Parents, Donors and Boosters
TIPS FOR FANS, FRIENDS AND DONORS
NCAA: ROLE OF BOOSTERS
COMPLIANCE HOME
This site is intended to highlight some pertinent NCAA rules for you as a representative of Menlo College’s athletics interests. It is impossible to cover every NCAA rule that impacts you, and this site is just intended to answer some frequently asked questions. However, if you ever have any questions about NCAA rules and regulations, please contact the Compliance Office staff.
Definition of a Representative of Athletics Interests
In general, you are considered a representative of athletics interests (or a booster) if any of the following apply:
- You are the parent or legal guardian of an enrolled Menlo College student-athlete
- You are a former student or fan of Menlo College Athletics
- You are or have been a member of any athletic booster club associated with Menlo College
- You have participated in promoting the Menlo College athletics program
- You have assisted in the recruitment of prospects to Menlo College
- You have made any sort of financial contribution to Menlo College Athletics
Note: Once you trigger "booster status", you will always be considered a booster and held to NCAA rules.
Essential Information for Representatives of Athletics Interests
Extra Benefits
An extra benefit is any special arrangement to provide a student-athlete or student-athlete's relative, coach or friend a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation. Extra benefits for prospects are called offers or inducements and are prohibited. An institution's staff member or any representative of its athletics interests shall not be involved, directly or indirectly, in making arrangements for giving or offering to give any financial aid or other benefits to a prospect or to a prospect's relatives, coach or friends. Examples of prohibited extra benefits include but are not limited to:
- Cash or loan in any amount
- Gift, clothing or equipment (i.e. holiday gift, birthday present, gift certificate)
- Special discount, payment arrangements or free or reduced cost services
- The purchase of a meal or service at a commercial establishment
- Free or reduced cost rent or housing
- 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
Recruiting
Recruiting is any solicitation of a prospect or the prospect's family by an institutional staff member or by an institution's representative of athletics interests (i.e. booster) for the purpose of securing that prospect's enrollment and participation in the institution's intercollegiate athletics program. NCAA rules restrict the ways that boosters can be involved in the recruiting process. Below is a breakdown of the do's and don'ts for representatives of Menlo College athletics interests as it concerns recruiting.
As a representative of Menlo College athletics interests, you are permitted to:
- Observe a potential student-athlete's (PSA's) athletic contest, provided there is no contact with the prospect or his/her parents and or relatives.
- Notify the coaching staff of outstanding prospects in the area.
- Continue to have normal contact with any neighbor, relative, or family friend that might be a prospect. so long as you do not engage in the recruitment process.
- Refer any and all recruiting questions to an athletic department staff member.
- Meet with a recruit on the University campus but only at the direction of the Athletics Department.
As a representative of Menlo College athletics interests, you are NOT permitted to:
- Write or call a prospect or his/her parents or legal guardians.
- Contact a coach, high school principal, and/or counselor, to evaluate a prospect.
- Visit a prospect's school to pick up a transcript or video to evaluate his/her academic or athletic ability or to provide to an athletics department staff member.
- Provide extra benefits to prospects, enrolled college student-athletes or their relatives or friends (e.g. movie or event tickets, dinner, gift cards or special discounts).
- Meet with a prospect or his/her immediate family members off campus; or have any recruiting contact unless on the University campus at the direction of the athletics staff.
- Pay for prospect's registration fees for athletics camps at any time
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What if a prospect approaches/calls me with questions about playing for Menlo College?
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 Menlo College graduate and calls me with general questions about the College?
A. If a prospect initiates a phone call to you, a booster, you may answer questions regarding various aspects of attending Menlo College as long as NO discussion occurs regarding the Menlo College athletics program. If a prospect asks about Menlo College athletics, you must refer him/her to the appropriate coaching staff member.
Q May I provide anything to a recruit?
A. No. The NCAA's "extra benefit" rule prohibits you from providing any benefit to a prospect or his/her family or friends when the benefit is not available to the general public or all Menlo College students (e.g. tickets to an athletic, institutional or community event).
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, especially prior to a individual reaching such an age or status. You may continue relationships with family friends who have a son or daughter of recruit-able age and is considered a prospect (e.g. church, family events). But, you cannot encourage the PSA's participation in Menlo College 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 Menlo College.
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 Menlo College.
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.
Contacting the Compliance Office
Remember this is not a complete list of NCAA rules. Please contact the Menlo College Compliance Office if you have any questions or before taking action that may be contrary to NCAA rules.
