Are you a booster?
You are if you have participated in or are a member of an agency or organization which promotes Radford University’s intercollegiate athletics program.
You are if you have made financial contribution s to the athletics department or to an athletics booster organization of Radford University.
You are if you are assisting or have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families.
You are if you have been involved in any way in the promotion of Radford University Athletics.
If you have been identified as a booster, you retain that identity indefinitely.
Enrolled Student-Athlete
A student who is presently participating in athletics or has completed his or her eligibility, but is still enrolled at Radford University.
Extra Benefit
Any special gift or arrangement provided to an enrolled student-athlete or to a student-athlete’s relative or friend, which is not available to the general student body at Radford University.
Prospective Student-athlete
Any individual who has begun classes for the ninth grade. A prospect remains a prospect until such time that he/she reports for practice or attend class as a full-time student at Radford University.
Recruitment
Any solicitation of a prospect, a member of a prospects’ family, or a prospect’s legal guardian for the purpose of securing the prospect’s enrollment and ultimate participation in Radford University Athletics.
Recruiting Contact
Any face-to-face encounter between a prospect or a prospect’s parent or legal guardian and a Radford University staff member or athletics representative during which any dialogue occurs in excess of a normal greeting.
NCAA Rules Regarding Contacts with RU Student-Athletes
If you are a representative of Radford University’s athletic interest, the following governs your contact with currently enrolled student-athletes.
DO NOT provide a student-athlete or friend any benefit or special arrangement. The NCAA considers these as an “extra benefit” and they are specifically prohibited.
DO NOT provide preferential treatment or discounted professional services because of a student-athlete’s athletic reputation or pay-back potential as a professional athlete.
DO NOT provide room and/or board or any type of transportation during the summer for a student-athlete with 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 friend, 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 of use of a commercial product or service of any kind.
DO NOT provide any payment of expense or loan of any automobiles for a student-athlete to return home or to any other location for ANY reason.
DO NOT provide awards or gifts to a student-athlete for his or her athletic performance. All awards must conform to NCAA regulations and must be approved by RU.
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 a home cooked meal but only for a special occasion. It is permissible to provide a student-athlete transportation to a meal, provided the meal is at your home and no other location.
DO feel free to invite a team for dinner or to meet with a group of alumni in a city where they are competing. The NCAA permits student-athletes AS A TEAM to receive special benefits not permitted to individuals. Arrangements for such events must be made in advance with the head coach or athletics department.
DO feel free to employ a student-athlete during the summer, regardless of any financial aid they may be receiving. However, please contact the athletics department before employing any student-athlete during the academic year.
DO feel free to contribute funds to finance a scholarship for a particular sport or position. However, it is not permissible to finance a scholarship for a particular prospect or student-athlete.
DO feel free to have student-athletes speak at charitable or educational functions, if approved in advance and coordinated through the athletics department. However, it is not permissible to provide an honorarium to a student-athlete fro this type of speaking arrangement.
NCAA RULES REGARDING CONTACTS WITH
PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETES
DO NOT telephone, write or make in-person contact with a prospect for the purpose of soliciting his/her enrollment at Radford University or participating in the RU athletics program.
DO NOT be involved in making arrangements for a prospect, a member of a prospect’s family, a prospect’s legal guardian or friend to receive money or financial aid of any kind.
DO NOT provide any transportation to prospects, including transportation to campus to attend athletic events.
DO NOT contact a prospect’s coach, principal, or guidance counselor in an attempt to evaluate the prospect, nor may you visit the prospect’s educational institution to pick up films/videos or transcripts.
DO NOT provide free or reduced cost tickets for RU home or away events to a prospect, prospect’s family, legal guardian or friend.
DO feel free to attend high school and community college athletic events. You simply cannot have any contact with the prospective student-athlete or their relatives. Should a parent or legal guardian of a prospect ask you questions, please direct their inquiries to the appropriate Radford University coach.
DO feel free to invite RU athletics department staff members to speak at an alumni function, be sure to inform them in advance of any prospects that will be in attendance. There are certain time periods when coaches are prohibited from any contact with a prospect away from campus.
RULES GOVERNING RECRUITING
Only coaches and athletics department staff members can be involved in the recruiting process. All “athletics representatives” or “booster” who are not employees of Radford University are prohibited from contacting a prospect by telephone, letter, or in-person (regardless of location) for the purpose of encouraging participation on athletics at Radford University.
DO NOT provide prospects, prospect’s family, legal guardian or friend any special benefits or arrangements, including, but not limited to
- cash or loans
- co-signing or arranging a loan
- gift of any kind (clothing, airline ticket, etc.)
- special discounts for goods and services
- use of an automobile
DO NOT entertain high school, prep school, or junior college coaches or provide them with tickets to any RU contest.
DO inform RU coaches of prospects in your area by contacting a coach via phone or letter. Newspaper clippings may be sent.
DO continues pre-established relationships with prospects, prospect’s family or legal guardian with the understanding that such contacts are not made for recruiting purposes and are not arranged by Radford University athletics department staff members.
NOTE: Most of the impermissible actions detailed above will immediately render the involved student-athlete ineligible for competition. Faculty and staff members for Radford University may write a prospect after September 1 at the start of his/her junior year in high school. They may also telephone a prospect for the purpose of recruiting after July 1 following his/her junior year in high school.
Related Websites
www.radford.edu/Athletics
www.bigsouthsports.com
www.ncaa.org
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