Indiana University Athletics
Compliance Question Of The Week
Compliance Question Of The Week
Question:
What can / can't we do regarding transportation of prospects?
Answer:
Last week we dissected a scenario regarding transportation of new and current student-athletes and considered what was allowed for them (transportation from airport for orientation OK; once for enrollment from airport OK for incomers; pretty much nothing for current athletes except in emergencies.) Now let's think about prospects on visits...
Official Visits - we can pay for prospects to fly coach class from pretty much anywhere, and then we can also send them back to their point of origin, or to another place, assuming that doesn't cost more than a regular return flight. Parents may NOT receive paid flights from us, but can accompany their kid - AND our travel agents at Anthony Travel have even been known to help sort out flight arrangements and such - assuming the parent will pay directly and up front. From the nearest major airport, (i.e. Indy) we can pick up the prospect and parent(s), OR pay for the prospect to get the Bloomington shuttle, (but not the parents or anyone else). We can reimburse gas mileage to the prospect from the airport should they (the family) decide to rent a car, but we cannot pay for the car rental or actual gas costs. And what's more, if a prospect travels by plane with his/her H.S. / AAU coach, we cannot give the coach a ride with the prospect. Crazy but true! (The coach could, however, stay in the hotel room with the prospect if needed. Assuming he/she can get to Bloomington......oh, the madness).
Other options: in an absolute pinch - and this is the LAST option always - a car service may be paid to go pick up a prospect (and family if the cost is the same, but not their H.S. / AAU coach) at the airport, but this HAS to be using a car only. No limo or stretch anything is permitted. Regular sedans only. Otherwise send a coach, an IU staff member, a volunteer, an academic advisor or even (for a small fee) a compliance officer. We as an institution, highly discourage sending a manager or student-coach because of the liability involved. I'd say grown-ups only but that eliminates several employees.....including me!
Basically, don't plan on flying someone in if you haven't made arrangements for them to get from the airport to here, preferably with an IU coach or on the shuttle. Flight delays / cancellations should be expected.
What else? You can drive them around in your car while they're here officially, or even use a rental van or something standard to get around B-town. If you use a golf cart, it may not be "souped up" beyond a regular cart, other than maybe some decals and such. "Unmodified" the NCAA says. Do not give the prospect your car, or let them use one, though they may be driven around by their host(s) also. And stay within 30 miles once here on campus. On unofficial visits, in order to provide any transportation, an (any) institutional staff member must accompany the prospect and may then drive only to IU practice and competition sites and to other institutional facilities (within 30 miles if necessary).
Question:
What can / can't we do regarding transportation of prospects?
Answer:
Last week we dissected a scenario regarding transportation of new and current student-athletes and considered what was allowed for them (transportation from airport for orientation OK; once for enrollment from airport OK for incomers; pretty much nothing for current athletes except in emergencies.) Now let's think about prospects on visits...
Official Visits - we can pay for prospects to fly coach class from pretty much anywhere, and then we can also send them back to their point of origin, or to another place, assuming that doesn't cost more than a regular return flight. Parents may NOT receive paid flights from us, but can accompany their kid - AND our travel agents at Anthony Travel have even been known to help sort out flight arrangements and such - assuming the parent will pay directly and up front. From the nearest major airport, (i.e. Indy) we can pick up the prospect and parent(s), OR pay for the prospect to get the Bloomington shuttle, (but not the parents or anyone else). We can reimburse gas mileage to the prospect from the airport should they (the family) decide to rent a car, but we cannot pay for the car rental or actual gas costs. And what's more, if a prospect travels by plane with his/her H.S. / AAU coach, we cannot give the coach a ride with the prospect. Crazy but true! (The coach could, however, stay in the hotel room with the prospect if needed. Assuming he/she can get to Bloomington......oh, the madness).
Other options: in an absolute pinch - and this is the LAST option always - a car service may be paid to go pick up a prospect (and family if the cost is the same, but not their H.S. / AAU coach) at the airport, but this HAS to be using a car only. No limo or stretch anything is permitted. Regular sedans only. Otherwise send a coach, an IU staff member, a volunteer, an academic advisor or even (for a small fee) a compliance officer. We as an institution, highly discourage sending a manager or student-coach because of the liability involved. I'd say grown-ups only but that eliminates several employees.....including me!
Basically, don't plan on flying someone in if you haven't made arrangements for them to get from the airport to here, preferably with an IU coach or on the shuttle. Flight delays / cancellations should be expected.
What else? You can drive them around in your car while they're here officially, or even use a rental van or something standard to get around B-town. If you use a golf cart, it may not be "souped up" beyond a regular cart, other than maybe some decals and such. "Unmodified" the NCAA says. Do not give the prospect your car, or let them use one, though they may be driven around by their host(s) also. And stay within 30 miles once here on campus. On unofficial visits, in order to provide any transportation, an (any) institutional staff member must accompany the prospect and may then drive only to IU practice and competition sites and to other institutional facilities (within 30 miles if necessary).