pay for a meal for a team, an individual student-athlete or a prospect, unless the booster is hosting a team of enrolled student-athletes , or an individual student-athlete, at his or her personal residence. These meals must be infrequent in nature, and must be approved by both the coach and compliance office prior to being scheduled.
5. An IU booster attending a live sporting event may not have direct contact with a prospect who is also attending the same event. Boosters present at on-campus recruiting tailgates or other athletic department events should remain uninvolved with the recruits or their families. Unavoidable incidental contact may occur (a "hello" or "excuse me"), but no other contact.
Thank you for your support of intercollegiate athletics. We ask for your support in keeping Indiana University's tradition of athletic integrity intact.
Your assistance also will ensure that the eligibility of both prospective and currently enrolled student-athletes is protected.