Guide to NCAA Rules
10/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | General
As a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Seton Hall University is responsible for ensuring that the faculty, staff, administrators, student-athletes, alumni and friends of the University abide by NCAA regulations and guidelines.
NCAA rules govern every aspect of the Seton Hall athletics program, and this guide is a quick reference to assist you in learning the "do's" and "dont's" as they apply to Representatives of Athletic Interests or "boosters" and to institutional employees. Your enthusiasm and support of Seton Hall athletics is important; however, any inappropriate action by a Representative of Athletics Interest or an institutional employee could jeopardize the eligibility of a prosepective student-athlete or an enrolled student-athlete and could lead to institutional sanctions.
All questions concerning NCAA rules and regulations should be directed to Seton Hall's Office of Athletic Compliance at 973-761-9497.
A Prospective Student-Athlete is any student entering the ninth grade or above. This includes students in prep school and junior colleges. It is possible for a student who has not started ninth grade to be considered a prospect. It is best to treat all athletes as prospects.
A prospective student-athlete remains a prospect until he/she participates in official pre-season practice or begins first day of full-time enrollment at Seton Hall. Signing a National Letter of Intent does not change the status of the prospect.
An Enrolled Student-Athlete is any Seton Hall student who is a member of a varsity athletic team.
An extra benefit is any special arrangement that is not authorized by NCAA rules.
I. Definitions
A Representative of Athletics Interest (booster) is any individual who is known by the institutions's staff to:
- Have made financial donations to the Pirate Blue Athletic Fun or any booster club or organization promoting Seton Hall athletics;
- Have participated in or is a member of any organization or group promoting Seton Hall athletics;
- Have been involved in any way in promoting Seton Hall athletics;
- Have arranged or provided employment to enrolled student-athletes;
- Be a season ticket holder.
Once an individual is identified as a Representative of Athletics Interest, the person retains the status indefinitely even if you no longer contribute or support the athletic program. Any Representative of Athletics Interest found in violation of NCAA rules is subject to losing benefits and privileges received from Seton Hall University.
II. Rules you need to know
Do not try to recruit a prospective student-athlete to attend Seton Hall.
Only coaches and Seton Hall Athletic Department Staff members can be involved in the recruiting process. Representatives of Athletics Interests are prohibited from being involved in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes. Therefore, representatives of athletics interests or "boosters" cannot have any on-campus or off-campus contact with a prospect, prospect's family members or a prospect's coaches either via telephone, letter, e-mail, or in-person contact. In addition, a representative cannot pick up films or transcripts from a prospect's educational institution.
Do not provide prospects or their family members any type of offer or inducement.
The following examples of offers and inducements are prohibited:
- offer of employment
- gifts of clothing or other tangible items (e.g. birthday gifts, airline tickets)
- financial assistance (cash or co-signing of loans)
- free or reduced services (e.g. meals, car repairs)
- free or reduced housing
- transportation of any kind (e.g. ride to campus)
- free or reduced tickets to athletics, institutional, and community events (e.g. tickets to Seton Hall home or away athletic events)
- payment of registration fees for summer sports camps
- entertainment of high school, prep school, or community college coaches
Do not provide enrolled student athletes or their family members any form of extra benefits.
The following examples of extra benefits are not permissible:
- cash or loans or the co-signing of loans
- gifts, meals, or free services (e.g. use of telephone, restaurant meals, birthday gift)
- special discounts for goods or services
- use of an automobile
- transportation of any kind (except for the occasional home meal)
- rent free or reduced housing (this includes summer vacation housing)
- tickets to athletics, institutional or community events (including Seton Hall athletic events)
- promise of employment after graduation
- financial assistance for post-graduate studies
- invitations to your home or summer home for purposes other than an occasional home meal
Do not contact an enrolled student-athlete at another institution for the purpose of encouraging transfer to Seton Hall and participation in our athletic program.
Do not provide awards or gifts to a student-athlete for his or her athletic performance. All awards must be approved by the Office of Athletic Compliance.
Do not use the name or picture of an enrolled student-athlete to directly advertise, recommend, or promote sales of a commercial product or service of any kind. Even the sale of a picture of an enrolled student-athlete would jeopardize eligibility.
Do not provide an speaker's fee to a student-athlete. All speaking engagements must be approved in advance by the Office of Athletic Compliance.
III. What can a Representative of Athletic Interests do?
- You may provide an occasional meal in your home to a student-athlete or an entire team. Transportation can be provided to the student-athlete only if its for an occasional meal at home.
- You may provide a summer job or a job during the academic year to a student-athlete as long as the athlete has received prior written permission from the athletic department. The rate of pay must be the normal rate and it must be for work actually performed.
- You may inform a coach about a potential recruit. You can send the Seton Hall coaching staff newspaper clippings or other information about prospects; however, you can not reach out to the prospective student-athlete to try to recruit him/her to attend Seton Hall.
- You may attend a high school or community athletic event in which a prospect is playing as long as there is no contact with the prospect, the prospect's family, relatives or coach.
- You may speak with a prospect via the telephone only if the prospect initiates the phone call and the call is not for recruiting purposes.
- You may make a financial donation to a high school athletics program in your community provided:
- 1. You make the donation on your own accord
- 2. Your donation is processed through normal channels established by the high school
- 3. Your donation is not earmarked for a prospect
- You may continue a pre-established family relationship with friends and neighbors. Contact with the sons or daughters of the family is permissable as long as such contact is not made for recruiting purposes and not arranged by members of the coaching staff.
IV. There are limited exceptions for administrators, faculty and staff of Seton Hall
- Administrators, faculty and staff of Seton Hall are permitted to contact prospects only on Seton Hall's campus.
- Seton Hall administrators, faculty and staff members, at the direction of the coaching staff, may begin to write to prospects on or after September 1 at the start of the prospect's junior year in high school.
- Seton Hall administrators, faculty and staff members may telephone prospects for the purpose of athletic recruiting, but only if directed by the coaching staff to do so. Recruits cannot be contacted prior to July 1 before the start of their senior year.
V. Employment
Employment of Prospective Student-Athletes
It is permissible for a Representative of Athletics Interests or alumni to contact a prospect regarding summer employment, prior to enrollment at Seton Hall provided the prospect has signed a National Letter of Intent. However, no contact may be made without the approval of the Office of Athletic Compliance and employment may not begin until the prospect has graduated from high school.
Employment of Seton Hall student-athletes Enrolled Seton Hall scholarship student-athletes can work during the academic year provided the following:
- The student-athlete is not a freshman or first year transfer;
- The student-athlete has obtained written permission from the Office of Athletic Compliance prior to the start of employment;
- Student-athlete is compensated only for work actually performed at a rate commensurate with the going rate for similar services;
- Student-athletes on full scholarship cannot earn more than $2,000 during the academic year;
- Transportation cannot be provided.
Student-athletes who are employed during a vacation period (summer or academic year) are not subject to the $2,000 earnings limit or to prior written approval.
VI. Gambling
Per NCAA rules, student-athletes and athletic department staff are not permitted to provide information to individuals involved in organized gambling activities, nor can they solicit or accept a bet on any college or professional athletic contest.
VII. Agents
Prospects and student-athletes lose their amateur status and shall not be eligible for intercollegiate competition in a particular sport if:
- The student-athlete, their parents or relatives enter into a written agreement or oral agreement with an agent;
- The student-athlete, their parent or relative accepts or receives any benefits from an agent.
There are consequences when NCAA rules are violated. Failure to abide by the rules could result in penalties imposed upon a prospective student-athlete, enrolled student-athlete, an institution, coach, institutional staff member, or a Representative of Athletics Interests. Penalties could include:
1. Ceasing the recruitment of a prospect
2. Loss of eligibility
3. Forfeiture of competitions
4. Institutional fines
5. Reduction in the number of scholarships
6. Prohibition from post-season competition
7. Disassociation of the Representative of Athletics Interests (e.g. loss of season-ticket privileges)
Sportsmanship, ethical conduct and integrity are the hallmarks of the Seton Hall University intercollegiate athletic program. Your cooperation in following NCAA rules is an important component to the overall success of the Seton Hall athletic programs. All questions about NCAA rules should be directed to Alicia Alford, Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at (973)761-9497.
