Representatives of Athletics Interests (Booster)
Under NCAA rules a "representative” of the institution's athletics interests (athletics representative/booster) is any individual who:
- Made any type of contribution to TAMUCC or its athletic program;
- Joined an Islander donor or booster club or any sport specific support group;
- Provided benefits (e.g., summer jobs) to prospective or enrolled student-athletes or their families;
- Assisted, in any manner, in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes;
- Participated as a varsity athlete at TAMUCC;
- Is the parent or legal guardian of an enrolled student-athlete;
- Promoted the athletics program in anyway.
Once an individual is identified as a "Representative of the Institution's Athletics Interest," the person retains that identity indefinitely.
Contact
Any face-to-face encounter between a prospect or his/her parents/legal guardians and an institutional staff member or booster during which any conversation in excess of a greeting occurs. Any face-to-face meeting that is prearranged and takes place on the prospect's campus or at the prospect's competition site is considered a contact regardless of the conversation that occurs.
Representative of TAMUCC athletic interests (boosters) are not permitted to have contact with a prospective student-athlete.
Prospective Student-Athletes
An individual who has either started classes for the ninth grade OR who has received any benefit from TAMUCC or a booster. Actions taken by athletics staff that cause an individual to become a prospective student-athlete include:
- providing a prospect an expense-paid visit to a collegiate institution;
- having an arranged in-person encounter with the individual;
- initiating or arranging telephone contact with the individual or a member of his/her family;or
- providing an individual (or his/her relatives or friends) any financial assistance or other benefits that the institution does not provide to prospective students generally (i.e. tickets to an athletic competition)
As a Representative of Athletics Interests, you are permitted to:
- Notify coaches about prospects in your area that may be strong additions to the Islanders team;
- Attend high school or two-year college athletic contests or events where prospects may compete, but you may not contact the prospect or their relatives or guardians;
- Continue existing friendships with families of prospects, but you may not attempt to recruit the prospect.
- Engage in permissible pre-enrollment activities with a prospect, such as summer employment, provided the prospect has already signed a National Letter of Intent and the institution is aware and informed if these contacts are made.
- Have a phone conversation with a prospect only if the prospect initiates the call. Such a call may not be pre-arranged by any institutional staff member or another representative of athletics interests. All questions regarding the intercollegiate athletics program must be referred to the proper TAMUCC Athletics staff member.
As a Representative of Athletics Interest, you are NOT permitted to:
- Contact a prospect or his/her parents in person, by telephone or in writing (letters, instant message, message boards or email)for the purpose of recruiting the prospect. Contact may not be made with a prospect or his/her parents on or off the TAMUCC cam- pus.
- Approach a TAMUCC coach who is with a prospect. This places the coach in an uncomfortable situation because the coach is not able to introduce the booster to the prospect.
- Have contact with student-athletes at institutions other than TAMUCC for the purpose of recruiting.
- Have face-to-face contact with a prospect or his/her family with the purpose of recruiting him/her to TAMUCC.
- Mail any materials to a prospect. This includes newspapers, clippings, press releases, media guides, posters, game programs,s schedule cards, emails,etc.
- Contact a prospects counselor, principal of coach in order to evaluate a prospect. Additionally, a booster may not obtain videotapes or transcripts of of the prospect at his/her high school or junior college.
- Provide a prospect or his/her family or friends with any extra benefits. A booster may not provide extra benefits to current student-athletes.
Current Student-Athletes
As a Representative of Athletics Interests, you are permitted to:
- Provide an occasional family home meal to a student-athlete or an entire team. The meal must take place in the home, NOT a restaurant; however, the meal may be catered. Requests for these types of occasional meals must be PRIOR approved by the Compliance Services Staff.
- Employ a student-athlete under certain circumstances with prior approval from the TAMUCC Department of Athletics. Both the student-athlete and the employer must sign a written statement PRIOR to beginning any employment during the academic year. Student-athletes may be compensated only for work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in the area for similar services
As a Representative of Athletics Interest, you are NOT permitted to:
- Provide extra benefits to any student-athlete and his/her family.
- Use the name or picture of a student-athlete to directly or indirectly advertise, recommend or promote the sale or use of a commercial product or service.
- Provide an honorarium to a student-athlete who has been approved for a speaking engagement. Student-athletes may receive only necessary travel expenses travel for prior approved speaking engagements.
- Provide free or reduced rate housing for a student athlete or his/her family, even on weekend visits. Additionally, student- athletes are specifically not allowed to house-sit for boosters.
Extra Benefits
An extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a booster to provide a student-athlete, or his/her friends or relatives, a benefit not authorized by the NCAA. The benefits a student-athlete may NOT receive include, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
- money, special discount, payment arrangement or credit on a purchase (airline ticket, clothes) or service (laundry,typing);
- free or reduced-cost professional services not available on the same basis to the general student body;
- use of a telephone, pager or credit card for personal reasons without charge or at a reduced rate;
- entertainment services (movie tickets, dinners, use of car) from commercial agencies (theaters, restaurants, car dealers) without charge or at reduced rates, or free or reduced-cost admission to professional athletics contests from professional sports organizations, unless such services are available to the student body in general;
- guarantee of bond;
- signing or cosigning a note with an outside agency to arrange a loan;
- preferential treatment, benefits or services based on his/her athletics reputation or skill or pay-back potential as a future professional;
- free or reduced-cost athletics equipment, supplies or clothing directly from a manufacturer or commercial enterprise;
- free or reduced cost room and/or board;
- payment or other compensation for work not performed or at unreasonable levels for the work performed;
- employment arrangements for a student-athlete or prospect's relatives or friends;
- payment of registration fees or other expenses to attend TAMUCC sports camps or clinic;
- use of personal property (boats, summer homes, cars, computers,stereos);
- holiday or birthday presents;
- promise of employment after college graduation;
- purchase of items or services from a prospect/student-athlete or their relatives at inflated prices;and
- payment or arrangements for payment of transportation costs incurred by a student-athlete or prospect's relatives or friends;or
- any items given because an individual is a student-athlete.
