University of Illinois Springfield Athletics

BOOSTER (AKA - Representative of an Institution's Athletics Interest)
Businesses or individuals who are known to have participated in any of the following shall be known as UIS Athletics "Boosters":

• Participated in or been a member of an organization (sport support group or booster club) promoting the UIS Athletic Department
• Given financial contributions to UIS Athletics
• Assisted in the recruitment of PSAs
• Provided NCAA permissible employment or benefits to student-athletes or their families (Boosters please check with Compliance before doing so!!)
• Promoted UIS Athletics in other way

Once a booster, ALWAYS a booster!
 
 
PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETE (PROSPECT)
A prospective student-athlete, or prospect, is any student who has started classes for the ninth grade. In addition, a student who has not started classes for the ninth grade becomes a prospect if the institution provides such an individual (or his/her relatives or friends) any financial assistance or other benefits that the institution does not provide to prospective students generally.
 
 
RECRUITING
The term recruiting involves any solicitation of a PSA (or their family members!) by UIS Athletics staff to encourage that individual to enroll at UIS and participate for one of the intercollegiate athletics programs. The ONLY people permitted to engage in recruiting activities are those UIS coaches who have passed the NCAA Division II recruiting exam. Boosters may NOT participate in recruiting activities.


CONTACT
A contact is any face-to-face encounter between a PSA or the PSA's parents, relatives, or legal guardian(s) and an institutional staff member or UIS Athletics Representative during which any conversation in excess of a greeting occurs. Any face-to-face meeting that is prearranged or takes place on the grounds of the PSA's school or competition site is considered a contact, regardless of the conversation that occurs.


EXTRA BENEFITS
Extra benefits include any special arrangement by a UIS employee or booster to provide a student-athlete or PSA with any benefit not authorized by the NCAA. A few benefits that would be considered "extra" include, but are not limited to:

• Money, special discounts, specialized services (laundry, car wash, dry cleaning)
• Free meals, movie tickets, use of a car etc.
• Free or reduced rent or promise of such a service
• Anything given because of an individual's reputation as a student-athlete

 
NCAA rules prohibit any representative of athletics interest from:

• Contacting prospective student-athletes (PSAs) or families in person or off campus. This includes writing, calling, texting etc.
• Providing transportation to a PSA, their family member or coach to visit UIS, or reimbursing them for their travel expenses to reach UIS.
• Providing free tickets or discounted tickets to PSAs or their relatives or friends to attend a UIS athletic event.
• Attending a PSAs sporting event for the purpose of providing an evaluation to UIS coaching staff per their request. 

However, as a booster, you are PERMITTED to:

• Notify UIS coaches about prospects in your area who may be strong additions to our teams.
• Attend high school or two-year college athletic contests or other events where PSAs may compete. However, you may not have contact with the PSAs or their relatives for the purpose of providing information on UIS.
• Continue relationships with a PSA and/or his/her parents or relatives, provided the relationship pre-dates the PSA entering ninth grade and the relationship did not develop as a result of the PSA's athletics participation. However, you may not recruit them to participate in UIS Athletics.
• Continue involvement with local youth sports that may include PSAs, provided you do not solicit any prospect's participation in UIS Athletics.

The best way to protect UIS Athletics, our coaches, prospective student-athletes, and yourself from NCAA sanctions is to ASK BEFORE YOU ACT! The Compliance Office is happy to provide you with the information you need to make the right decision to avoid negatively impacting prospective student-athletes or UIS Athletics. Below are several relevant NCAA bylaws pertaining to boosters and athletic donors, including an FAQ section at the bottom.


Rules Governing Recruitment of Prospective Student-Athletes (PSA’s) (NCAA Bylaw 13)

• A prospective student-athlete is defined by the NCAA as any person who has begun classes in the ninth grade.
• A prospective student-athlete remains a prospect even after he or she has signed or accepts an offer of financial aid to attend UIS.
• The prospect remains a prospect until they report for the first day of classes for a regular term (fall or spring).
• Only coaches and athletic department staff members can be involved in the recruiting process off campus.  A contact is defined as any face-to-face encounter between a prospect or the prospect’s parent or legal guardians during which time any dialog in excess of an exchange of a greeting occurs.
• In general, all representatives of the institution’s athletics interest who are not employed by UIS are prohibited from contacting off campus a prospect or prospect’s family to encourage the prospect to participate in intercollegiate athletics at UIS.

You are prohibited from:  (NCAA Bylaw 13)

• Contacting a prospect or a family member in person on or off our campus. This includes writing, calling, texting etc.
• Making arrangements for a prospect or the prospect’s relatives or friends, to receive money or financial aid of any kind.
• Providing transportation to a PSA, their family member or coach to visit UIS, or reimbursing them for their travel expenses to reach UIS.
• Providing free tickets or tickets at a reduced cost for prospects or the prospects relatives or friends to attend an athletic event.
• Entertaining high school, prep school or community college coaches.
• Attending a PSAs sporting event for the purpose of providing an evaluation to UIS coaching staff per their request. 

 
As a representative of the institution’s athletic interest, you are permitted to:  (NCAA Bylaw 1.2.3)

• Notify our coaches about prospects in your area that may be strong additions to our teams (if not directed to do so by members of the UIS coaching staff).
• Attend high school or two-year college athletic contests or other events where prospects may compete; however, you may not contact the prospect or the prospect’s relatives.
• Continue relationships with a PSA and/or his/her parents or relatives, provided the relationship pre-dates the PSA entering ninth grade and the relationship did not develop as a result of the PSA's athletics participation. However, you may not recruit them to participate in UIS Athletics.
• Continue involvement with local youth sports that may include PSAs, provided you do not solicit any prospect's participation in UIS Athletics. 

Rules Governing Contacts and Benefits for Student-Athletes (NCAA Bylaw 16)
In addition to regulating contact of our representative of athletics interest with prospects, the NCAA also regulates contact with current UIS student-athletes, as well as their relatives and friends.

An extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representatives of athletics interest to provide a student-athlete, prospect, or their relatives or friends a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation.

In general, you may not provide a benefit that is not authorized by NCAA legislation or make special arrangements for student-athletes and prospective student-athletes that are not available to the general student population.
 
Examples of prohibited extra benefit not allowed by NCAA rules, but are not limited to, are as follows:  (NCAA Bylaw 16)

• Providing cash or loans in any amount, or signing or co-signing for a loan.
• Providing gifts of any kind, including birthday cards, gift cards and holiday gifts.
• Providing special discounts for goods and services (e.g. car repairs, legal services, meals).
• Providing free rent or reduced rent-housing.
• Purchasing complimentary admissions from a student-athlete.
• Providing an honorarium to a student-athlete for a speaking engagement.
• Use of a car or other personal property (i.e. house)
• Promise of employment after graduation
• Employment for a prospect's friends or relatives.
• Payment of registration fees for athletic camps

As a representative of the institution’s athletics interest, you are permitted to:  (NCAA Bylaw 16)

• Invite a student-athlete into your home for an occasional meal, but please coordinate such activity with the compliance office.
• Make a donation to UIS
• Provide summer employment for enrolled student-athletes 

 
Rules Governing Student-Athlete Employment
Student-athletes receiving grant-in-aid will be eligible for employment during the regular academic year as well as during the university’s official vacation periods (winter and spring break) and the summer.

The following rules are applicable to student-athlete employment:

• The student-athlete is compensated only for work actually performed
• The student-athlete is compensated only at the “going rate” for the work performed
• The student-athlete has not been hired based on his or her athletic ability

Rules Governing Promotional Activities for Student-Athletes:
All charitable, educational, and nonprofit promotional activities involving student-athletes must have prior approval from the Athletic Director.

Student-athletes are not permitted to be involved in the advertisement, recommendation or promotion of sales or use of a commercial product or service of any kind.
 

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q:  What if a prospect approaches/calls me with questions about playing for UIS?
A:  You should not speak with him/her in excess of a friendly greeting and explaining that NCAA rules prohibit you from talking with them further. You can tell them they will need to contact the coach and then take steps to end the conversation.

Q:  What if a prospect knows I am a UIS graduate and calls me with general questions about UIS?
A:  If a prospect initiates a phone call to you, a booster, you may answer questions regarding various aspects of attending UIS as long as NO discussion occurs regarding the UIS athletics program. If a prospect asks about UIS athletics, you must refer him/her to the appropriate coaching staff member.

Q:  If I have family friends with a son or daughter who is a prospect, do the rules change my relationship with them?
A:  Not necessarily. The rules are not meant to alter relationships that started for reasons unrelated to athletics. You may continue relationships with family friends who have a son or daughter of recruit-able age and is considered a prospect (e.g. backyard BBQs, picnics). But, you cannot encourage the PSA's participation in UIS athletics or provide benefits that you were not providing before he/she became a prospect.

Q:  Do the extra benefit rules also apply to enrolled student-athletes and their families and friends?
A:  Yes. You are not allowed to provide any benefit or special arrangement to an enrolled student- athlete (e.g. tickets to a sporting event or concert, a meal or snack, an award or gift for athletic performance, special discounts). Again, the rules are not meant to alter pre-existing relationships, but note that the benefits provided must be the type of benefits that you provided prior to the student-athlete's enrollment at UIS.

Q:  I am a parent and would like to host my son's team at my home for a meal while they're traveling to our hometown. Is that ok?
A:  Yes. Parents of current student-athletes can provide an "occasional meal" to their son/daughter's team. Other types of boosters can provide student-athletes with an "occasional meal" too, BUT there are restrictions on where they can provide the meal. Boosters can provide student-athletes with a meal in their home, on campus, or at a facility that is regularly used for home competition. The meal can even be catered but it can only happen "occasionally" and with prior-approval from the compliance office. The meal cannot be at a restaurant.

Q:  Can an Athletics Representative be involved in any way when a prospect is on an official or unofficial visit?
A:  Yes. However, the Athletics Representative may have contact only on campus during the prospective student-athletes official or unofficial visit.  Off campus contact is prohibited.

Q:  Is it permissible for an Athletics Representative to provide summer employment for student-athletes?
A:  Yes.  Please remember that compensation must be paid only for work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality for services of like character.
 
Q: Can I contact prospects to encourage them to attend the institution?  
A:  No, any such contact could result in the prospect being declared ineligible to participate in athletics at UIS.
 
Q: May I engage in evaluation activities on behalf of the institution?  
A:  Yes, you may view a prospect’s contest on his/her own initiative, provided no contact is made with the prospect or his/her family.  However, this evaluation may not take place at the request or direction of an institutional staff member, and you are not permitted to contact anyone associated with the prospect in an effort to evaluate him/her.
 
Q:  May I attend a public event (e.g., high school awards banquet or dinner) at which prospects are in attendance?  
A:  Yes, however contact with prospects or their families may not occur, and no attempt can be made to recruit the prospect.
 
Q:  May a student-athlete’s name, picture, or appearance be used in a promotional activity?   
A:  It depends on the situation.  Please contact the Compliance Office with your specific question. 
 
Q: May a student-athlete’s name or picture be used to directly or indirectly advertise, recommend, or promote the sale or use of a commercial product or service?
A: No. Such activity would jeopardize the eligibility of the student-athlete. The NCAA membership has always maintained that student-athletes not be involved in the promotion of a commercial product.
 
Q: Is it permissible for a booster to pay in whole or in part registration fees associated with sport camps?
A: No.
 
Q: Is UIS responsible for the acts of boosters and booster support groups?
A: Yes. Boosters are governed by the same NCAA and institutional rules and regulations as those placed upon all institutional athletics staff members.
 
Q: When is a prospect considered a student-athlete?
A: A prospect is considered a student-athlete when he or she reports for regular squad practice or attends classes in any term at the college.
 
Q: Is it permissible for a booster to provide an enrolled student-athlete with professional services (for which a fee would normally be charged) for personal reasons?
A: No. Professional services provided at a fee less than the normal rate or at no expense to a student-athlete are considered extra benefits.
 
Q: May a student-athlete make a public appearance at a business establishment for any purpose such as signing autographs etc.?
A: No. Such appearances can be construed as a direct or indirect endorsement of the commercial establishment, thus jeopardizing the eligibility of the student-athlete. It should be noted that student-athletes may make appearances at schools, hospitals, or other nonprofit or charitable organizations provided they do not receive compensation (other than expenses) and such activities are authorized by the athletics department.
 
Q: Is it permissible for a booster to provide gifts or awards to a student-athlete for his or her athletics performance?
A: No. All awards must conform to NCAA awards legislation and must be approved by UIS.