NCAA Guidelines for Prospective Athletes/Recriuting

Thought since summer camps and other things were coming up I'd post a refresher on what can and can't be done by the fans. This is not just for Charlotte fans but for fans of all universities. Don't mess it up for an 18-year old kid to go to the school of his choice!


NCAA DEFINITIONS
Prospective Student-Athlete: A prospective student-athlete (“prospect”) is defined as an individual who has begun classes for the ninth (9th) grade. However, it is possible for a student who is still in a lower grade to be considered as a prospect, if he/she receives a benefit from the institution that is not permitted per NCAA regulations.

Student-Athlete: A student-athlete is a student who is enrolled at a four-year institution and whose enrollment was solicited by a member of the athletics staff or other representative of athletics interests with a view toward the student's participation in the intercollegiate athletics program.

Contact: A contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospect, or the prospect's parent or legal guardian, and an institutional staff member or athletics representative during which any dialogue occurs.

Recruiting: Recruiting is any solicitation (by phone, mail, or in-person) of a prospect or a prospect's family member, or legal guardian. Only those institutional coaches who have passed the NCAA Recruiting Test are permitted to recruit for the institution.

Representatives of Athletics Interests: An individual, independent agency, corporate entity, or any organization who is known (or who should have been known), by a member 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 the athletics department staff) to assist in the recruitment of
prospects;
(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.
Once an individual is identified as such a representative, the person retains that identity indefinitely.

Extra Benefit: An extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or an athletics representative to provide a prospect or a student-athlete (or the prospect or student-athlete's relatives or friends) with a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation. The following are examples of extra benefits:
· Giving cash or loans in any amount.
· Signing or co-signing a note with an outside agency to arrange a loan.
· Employing relatives or friends of a student-athlete.
· Giving gifts of any kind (e.g., birthday, Christmas, Valentine's Day) or free services (e.g., clothing, airline tickets, laundry, car repair, haircuts, meals in restaurants).
· Providing special discounts for goods or services.
· Providing use of an automobile.
· Providing a meal other than in your home on special infrequent occasions (e.g., Thanksgiving, birthday).
· Providing use of your summer home to go water skiing, hunting, etc.
· Providing transportation for any purpose.
· Providing rent free or reduced rent housing.
· Providing a benefit connected with on or off campus housing (e.g., television set, stereo equipment).
· Providing tickets to an athletic, institutional or community event.
· Providing a guarantee of a bond.
· Providing promise of financial aid for postgraduate education.
· Promising employment after college graduation.

NCAA RECRUITING POLICIES FOR ATHLETICS REPRESENTATIVES
DO NOT become directly or indirectly involved in arranging for a prospect, or the prospect's relatives or friends, to receive money or financial aid of any kind.

DO NOT provide any “extra benefits” to or for a prospect, or the prospect's relatives or friends, without first checking with that institution's Athletic Compliance Office.

DO NOT write to, telephone, or contact in person a prospect or the prospect's family (on or off campus). If a coach is accompanied by a prospect on campus, in the community or at the airport, do not approach the coach and prospect. If a prospect approaches you off campus regarding an institution's athletic program, explain that NCAA rules do not permit you to discuss the program. Suggest that the prospect contact the institution's athletics department for information.

DO NOT entertain high school, prep school, or two-year college coaches at any location.

DO NOT contact the prospect's coach, principal, or counselor for evaluating the prospect. You are not permitted to videotape games or pick up films or transcripts from the prospect's educational institution.

HOWEVER . . .
DO feel free to attend high school and community college athletic events for your enjoyment, but not to scout or videotape for an institution's coaching staff. While at such an event you cannot have any contact with prospects or their relatives. Should you find yourself seated next to parents of a prospect, DO NOT initiate conversation with the relatives. If conversation is initiated with you, respond in a civil manner but DO NOT discuss anything regarding a member institution's athletic program. Direct their questions to the coaching staff or Athletic Compliance Office.

DO continue ESTABLISHED family relationships with friends and neighbors. You are permitted to engage in your normal activities with prospects and their parents who are family and/or friends as long as they are not made for recruiting purposes and are not prompted by a member institution’s coaching staff. 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 attend. NO attempt should be made to contact or recruit the prospect at these events.

DO send the coaching staffs 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 the contact with the prospect.

DO provide employment opportunities for currently enrolled student-athletes as appropriate.

RECRUITING SCHEDULE (NCAA Division I rules)
During the Freshman and Sophomore Years of High School (and until Sept. 1 of junior year)
NCAA Division I institutions may send:
1. Questionnaires
2. Camp brochures
3. NCAA Educational Information

May respond to written requests from prospects by providing an explanation of the NCAA rules or referring prospect to the admissions department.

May NOT send any other written recruiting materials, or initiate phone calls, to prospects.

May accept phone calls placed by prospects at their own expense, but may NOT initiate calls to prospects or accept collect calls from prospects or calls from prospects placed to a toll free departmental number.

Men’s Basketball Exception: Institutions may accept collect calls from men’s basketball prospects after the conclusion of the prospect’s junior year.

Coaches may evaluate prospects during specified time periods called evaluation periods, but may not have face to face contact with prospects except on the college campus.

Coaches may NOT have in-person off campus contacts with prospects or their relatives.

Prospects may make unofficial visits to campus, can receive up to three complimentary admissions to a campus sporting event, and may talk in person with college coaches only on the college campus (except during a "dead period"). Prospects may receive game programs or student handbooks only on visits to campus.

 

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During the Junior Year
Institutions may send the materials listed above and, after September 1, may send many other recruiting materials which may include personalized letters, photocopies of newspaper clippings, media guides, schedule cards, and official university academic and admissions publications. Recruiting or highlight videotapes may NOT be sent to prospects at any time.

After September 1, institutions may send e-mail and fax transmissions, as these are considered by NCAA rules to be written correspondence rather than telephone calls.

May accept phone calls placed by prospects at their own expense, but may NOT initiate calls to prospects, accept collect calls from prospects, or calls from prospects placed to a toll free departmental number.

Men’s Basketball Exception: Institutions are permitted to place one call in the month of March to a prospect (or his relatives) in his junior year.

Coaches may evaluate prospects during specified time periods called evaluation periods, but may NOT have face-to-face contact with prospects except on the college campus.

Men’s Basketball Exception: Coaches are permitted to have one in-person contact with a prospect (or the prospect’s relatives) in April of the junior year.

Prospects MAY make unofficial visits to campus, may receive up to three complimentary admissions to a campus sporting event, and may talk in person with college coaches only on the college campus (except during a "dead period"). Prospects may receive game programs or student handbooks only during visits to campus.

Prospects should register to take the ACT or SAT test, and near the end of the junior year, register with the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse.

July 1 following Junior Year and After
Institutions may initiate phone calls to prospects (once per week with certain exceptions) and may accept collect calls from prospects, or calls placed by prospects to departmental toll free numbers. Institutions may also continue to accept calls placed at prospects' own expense.

Football exception: One call to a prospect permitted during May of the junior year in high school. Then no phone calls until Sept. 1, one call per week from Sept. 1 until Nov. 30. Unlimited calls during football contact period (Dec. 1 through signing day, with exceptions)
Basketball exception: One call to a prospect permitted on or after June 21 (through June 30) following the prospects' junior year in high school. Then only three calls during July to a prospect with not more than one call per week.

May send written correspondence to prospects as listed under junior year.

Coaches may evaluate prospects during specified time periods called evaluation periods, and may talk to prospects at home or at their high school during contact periods. If they want to talk to prospects on the day of a game, which falls during a recruiting contact period, they must wait until the game is completed and their high school coach releases the prospect.

Prospects may make unofficial visits to campus as listed under Junior Year.

Institutions may invite prospects to campus for an official visit, which may occur no earlier than the prospects' first day of classes for the senior year. Prospects may only make one official visit to a campus, with a maximum of five official visits. This visit may last only 48 hours from the prospects arrival on campus to departure from campus. (If a college coach transports the prospect from home for the official visit, the 48-hour period begins when departing the home and the prospect must be back home before the 48-hour period ends.)

Institutions cannot provide an official visit to a prospect until the prospect has provided a copy of his/her high school transcript and a copy of an ACT or SAT test score.

AWARDS AND BENEFITS FOR PROSPECTS OR STUDENT ATHLETES
DO NOT provide any of the extra benefits listed in the "extra benefits" section.

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

DO NOT provide awards or gifts to a prospect or student-athlete for his or her athletic performance. All awards must conform to NCAA regulations and must be approved by the institution.

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

DO NOT provide an honorarium to a prospect or student-athlete for a speaking engagement.

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

DO NOT provide room, board, or transportation to friends or family of an enrolled student-athlete to enable them to visit campus or attend an away athletics contest.

DO NOT provide room, board, or transportation to an enrolled student-athlete for collegiate competition.

NCAA EMPLOYMENT POLICIES
A student-athlete may earn up to the value of a full athletic scholarship, plus $2000, through employment during the academic year, provided:
1. The student-athlete has spent one complete academic year in residence at the certifying institution; the student-athlete is eligible academically to compete for the institution.
2. Prior to employment, a student-athlete and his/her employer are required to register with the compliance office and the records are to be kept on file in the Athletic Department.

The following rules are applicable to any type of student-athlete employment, whether during the academic year or summer:
· The rate of pay must be the normal rate for the duties performed.
· The hours paid must be the hours worked.
· Payment in advance of hours worked is not permitted.
· Transportation to work may be provided only if transportation is available to other non-athlete employees in similar positions.
· Summer and vacation period employment do not count in the student-athlete's limit on financial aid.

PROMOTIONAL APPEARANCES
All charitable, educational, and nonprofit promotional activities involving student-athletes must have prior approval from the Athletic Department. Student-athletes are not permitted to be involved in the advertisement, endorsement, or promotion of a commercial product or service of any kind.

AGENTS AND AMATEURISM
An individual shall be ineligible for participation in an intercollegiate sport if he or she ever has agreed (orally or in writing) to be represented by an agent for the purpose of marketing his or her athletics ability or reputation in that sport. Further, an agency contract not specifically limited in writing to a sport or particular sports shall be deemed applicable to all sports, and the individual shall be ineligible to participate in any sport.

Agent: An individual, entrusted through an agency contract, that negotiates a person's professional sports contract. The term includes an individual who represents to the public that the individual is an athlete agent. The term does not include a spouse, parent, sibling, grandparent, or guardian of the student-athlete or an individual acting solely on behalf of a professional sports team or professional sports organization.

A propsect/student-athlete may NOT enter into a verbal or written agreement with an agent for representation in future professional sports negotiations that are to take place after the individual has completed his or her eligibility in that sport.

Prospects/student-athletes as well as their friends, relatives, and legal guardians may NOT accept any benefits from an agent financial advisor, runner, or any other person associated with an agency business.

A prospect/student-athlete MAY secure advice from a lawyer concerning a proposed professional sports contract.

A lawyer or agent MAY provide advice to an individual regarding the merits of a proposed contract without jeopardizing the individual's amateur status, provided he or she has no contact with the professional sports organization, and does not market the individual's athletics ability or reputation in a particular sport.

Coaches may NOT represent, directly or indirectly, any individual in the marketing of athletics ability or reputation to an agent, a professional sports team or a professional sports organization.

An institution's professional sports counseling panel or a head coach in a sport MAY contact agents, professional sports teams or professional sports organizations on behalf of a student-athlete, provided no compensation is received for such services. The head coach shall consult with and report his or her activities on behalf of the student-athlete to the institution's professional sports counseling panel and/or the chief executive officer.

A student-athlete in the sport of basketball MAY enter a professional league's draft one time during his or her collegiate career without jeopardizing eligibility in that sport, provided the student-athlete is NOT drafted by any team in that league and the student-athlete declares his or her intention in writing to the institution's director of athletics to resume intercollegiate participation within 30 days after the draft.

 

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A student-athlete MAY compete professionally in one sport and be an amateur in another sports (e.g. you may sign a professional baseball contract and still play college basketball). Signing a professional contact normally terminates eligibility for an athletics scholarship in any sports (unless you no longer are involved in professional athletics, are not receiving any remuneration from a professional sports organization and you do not have an active contractual relationship with any professional sports team).

GENERAL REMINDERS
Financial Aid: All funds (regardless of the source) provided to student-athletes to pay or assist in paying their cost of education must be administered through the schools financial aid office.

National Letter of Intent (NLI): The NLI is an official document administered by the Collegiate Commissioners Association and utilized by subscribing member institutions to establish the commitment of a prospect to attend a particular institution. The NLI commits a prospect to that institution for one academic year, even if the coach resigns or is terminated.

NCAA transfer rule: A student who transfers to a NCAA member institution from any collegiate institution is required to complete one full academic year of residence at the certifying institution before being eligible to compete for or to receive travel expenses from the member institution, unless the student satisfies the applicable transfer requirements or receives an exception or waiver. In the sport of basketball, a transfer student-athlete who satisfies the applicable transfer requirements or receives an exception or waiver as set forth in this section, but initially enrolls as a full-time student subsequent to the first term of the academic year shall not be eligible for competition until the ensuing academic year.

Permissible recruiters: Only authorized institutional staff members shall be allowed to recruit a prospect or the prospect's relatives or legal guardian(s). Boosters are not considered to be part of the institution's staff.

 

Good read. I have a next door neighbor that was being recruited by several Div. I schools. I never mentioned anything to the kid, but flew our House flag every day and would point to it if I saw him in the yard. I found out that our coaches were trying to reach him but were not having any luck. He didn't have a great Sr. year, but did sign with James Madison.

I guess i could have spoke to him more about school, but didn't know what I could and couldn't do. Did not want to cause the young man any problems, and didn't want to put our school at any risk.

 

al, you have access to some recruiting tools the rest of us do not.