NCAA REGULATIONS CONCERNING

ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

Introduction

Salisbury University, as member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association is responsible for insuring that its student-athletes, coaches, faculty and staff, alumni and friends abide by NCAA regulations. Under existing rules, alumni and friends can be categorized as “representatives of Salisbury’s athletic interest”.

Therefore this is a quick reference to the NCAA rules which apply to our ‘athletic representatives”. All applicable situations cannot be covered in this document, so if you have questions please call the Athletic Director’s Office at (410) 548-3503.  The University appreciates your interest and support, but reminds you that an inappropriate contact or an inadvertent action on your part can jeopardize the eligibility of recruits and enrolled student-athletes

Salisbury is proud to have your loyal support and continued interest in its Athletics programs. As we strive for excellence, both in competition and in the classroom, we must always seek the highest standards of ethical conduct. We can accomplish these goals only with your assistance and cooperation.

Need More Information?

If you have any questions about NCAA rules in general, or specific rules pertaining to prospective or enrolled students athletes, please direct your inquiry to: Director of Athletics (410) 548-3503.

Representative of Athletics Interests: A "representative of the institution's athletics interests" is an individual who is known (or who 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 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.

The NCAA stipulates that once you have become an “athletics representative”, you are one forever, even if you no longer contribute to or are involved in Salisbury’s athletic programs.

WHO IS A PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETE

A prospective student-athlete is defined as a person who has started classes for the ninth (9^th) grade. However, it is possible for a younger student to be considered a prospect, so it a good idea to treat ALL athletes as prospects.

IMPORTANT RULES YOU SHOULD KNOW

RULE #1

Only coaches and Athletics Department staff members can be involved in the recruiting process. All “athletic representatives" who are not employed by the University are prohibited from contacting a prospective student-athlete or member of the prospect’s family by telephone, letter or in person on or off campus for the purpose of encouraging participation in Salisbury’s athletic programs.

RULE #2

Representatives of Salisbury’s athletic interest cannot provide an ”extra benefit” or special arrangement to a prospect OR to an enrolled student-athlete. The extra benefits rules for prospects, enrolled student-athletes, their relatives and friends states that you:

• May not give them cash or loans in any amount.

• May not sign or co-sign a note to arrange a loan.

• May not give them gifts of any kind including on special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas, or Valentine’s Day.

• May not give them free or reduced services, rentals, or purchase of any type (e.g. clothing, airline tickets, laundry, car repair, haircuts, meals in restaurants, etc.).

• May not give or provide use of an automobile.

• May not provide them hospitality in your home other than for an occasional home meal.

• May not invite them to your summer or winter home to go water skiing, sailing, skiing, etc.

• May not loan them your sail boat, jet skis, RVs, etc.

• May not provide them within or outside of the campus area (e.g., from the airport to campus, to summer jobs, etc.).

• May not entertain or contact a prospect’s family on or off campus.

• May not provide an employment arrangement for prospect’s relative.

• May not provide free of reduced cost of housing.

• May not provide a benefit connected with on or off-campus housing (e.g., television sets of stereo equipment, specialized recreational facilities, etc.).

• May not provide tickets to an athletic event, concert, of other events at the University or within the community.

• May not provide money for a guarantee of bail or bond.

• May not provide promises of financial aid for post graduation education.

• May not provide promises of employment after University graduation.

RULE #3

You can assist the coaching staff in the recruiting process by notifying them of any student you think would be a strong addition to the University and to its athletics program. The coach then makes appropriate contact with the prospect.

RULE #4

As an Athletics representative, you may continue existing friendships with families who have prospective or enrolled student-athletes. You simply cannot encourage a prospect’s participation in Salisbury’s Athletics programs or provide benefits to the student-athlete that you were not providing before he or she became a prospect or enrolled student-athlete.

If you have knowledge of improprieties, intentional or unintentional, please let the Department of Athletics know immediately so that we can take corrective action. It is very important that Salisbury retains institutional control over its programs and report any problems to the NCAA. We depend on our coaches, staff and the “representatives of Salisbury’s athletic interests” to help maintain clean and honest programs.  

NCAA RULES REGARDING CONTACTS WITH HIGH SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY UNIVERSITY STUDENT-ATHLETES (PROSPECTS)

• DO NOT become directly or indirectly involved in making arrangements for a prospect, or the prospect’s relatives or friends, to receive money or financial aid of any kind.

• DO NOT provide ANYTHING to or for a prospect, relatives or friends, without first checking with the Department of Athletics or the Compliance Office.

• DO NOT make any contact with a prospect or the prospect’s family on or off campus. If a Sea Gull Coach has a recruit at an athletic event, you should NOT approach the coach until the prospect and family have gone elsewhere. If a prospect approaches you off campus regarding the Athletics program, explain that NCAA rules DO NOT permit you to discuss the program. Suggest that the prospect contact the head coach of the sport for information.

• DO NOT transport, par or arrange for payment of transportation costs for a prospect, relative or friends to visit campus or elsewhere. While it is permissible for a friend or neighbor to transport a high school or community college student who is not an athlete to the campus, NCAA regulations PROHIBIT that activity for a prospective student-athlete.

• DO NOT provide room and/or board, transportation of any kind or any other benefit to a recruited student-athlete, even if that athlete has already committed to attend the University, during the summer prior to enrollment for the fall classes at Salisbury.

• DO NOT entertain high school, prep school or community college coaches at ANY location. Only the Athletics Department can provide complimentary admission to a student-athlete and then only to home athletic events.

• DO NOT pay or offer to pay registration fees for summer sports camps for a prospect.

• DO NOT contact the prospect’s coach, principal or counselor for the purpose of evaluating the prospect. You are NOT permitted to pick up films or transcripts from the prospect’s educational institution.

• DO NOT invite SELECTED junior or senior high or community college prospective student-athletes to alumni events. Since the NCAA prohibits contact between prospects and “athletic representatives”, care must be taken to invite, for example, all high school seniors who have received academic and athletic awards.

HOWEVER…………  

• DO feel free to attend high school and community college athletics events. You simply CANNOT have any contact with the prospective student-athletes or relatives. Should you find yourself seated next to the parents of a prospect, DO NOT initiate conversation with them. If conversation is initiated with you, respond in a civil manner, but DO NOT discuss Salisbury’s Athletic Programs with them. If they raise the questions about the programs, remind them that the NCAA PROHIBITS you from discussing the programs with them. Direct their questions to the Salisbury Athletics Department.

• DO continue established family relationships with friends and neighbors. Contacts with sons or daughters of these families certainly are permitted as long as they are not made for recruiting purposes and are not prompted by Sea Gull coaching staff members. You are permitted to play “pick up” basketball or softball game, continue neighborhood picnics or backyard barbecues and engage in your normal activities with prospects and their parents who are family friends. Again, you simply are NOT permitted to attempt to recruit the prospect or discuss the Athletics Program.

• DO feel free to attend a public event (e.g., a high school awards banquet or dinner) at which prospects are in attendance. No attempt should be made to contact or recruit the prospects at these events.

• DO send the Salisbury coaching staff any newspaper clippings or other information about prospects which you think would be of interest. Your assistance in this way is very helpful. The coaching staff will then make contact with the prospect.

• DO feel free to offer assistance to members of the Sea Gull program who are recruiting in your community.

NCAA RULES REGARDING CONTACTS WITH CURRENTLY ENROLLED STUDENT-ATHLETES

• DO NOT provide a student-athlete or friend any benefit or special arrangement. The NCAA considers these “extra benefits” and they are specially prohibited.

• DO NOT provide room and/or any type of transportation during the summer for a student-athlete who has eligibility remaining.

• DO NOT provide room, board, or transportation costs incurred by friends or family of an enrolled student-athlete to visit campus or attend an away athletic contest.

• DO NOT expend funds to entertain student-athletes, their friends or relatives. You are NOT even permitted to buy a soda or a cup of coffee for them.

• DO NOT use the name or picture of an enrolled student-athlete to directly advertise, recommend or promote sales or use for a commercial product or service of any kind. Even the sale of a picture of an enrolled student would jeopardize eligibility.

• DO NOT provide any payment of expense or loan of any automobile for a student-athlete to return home or go to any other location for any reason.

• DO NOT provide awards or gifts to a student-athlete for a speaking engagement. Only necessary travel expenses can be given when speaking to educational or charitable groups. All speaking engagements must be approved in advance by the Department of Athletics.

• DO NOT allow a student-athlete, his or her friends or relatives to use your telephone to make free long distance calls.

  HOWEVER………….

• DO feel free to invite a student-athlete to your home for an occasional home meal. Because the mean function is at your home, you may provide transportation for an enrolled student-athlete to and from your home. This is the ONLY occasion you may provide transportation for a student-athlete. You may do this a maximum of one time per school term per athlete. This “occasional meal” exception DOES NOT apply to prospective student-athletes.

• DO feel free to invite a team for dinner or to meet with a group of alumni in a city where they are competing away from home. The NCAA permits student-athletes AS A TEAM to receive special benefits not permitted as individuals. Arrangements for such events must be made in advance with the head coach or the Department of Athletics.

NCAA RULES REGARDING EMPLOYMENT OF PROSPECTIVE AND ENROLLED STUDENT-ATHLETES

• DO NOT employ or arrange for the employment of a prospect or an enrolled student-athlete without checking first with the Department of Athletics. The Department of Athletics is permitted to make arrangements for summer employment for prospects prior to enrollment as freshmen and to enrolled student-athletes during the summer and semester breaks. Stringent rules apply in these instances and written records must be kept regarding such employment.

• DO NOT provide transportation for prospects or student-athletes in you employment unless transportation is provided for all other employees.

• DO NOT provide employment for student-athletes during the academic year with contacting the Salisbury Department of Athletics first. The NCAA has strict rules about the amount and source of employment income a student-athlete may receive during the academic year.

 HOWEVER…….

• DO pay student-athletes employed by you for work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate for similar services in the community and your own business.

• DO notify the head coaches or the Department of Athletics of job possibilities for student-athletes.

FAQ  

The following are the answers to a few of the questions most frequently asked by the public:  

QUESTION: May I contact high school coaches or guidance counselors directly regarding a student-athlete?

NO! Because such a contact would involve specific athletic recruiting and not general institutional recruiting, a BOOSTER would be PROHIBITED from such contact. Further, boosters are prohibited from visiting a prospect’s educational institution to pick up films or transcripts pertaining to a prospect.

QUESTION: May I accompany the coach during his or her “home” visits with the prospect?

NO! This would constitute your direct involvement in the athletic recruitment of the prospect and would not be permissible.  

QUESTION: May I drive a prospect to a secondary school’s reception in my local area?

NO! Unless such arrangements are made for all students in attendance. Otherwise, providing such transportation would be considered an “extra benefit” and would render the prospect ineligible to play if he/she enrolled at Salisbury.  

QUESTION: May a booster group finance a season ending banquet for a Sea Gull team? Provided all funds are expended through the Department of Athletics, it is permissible for a booster group to be the source of funds for banquets and awards. Since the NCAA has established a value limit on awards received by student-athletes, it is important to have all awards approved by the Department of Athletics