Compliance Tip of the Week
Feb. 15, 2011
Compliance Tip of the Week
Joe Millionaire is a booster at Ocean State University (OSU). Joe is a big basketball fan and regularly attends local high school games. The basketball coaches at OSU told Joe that they are highly interested in Jump Shot and Bank Shot, two local prospects who are cousins. The coaches ask Joe to go watch their next game and to introduce himself. Joe introduces himself to Jump and Bank after their next game and asks for their phone numbers. The next day, Joe called both Jump and Bank and strongly encouraged them to sign National Letters of Intent with OSU next month.
Which of the following is true?
- Joe Millionaire, on his own initiative, can attend a prospective student-athlete’s game
- Joe Millionaire can have contact with prospects at their game
- The coaches at Ocean State University can ask Joe Millionaire to attend a certain prospective student-athlete’s game
- Joe Millionaire can telephone prospective student-athletes encouraging them to enroll at a particular institution
The answer is A. NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.4 states that the following are additional restrictions that apply to athletics representatives:
(a) Telephone Conversation. An athletics representative of a member institution may 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. Under such circumstances, the representative must refer questions about the institution’s athletics program to the athletics department staff;
(b) Observing Prospective Student-Athlete’s Contest. An athletics representative may view a prospective student-athlete’s athletics contest on his or her own initiative, subject to the understanding that the athletics representative may not contact the prospective student-athlete on such occasions;
(c) Evaluation of Prospective Student-Athlete. An athletics representative may not contact a prospective student-athlete’s coach, principal or counselor in an attempt to evaluate the prospective student-athlete; and
(d) Visiting Prospective Student-Athlete’s Institution. An athletics representative may not visit a prospective student-athlete’s educational institution to pick up film/videotape or transcripts pertaining to the evaluation of the prospective student-athlete’s academic eligibility.
