1.
Are you a "booster" (representative of the institution's
athletics interests)?
Yes,
if you:
- are
or have ever been a member of an agency or organization
promoting Purdue's Athletics Program;
- have
ever made a donation to the Purdue Athletics Program or
to one of the athletics booster organizations (i.e., John
Purdue Club, BOILERmaker NETwork, GOLD BLOCK, Boiler Backers,
Fastbreakers);
- are
assisting or have ever been asked by the Athletics
staff to assist in recruiting prospects;
- are
assisting or have ever assisted in providing benefits
to enrolled student-athletes or their families; or
- are
or have ever been involved otherwise in the promotion
of the Purdue Athletics Program. (NCAA Bylaw 13.02.12)
2.
Once an individual has been identified as a "booster,"
how long does he or she retain this identity?
Forever.
(NCAA Bylaw 13.02.12.1)
3.
Is Purdue responsible for the acts of its boosters and booster
support groups such as the John Purdue Club, GOLD BLOCK, BOILERmaker
NETwork, Boiler Backers, and Fastbreakers?
Yes.
Boosters are governed by the same NCAA and institutional rules
and regulations as those placed upon all institutional athletics
staff members.
4.
What is the "booster ban" legislation?
The
so-called "booster ban" legislation, NCAA Bylaw 13.01.5.1,
applies to Division I and became effective August 1, 1987. It
reads as follows:
"In
Division I, representatives of an institution's athletics interests
are prohibited from making in-person, on- or off-campus recruiting
contacts, or written or telephonic communications with a prospect
or the prospect's relatives or legal guardians."
5.
Who is considered a "prospect" (prospective student-athlete)?
"A
prospective student-athlete ("prospect") is a student
who has started classes for the ninth grade. In addition, a
student who has not started classes for the ninth grade becomes
a prospective student-athlete if the institution provides such
an individual (or the individual's relatives or friends) any
financial assistance or other benefits that the institution
does not provide to prospective students generally." (NCAA
Bylaw 13.02.10)
6.
How long is a prospective student-athlete considered a prospect?
A
prospective student-athlete remains a prospect even after
signing a National Letter of Intent to attend an institution,
and both the institution and the prospect continue to be governed
by NCAA recruiting legislation until: (a) the prospect
reports for regular squad practice; (b) the registrar or director
of admissions certifies that the prospect is officially registered
and enrolled at the institution on the opening day of classes;
or (c) the prospect attends a class or classes in any regular
term.
7.
What is the definition of a contact?
A
contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospective
student-athlete, the prospect's parents or legal guardian(s),
and an institutional staff member or athletics representative
during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of
a greeting. Additionally, any face-to-face encounter that is
prearranged or that takes place on the grounds of the prospect's
educational institution or at the site oforganized competition
or practice involving the prospect or the team the prospect
represents shall be considered a contact, regardless of the
conversation which occurs. (NCAA Bylaws 13.02.3, 13.1.7)
8.
Is the contact rule applicable to established family friends or
neighbors?
No.
However, it must be understood that such contacts are not made
for recruiting purposes and are not initiated by the institution's
coaching staff members. (NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.3 d)9.
If only Purdue coaches and Athletic Department or institutional
staff members may recruit a prospect by telephone, in writing,
or in person, how may a booster help?
A
booster may:
- attend
as many athletic contests as you desire to evaluate talent
(NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.5 c);
- call,
write, or send newspaper articles to the Purdue coaching staff
regarding outstanding student-athletes in his/her area; and
- feel
free to offer assistance to members of the Purdue coaching
staff who are recruiting in his/her community.
10.
As a booster, if I attend a prospect's athletic event, may I talk
to the prospect's coach after the event?
No.
A booster may not contact the coach, the prospect or family
members, the principal, or counselor in an attempt to evaluate
a prospect. (NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.5 d)
11.
As a booster, may I visit the prospect's school to pick up transcripts
or videotape/film to send to a college coach?
No.
A booster may not visit the prospect's school to pick up transcripts
or videotapes/film pertaining to the evaluation of the prospect's
academic or athletic ability. (NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.5 e)
12.
What if a booster attends an athletic event and finds himself/herself
sitting next to the parents of the prospect?
Do
not initiate conversation with the relatives. If conversation
is initiated with the booster, respond in a civil manner but
do not discuss the Purdue Athletics Program with them. If they
ask questions about the program, remind them that the NCAA prohibits
a booster from discussing the program with them. Encourage the
family to contact the Purdue Athletic Department directly.
13.
May a booster attend a public event (e.g., high school awards
banquet or dinner) at which prospects are in attendance?
Yes,
BUT any contact with a prospect may not be prearranged
by an Athletic Department staff member, and no attempt
may be made to recruit the prospect.
14.
May a booster play a "pick-up"game (i.e., basketball,
softball, etc.) with prospects?
Yes,
PROVIDED there is no attempt to recruit the prospect
and the game is not prearranged by a member of the Athletic
Department staff.
15.
May a prospect call a booster?
Yes.
A booster may have a telephone conversation with a prospect
only if the prospect initiates the call. The telephone
call may not be prearranged by an institutional staff member,
and the booster is not permitted to have a recruiting conversation
with the prospect but may exhibit normal civility. The booster
must refer any questions about the institution's athletics program
to the athletics department staff. (NCAA Bylaws 13.1.3.5.1.1,
13.1.2.5 a)
16.
During the recruitment of a prospect or prior to a prospect's
enrollment, may a booster be involved directly or indirectly in
making arrangements for a prospect or the prospect's relatives
or friends to receive money, financial aid, or equivalent inducements,
regardless if similar financial aid, benefits, or arrangements
are available to prospective students in general, their relatives,
or friends? (NCAA Bylaws 13.2.1, 13.16.1)
No.
Other types of inducements that are prohibited include,
but are not limited to (NCAA Bylaw 13.2.2):
- the
use of an automobile;
- signing
or cosigning a note for a loan;
- special
discounts or payment arrangements on a loan;
- cash
or tangible items (e.g., clothes, cars, jewelry, stereo equipment,
even a soft drink);
- the
promise of employment after college;
- an
employment arrangement for a prospect's relatives or friends;
- purchase
of items or services from a prospect or the prospect's family
at inflated prices;
- free
or reduced-cost housing arrangements;
- free
or reduced-cost services or rentals of any type;
- the
promise of financial aid for post-graduate education (NCAA
Bylaw 13.16.1);
- the
promise to pay or arrange payment of transportation costs
incurred by relatives or friends of prospective student-athletes
(NCAA Bylaw 13.6.2.8);
- the
use of Purdue's athletic equipment (e.g., for a high school
all-star game); or
- sponsorship
of or arrangement for an awards banquet for high school, prep
school, or two-year college athletes by an institution, boosters,
or its alumni groups or booster clubs.
17.
May boosters entertain relatives and friends of a prospective
student-athlete at any site off campus?
No.
18.
May a booster make a contact with a prospect and/or his or her
guardian during an official or unofficial visit to campus?
No.
(NCAA Bylaw 13.5.1.1)
19.
Is it permissible for a booster to be involved in the on-campus
entertainment of a prospect and/or his or her guardian during
an official or unofficial visit?
No.
(NCAA Bylaws 13.5.1.1, 13.7.5.4)
20.
Is it permissible for a booster to reimburse the coach of a prospect
for expenses incurred in transporting a prospect to visit the
campus?
No.
21.
Is it permissible for a booster to entertain high school, prep
school, or junior college coaches at any location?
No.
However, the Purdue Athletic Department may provide coaches
with complimentary tickets to home athletic contests. (NCAA
Bylaw 13.9.1)
22.
Is it permissible for a booster to pay costs incurred by an athletics
talent scout in studying or recruiting a prospect?
No.
(NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.9)
23.
Is it permissible for a booster to employ or arrange for the employment
of a prospect before the completion of his/her senior year in
high school?
No.
However, NCAA Bylaw 13.2.4.1 permits an institution to arrange
employment for a prospect that begins after the prospect's senior
year in high school. Subsequent to a prospect's signing a National
Letter of Intent, it is permissible for a booster to contact
the prospect by telephone, in writing, or face to face concerning
summer employment arrangements.
24.
Is it permissible for a booster to provide free admission to Purdue's
away contests to prospects, their relatives, or friends?
No.
(NCAA Bylaw 13.2.1)
25.
Is it permissible for a booster to pay in whole or in part the
registration fees for summer sports camps?
No.
(NCAA Bylaw 13.2.1)
26.
What if a booster hears that a junior college athlete or an athlete
enrolled in another four-year institution is unhappy and would
like to transfer?
A
booster may not contact an enrolled student-athlete at
another institution for the purpose of encouraging transfer
to Purdue University and participation in our athletic program.
The booster may give this information to the appropriate
Purdue coaching staff.
27.
How may faculty members, either boosters or non-boosters, be involved
in the recruiting process of a prospect?
Faculty
members are not permitted to recruit off campus except for a
luncheon, dinner, or brunch at the home of a faculty member
during a prospect's official visit to campus. Faculty may have
on-campus contact with prospects. They may write prospects.
At the request of a coach, faculty may telephone prospects in
accordance with the applicable one-per-week limitation and the
dates an institution may place telephone calls to prospects.
(NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.4 a, 13.1.1.1, 13.1.3.1, 13.1.3.1.2)
28.
Are boosters prohibited from any contact with prospects?
The
NCAA Interpretations Committee has determined that this regulation
was not intended to relate to an unavoidable contact between
a prospect and a booster, it being understood that such a contact
(a) is not prearranged by the booster or an athletic department
staff member; (b) does not take place on the grounds of the
prospect's educational institution or at the sites of organized
practice or competition involving the prospect or the prospect's
team; (c) is not for the purpose of recruiting the prospect,
and (d) involves only normal civility. Contacts between a prospect
and booster relating to summer employment subsequent to the
prospect’s signing of the National Letter of Intent are
the exception. (NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.3 g)
30.
Is it permissible for a booster to expend funds to entertain student-athletes
and friends?
No.
(NCAA Bylaw 16.12.2)
31.
Is it permissible for a booster to provide summer employment for
student-athletes?
Yes.
HOWEVER, compensation must be paid only for work actually
performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in
that locality for service of like character. (NCAA Bylaw 12.4.1)
32.
Is it permissible for a booster to employ a student-athlete during
the academic year?
No.
Although NCAA Bylaw 15.2.6.1 does allow for student-athletes
to take employment on or off campus during the academic year,
the Purdue Athletic Department implemented an employment
policy that allows its student-athletes to take employment
ON CAMPUS ONLY during the academic year.
33.
Is it permissible for a booster to employ or use the name or picture
of a student-athlete to directly advertise, recommend, or promote
sales or use of a commercial product or service of any kind?
No.
The use of a student-athlete's name or picture in this manner
affects the student-athlete's amateur status and eligibility
to compete in intercollegiate athletics. (NCAA Bylaw 12.5.2)
34.
Is it permissible for a booster to pay or provide the actual and
necessary expenses (room, board, and transportation costs) incurred
by friends or relatives to visit a student athlete?
No.
(NCAA Bylaw 16.6.2.1)
35.
Is it permissible for a booster to provide any payment of expenses
or the loan of an automobile for a student-athlete to return home
or any other location for any personal reason or to receive an
award?
No.
(NCAA Bylaw 16.12.2.1)
36.
Is it permissible for a booster to provide gifts or awards to
a student-athlete for his or her athletic performance?
No.
All awards must conform to NCAA awards legislation and must
be approved by the institution. (NCAA Bylaw 16.1.4)
37.
Is it permissible for a booster club to finance a banquet for
a Purdue athletic team?
Yes.
One time per year an institution's athletics booster club may
finance an intercollegiate team's transportation expenses to
a recognition banquet, provided all expenses are paid through
the institution's athletic department, the location of the event
is not more than 100 miles from the campus, and no tangible
award is provided to members of the team. (NCAA Bylaw 16.1.6.1)
38.
Is it permissible for a booster to provide an honorarium to a
student-athlete for a speaking engagement?
No.
Student-athletes may receive only necessary travel expenses
when speaking to educational or charitable groups. All speaking
engagements must be approved in advance by the Purdue Athletic
Department. (NCAA Bylaw 16.11.1.7)
39.
Is it permissible for a booster to permit the use of a telephone
or credit card and/or pay for long-distance telephone calls?
No.
It is not permissible to allow a student-athlete to use a telephone
or credit card for personal reasons without charge or at a reduced
cost. (NCAA Bylaw 16.12.2.2.2)
40.
Is it permissible for a booster to provide student-athletes with
professional services without charge or at a reduced cost?
No.
Professional services provided at less than normal or at no
expense to a student-athlete are considered extra benefits.
(NCAA Bylaw 16.12.2.2.1)
41.
Is it permissible for a booster to have a student-athlete or team
over to his/her home for a meal?
Yes.
A student-athlete or a team may receive an occasional
family home meal from a Purdue staff member or booster provided
(NCAA Bylaw 16.12.1.6):
(a)
the meal is in an individual's home, not a restaurant, and may
be catered;
(b)
meals must be restricted to infrequent and special occasions;
(c)
Purdue staff members may provide transportation to student-athletes
to attend the meal. Boosters may not provide transportation
to student-athletes to attend the meal unless the meal is at
that booster's home.
42.
When a Purdue team is competing in a city with a Purdue Alumni
Club, is it permissible for the alumni club to provide dinner
for the team?
Yes.
The NCAA permits student-athletes AS A TEAM to receive special
benefits not permitted as individuals. Arrangement for such
events must be made in advance with the head coach and the athletic
department.
