Bowl Travel

The University has developed specific guidelines around bowl travel. Updates may occur annually in support of when and where the Bowl game will be taking place. 

General

These guidelines cover individuals on official University business in support of advancement activities or as an extension of their regular on-campus duties. The scope of these guidelines does not include football staff or other Intercollegiate Athletics staff that are involved in related activities.

The University recognizes that in some development situations, a spouse or guest may be included when their participation benefits the donor relationship. In these situations, the spouse who attends bowl events is considered an official volunteer*, and PRF funds must be used to cover all costs associated with the bowl trip.

When traveling on a bowl tour package, staff and official volunteers are not eligible for subsistence reimbursement.**

Taxability of PRF-Funded Bowl-Related Items

Bowl packages, game tickets, and other bowl-related expenses may have tax implications for participants. The following tax guidelines apply:

• Items reported to IRS as taxable income:
  • Value of bowl package in the event spouse or guest of staff/faculty is not able to participate in every event as an official University volunteer OR appropriate certification form is not signed
  • Value of football tickets IF bowl events are not attended OR appropriate certification form is not signed

• Items not reported to IRS as taxable income:
  • Value of bowl package for spouse or guest who accompanies faculty/staff IF in official volunteer status AND IF appropriate certification signed
  • Value of bowl memorabilia – such souvenirs are of “de minimis,” value as long as they carry a value of less than $100, and do not need to be separately identified for tax purposes

Participants and Procedural Guidelines

Staff on University Business

The schools, units and regional campuses may have participants on official University business in support of development activities. Some staff may participate in a working role that is an extension of their regular on-campus duties such as select members of the Office of the Dean of Students, select members of the Purdue Music Organization, select members of the University Development Office and members of Marketing and Media.

Travel Options

Essentially, four travel options are available when faculty/staff participate in bowl activities:

1. Complete PAA bowl tour package (transportation/land) – department business office coordinates arrangements
   • Must be paid on PRF funds
2. PAA Land Only bowl tour package – department business office coordinates bowl package arrangements and employee makes own transportation arrangements
   • Must be paid on PRF funds
3. Bowl tour package offered by a local travel agency – employee makes all arrangements
   • Must be paid on PRF funds
4. No bowl tour package - employee makes all arrangements
   • PRF funds are strongly preferred
   • For units where PRF funds are limited or unavailable, traditional travel expenses such as airfare, hotel, mileage and per diem would be allowable*** on University Gift funds.

Procedures for Staff on University Business

In advance of the bowl event, Business Managers will verify with Deans and Department Heads which individuals within the business unit are authorized for bowl travel.

1. Traveling on Complete PAA Bowl Package (land/transportation), required to be paid on PRF funds:

• Each participating employee is required to complete a University Business Verification Form. If the employee is accompanied by a spouse or guest, both the employee and the spouse/guest are to complete the same form (Note: Employee may be accompanied by either a spouse or a guest for funding purposes).
• Employees should also complete a travel request if required.
• Staff member forwards the approved University Business Verification Form to department business office to check out a departmental PRF card.
• Staff member completes reservation form, including:
  • Home address and phone number.
  • Selection of the appropriate tour option, number of game tickets, and optional events.
  • Staff member prints off completed tour application, once payment has been confirmed, and returns this receipt with the credit card to the business office.
• Departmental business manager maintains the approved travel request, the University Business Verification Form and online package receipt.

2. Traveling on combination of PAA Land Only Tour Package and non-package travel arrangements, required to be paid on PRF funds:

• Business office staff coordinate PAA land only Bowl packages following process steps #1-5 of PAA Bowl Package Reservations section above.
• After the bowl event, expense reports for employees should be submitted in Concur Travel & Expense. Expense reports for spouses, and guests – if in official University volunteer capacity - should be submitted on a DIV form.
• Business manager obtains department head signature who authorizes expenditure reimbursement for employee and volunteer spouse/guest.
• Business manager signs and submits all PRF Bowl Travel Reimbursement Request Forms to Purdue Travel.
• Purdue Travel audits form for accuracy and forwards to Purdue Research Foundation.
• PRF reimburses allowable travel expenses for employee and volunteer spouse/guest.

3. Traveling on Bowl Tour package offered by local travel agency, required to be paid on PRF funds:

• Each participating employee is required to complete a University Business Verification Form. If the employee is accompanied by a spouse or guest, both the employee and the spouse/guest are to complete the same form (Note: Employee may be accompanied by either a spouse or a guest for funding purposes).
• Completed University Business Verification Form are to be forwarded to the employee's departmental business office.
• Business manager verifies forms for complete, valid and accurate signatures and information
• Employees should also complete a travel request if required.
• After the bowl event, expense reports for employees should be submitted in Concur Travel & Expense. Expense reports for spouses, and guests – if in official University volunteer capacity - should be submitted on a DIV form.
• PRF reimburses allowable travel expenses for employee and volunteer spouse/guest.

4A. If Non-package Travel Arrangements are made by individual, and department elects to pay on PRF funds (preferred option):

• Each participating employee is required to complete a University Business Verification Form. If the employee is accompanied by a spouse or guest, both the employee and the spouse/guest are to complete the same form (Note: Employee may be accompanied by either a spouse or a guest for funding purposes).
• Completed University Business Verification Form are to be forwarded to the employee's departmental business office.
• Business manager verifies forms for complete, valid and accurate signatures and information.
• Employees should also complete a travel request if required.
• After the bowl event, expense reports for employees should be submitted in Concur Travel & Expense. Expense reports for spouses, and guests – if in official University volunteer capacity - should be submitted on a DIV form.
• PRF reimburses allowable travel expenses for employee and volunteer spouse/guest.

4B. If Non-package Travel Arrangements are made by individual, and department elects to pay employee expenses on university funds:

• Employees should also complete a travel request if required.
• After the bowl event, employees are responsible for preparing and submitting an expense report in Concur Travel & Expense for all allowable travel expenses.
• The Business manager should obtain the Department Head's signature who authorizes expenditure reimbursement for employee.

NOTES:

Any bowl-related expense not allowable on University funds (game tickets or tickets to University-sponsored events, for instance) should be submitted for reimbursement to the Purdue Research Foundation via DIV form.

If employee shares travel expenses with volunteer guest/spouse, trip should be paid on PRF funds and steps in Procedure 4A (above) should be followed.

* University official volunteer is defined as a spouse, partner, or guest of a Purdue University staff who accompanies staff in an official capacity at Purdue events and represents Purdue for a business purpose.

** Development staff performing official development activities at the Bowl is exempt from the no subsistence reimbursement rule when traveling on a Bowl package. In these cases, however, exemption is valid only upon approval of Vice President for Development. After the Purdue Research Foundation (PRF) has received the memo containing the list of approved names from Senior Vice President for Development, per diem reimbursement requests for individuals listed will be processed.

*** Examples of Allowable Expenses (only applies to individuals traveling independent of a Bowl package and whose unit has elected to pay using University funds).

Contacts

Purdue Research Foundation: Tammy Metzinger, (765) 588-1271

Purdue Travel: (765) 496-8747 or purduetravel@purdue.edu