i ty of D of A i cs i on S Representative of Athletics Interests/ Booster NCAA Regulation Manual
of D On behalf of the University of Delaware, we would like to thank you for your tremendous support of our athletics program. The University of Delaware has enjoyed a long and storied tradition of excellence in its athletics program. The cornerstone of that tradition is our institution s integrity and our resolve to strive for competitive excellence while maintaining compliance with NCAA rules and regulations. As an institution, we are dedicated to reaching the highest levels of success, both in the classroom and on the playing fields, while upholding our integrity. The University of Delaware is responsible for ensuring that members of the faculty, staff, coaches, student-athletes, alumni, donors, boosters, friends, and all other supporters of Delaware Athletics comply with all applicable NCAA rules and regulations. Your compliance with the NCAA rules and regulations is crucial to the welfare of the University of Delaware and most importantly, its student-athletes. This manual has been developed by the University of Delaware s Department of Athletics to provide you with a general understanding of NCAA rules and regulations. The information included in this manual is an attempt to equip you with basic definitions and permissible and impermissible activities. As you review this manual, please keep in mind that this publication does not include all applicable NCAA rules and regulations. The University of Delaware is committed to compliance with all CAA and NCAA rules and regulations. Therefore, it is critical to Ask Before You Act. Additional information can also be found at www.ncaa.org or by contacting the Athletics Office at the University of Delaware. Thank you for your continued interest and support of the University of Delaware Department of Athletics. Sincerely, Eric Ziady Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Services
Prospective Student Athletes A prospective student-athlete is a student who has started classes for the 9 th grade, or any student enrolled in preparatory school, a two-year college or a four-year institution other than the University of Delaware. A student who has not started classes for the 9 th grade becomes a prospective student-athlete if the University of Delaware or a representative of the University of Delaware s athletics interests provides the individual (or his/her parents, relatives or friends) any financial assistance or extra benefits that the University of Delaware does not provide to prospective students generally. An individual remains a prospective student-athlete until one of the following occurs: The individual officially registers AND enrolls AND attends classes at theuniversity of Delaware; or The individual participates in a regular squad practice or competition for the University of Delaware that occurs before the beginning of an academic term; or The individual officially registers AND enrolls AND attends classes during the summer prior to initial enrollment. The individual reports to an institutional orientation session that is open to all incoming students within 14 calendar days prior to the opening day of classes of a regular academic term After Commitment: After an individual has signed a NLI or the institution s written offer of admission and/or financial aid or after the institution has received his/her financial deposit in response to its offer of admission, the individual shall no longer be subject to the restrictions of Bylaw 13.1 [Contacts and Evaluations]. The individual remains a prospective studentathlete for purposes of applying the remaining provisions of all other bylaws. NOTE: Men s Basketball: A student who is in 7 th or 8 th grade may be considered a prospective student-athlete
D Who is a booster? You are a booster if you are a representative of the University of Delaware s athletic interests. You are a booster if you have ever: Participated in or are a member of an organization that supports the University of Delaware s athletics program (e.g. Touchdown Club); Made a financial contribution to the University of Delaware Department of Athletics or any of its booster clubs; Assisted or have been requested by the athletic department staff to assist in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes; Provided benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their relatives or friends; Ever been a season ticket holder for any University of Delaware athletics team; Attended the University of Delaware as a student (alumnae) or are the parent/legal guardian of a current or former student-athlete; Been involved in promoting the University of Delaware s athletics program. IMPORTANT: Boosters may be an individual, independent agency, corporate entity, (e.g. apparel or equipment manufacturer) or other organization. Once a booster, always a booster! Once an individual, corporate entity or other organization is identified as a representative of an institution s athletics interests, it retains that identity forever.
Impermissible Acts Regarding Recruiting/ Contact A University of Delaware Booster MAY NOT: Contact a prospect, his/her family, relatives, or legal guardians on or off the University of Delaware campus. Contact a prospect, his/her family, relatives, or legal guardians by telephone, letter, fax, or email. Contact the prospective student-athlete s coach, principal or counselor in an attempt to evaluate the individual. Visit a prospective student-athlete s educational institution to obtain film or transcripts pertaining to the evaluation of the individual s academic or athletic eligibility. Make contact with a prospective student-athlete and the individual s parents when the prospect is on campus for an official or unofficial recruiting visit (this includes transporting, paying, providing or arranging for the payment of transportation costs incurred by the prospect, or the individual s family and friends visiting campus). Make special arrangements for entertainment for recruiting purposes (this includes providing tickets at reduced cost to University of Delaware home or away athletic or non-athletic events to a prospect, the prospect s family, or the prospects friends). Pay or offer to pay registration fees or other costs related to the prospect attending summer sports camps. Become involved in making arrangements to provide benefits of any kind (e.g. clothing, special discounts, lodging, meals, transportation, tickets, money) to the prospect or the prospect s family and friends Employ or arrange for employment of a prospect prior to the completion of the individual s senior year in high school or official withdrawal/graduation from junior college or prep school. Reminder: You may not provide ANYTHING to a prospect or the individual s family and friends without prior approval from the University of Delaware Athletics Office.
A University of Delaware Booster MAY: Allowable Booster Activities Forward information about a prospective student-athlete to the appropriate coaching staff member; Have contact with a prospective student-athlete regarding permissible pre- enrollment activities such as summer employment, provided that the individual has signed a National Letter of Intent AND the Office is aware that you are making these contacts regarding employment; Speak to a prospective student-athlete via the telephone only if the prospective student-athlete initiates the telephone conversation and the call is not for recruiting purposes. The telephone call may not be prearranged by an institutional staff member, and the booster must refer any questions about the University of Delaware s athletics program to the appropriate athletics department staff member; View a prospective student-athlete s athletics contest on his or her own initiative. The booster may not contact the prospective student-athlete on such occasions.
Extra Benefits An extra benefit (e.g. transportation, meals, clothes, entertainment, and loans) is any special arrangement provided by a University of Delaware employee or a representative of the University of Delaware s athletics interests to a student-athlete or the individual s family and friends that is unavailable to the general student population. Examples of extra benefits include, but are not limited to: Cash or loans in any amount Co-Signing for a loan Providing loans to student-athlete s friends or relatives Housing for free or at a reduced rate Purchasing of meals Buying a student-athlete s complimentary admissions Trading goods or services for a student-athlete s complimentary admissions Guarantee of bond Professional services for free or at a reduced rate Automobile or use of an automobile Attorney s fees Gifts of any kind, including birthday cards, flowers, holiday gifts, and gifts or clothing or equipment
Impermissible Actions Regarding Extra Benefits Examples of impermissible activities regarding extra benefits that you MAY NOT provide to current student-athletes include: You MAY NOT pay for or arrange for payment of room, board, or any type of transportation for a student-athlete or his/her family and friends. You MAY NOT provide awards or gifts to student-athletes for any reason. This also prohibits honorariums for speaking engagements. All awards must be approved by the University of Delaware Athletics Office and meet all NCAA regulations. You MAY NOT entertain student-athletes or their family and friends. However, NCAA rules do permit a representative of an institution s athletic interests to provide student-athletes an occasional meal at the representative s home, on campus, or at a facility used for home competition and may be catered. The representative of athletic interest may provide reasonable local transportation to the student-athletes to attend the meal function only if the meal function is at the home of that representative. You MAY NOT allow a student-athlete or the individual s family and friends to use your telephone to make free phone calls. You MAY NOT use the name, picture or appearance of an enrolled student-athlete to advertise the use of a commercial product or service of any kind without preious authorization from the University of Delaware Athletics Office. You MAY NOT sell photographs or autographs of student-athletes, regardless of whether or not the individual received any monetary gain from you. You MAY NOT provide student-athletes with any special discounts (e.g. free or reduced meals, housing), payment arrangements (e.g. cosigning a loan), credits on a purchase (e.g. airline ticket, clothing) or services (e.g. dry cleaning, transportation). IMPORTANT: These rules apply throughout a student-athlete s entire enrollment at the University of Delaware (including summer vacations)
Common Questions May a representative of UD s athletics interests be involved when a prospective student-athlete makes an official or unofficial recruiting visit? NO. Representatives of UD s athletics interests are precluded from all recruiting activities, including face-to-face contacts with a prospect or his/her family and friends at any time. May a representative of UD s athletics interests telephone a prospective student- athlete, or send a letter of congratulations after the individual has signed a National Letter of Intent? YES. Under these circumstances, the representative of UD s athletics interests should always speak with a member of the staff to ensure that no violations have occurred. Can a booster group place an advertisement that is targeted at local prospective student-athletes in a newspaper or other publication? NO. It is not permissible to place such an advertisement even if it does not specifically mention UD. Is it permissible for a booster to provide a prospect with summer employment transportation? NO. NCAA rules state that an institution or representatives of athletics interests cannot provide free transportation to and from a summer job unless providing transportation is the employer's established policy for all employees. However, the arrangement of employment for a prospect after their senior year in high school is permissible. May a representative of U D s athletics interests attend a public event (e.g. high school awards banquet or dinner) at which prospects are in attendance? YES. However, contact with the prospects or their family and friends may not occur, and no attempt can be made to recruit that individual. Is it permissible for a representative of UD s athletics interests to pay the registration fees associated with summer sports camps for a prospect? NO. A representative of UD s athletics interests cannot pay any fees associated with summer sports camps.
Gambling/Agents A student-athlete, coach, or employee of the University of Delaware may not provide information concerning sporting events to individuals involved in any type of organized gambling. In addition, student-athletes, coaches and employees of the University of Delaware s Department of Athletics may not solicit or accept any wager on any intercollegiate or professional athletic contest. NOTE: If a student-athlete violates the gambling bylaw, he or she will be ruled ineligible immediately. Social Media A University of Delaware Booster may not use social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, or Myspace to contact prospective student athletes: This includes but is not limited to: Wall posts Commenting on photos of prospective student athletes Tweets and or re-tweets to prospective student athletes Emails to inboxes of social networking sites Instant messaging
Thank you! The University of Delaware Athletics Department appreciates your support of our studentathletes and compliance to NCAA regulations. Your attention to the details in this brochure will help ensure that the eligibility of a prospect or a student-athlete is not jeopardized. Please don t hesitate to contact the compliance office if you have any questions or concerns about a situation that was not addressed in this brochure. Contact Information Richard Stumpf Associate AD, P: (302)-831-0883 E: rstumpf@udel.edu Lauren Harris Jason Kesner Assistant Director Assistant of Athletics for P: (302)-831-2840 Coordinator E: lharris@udel.edu P: (302)-831-7221 E: jkesner@udel.edu