Representative of Athletics interests
FRIENDS OF UNION ATHLETICS – WHAT TO KNOW:
Are you a “representative of athletics interests” (commonly known as a Friend of Union Athletics or Booster)?
A representative of the institution’s athletics interests is an individual who:
- Has participated in or is a member of an agency or organization promoting Union Athletics;
- Has made financial contributions directly to Friends of Union Athletics, or Union Friends Groups;
- Has been requested by the athletics department staff to assist in the recruitment of prospected-student-athletes or assisted in the recruitment of a prospective student-athlete;
- Has assisted or is assisting in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families; or
- Has been involved in promoting Union Athletics.
NCAA Compliance Definitions
Prospective student-athlete A prospective student-athlete ("prospect") is a student who has started classes for the ninth grade. In addition, a student who has not started classes for the ninth grade becomes a prospective student-athlete if the institution provides such an individual (or the individual's relatives or friends) any financial assistance or other benefits that the institution does not provide to prospective students generally.
A prospect remains a prospect until they enroll at Union College and attend the first day of classes or report for practice (whichever happens earlier). All NCAA rules in regards to contact with prospects are applicable until that time.
Recruited prospective student-athlete Actions by staff members or athletics representatives that cause a prospective student-athlete to become a recruited prospective student-athlete are:
- Providing the prospect with an official visit.
- Having an arranged, in-person, off-campus encounter with the prospect or the prospect's parent(s), relatives or legal guardian(s).
- Initiating or arranging telephone contact with the prospect, the prospect's relatives or legal guardian(s) on more than one occasion for the purpose of recruitment.
As a representative of Union Athletics interests you MAY:
- Attend high school, prep school and community college athletic events, although you may not have any in-person contact with any Division I program prospects. Contact with any of Division III prospects is permissible after the prospective student-athlete has completed their junior year in high school, with NCAA guidelines. We request that you speak with the Division III head coach of the respective sport prior to having contact with any Division III prospects.
- Continue to maintain pre-existing relationships with prospects and their families, but conversations about the prospects recruitment to Union are only permissible for our Division III recruits.
- For Division III programs you make or receive a telephone call from a prospective student-athlete at any time, provided the call is only for the purpose of recruitment and is with full knowledge of the athletics department. It is IMPERMISSIBLE to make telephone contact with prospects of our Division I hockey programs.
- Contact the Union coaching staff about prospects you think might be of interest.
As a representative of Union athletics interests you MAY NOT:
- Make any on or off-campus contact – including telephone calls, e-mails and letters – to a Division I hockey prospect to solicit his/her participation in the program.
- Contact a prospect's coach, principal or counselor in order to evaluate the prospect's academic or athletics eligibility.
- Make in-person contact with a Division I Hockey prospective student-athlete either on or off campus (including during their one permissible official visit), other than normal civility during an unavoidable or incidental contact.
- Directly or indirectly become involved in making special arrangements for a prospect and/or for the prospect's relatives and/or friends to receive money and/or other benefits regardless of whether these benefits are available to the general student-body.
- Provide any form of transportation for a high school, prep school or junior college prospective student-athlete to visit the campus or to attend a Union College home or away athletic contest.
- Have any contact with a student who is enrolled at another institution about his/her interest in transferring Union College
Current student-athlete A current or “enrolled” student-athlete is any Union College student who is a member of one of the Colleges 25 intercollegiate teams. NCAA regulations apply to all student-athletes (not just those who were recruited) and they remain in effect throughout the entire year, including breaks such as summer vacation periods.
As a representative of Union athletics interests you MAY:
- Provide an occasional family home meal on an infrequent and special occasion for our Division I hockey programs.
- In Division III, an occasional meal may be provided at a location in the locale of the institution, or outside of the locale of the institution if the meal is in conjunction with an away from home contest. Relatives of a Division III student athlete may provide an occasional meal at any location. All occasional meals must be cleared through the sport’s head coach and the Union Compliance Office.
- Notify a current Union College student-athlete of possible employment, provided the student-athlete obtains the position through normal employment procedures and is paid at the going rate for actual services rendered. This employment must be approved in writing in advance by the Union College
As a representative of Union athletics interests you MAY NOT:
- Provide any type of inducement or benefit to a current student-athlete, their parents, relatives and/or friends. Please review the list of Extra Benefits.
- Donate or to contribute funds to finance a scholarship or gift aid for student-athletes. In Division III Financial Aid cannot be awarded based on athletics leadership, ability, participation or performance. Although Union Hockey is Division I, current legislation does not allow for athletics scholarships because Union became a multi-division institution after 1983.
- Use the name, picture or appearance of a current student-athlete to directly advertise, recommend or promote the sales of any commercial product.
- Provide a student-athlete with compensation for work that has not been performed or at a rate higher than the going rate in your locale for similar services.
- Provide an award or gift to a student-athlete for any reason.
- Pay for all or part of a student-athlete’s meal at a restaurant.
Extra Benefits
An extra benefit is considered to be any special arrangement to provide a prospect or enrolled student-athlete, their family/relatives or their friends a benefit that is not expressly authorized by NCAA regulations. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Cash or loan of money in any amount.
- Special discount, payment or co-signing of a loan.
- The purchase of meals or services at commercial establishments (restaurants).
- Involvement in arrangement for free or reduced charges for meals, merchandise, tickets, services, products or rent.
- Use of an automobile or any other personal property.
- Gift items (i.e. electronics, holiday gifts, long distance phone cards, gift certificates).
- Any financial aid other than that administered by the institution.
- Free or reduced cost housing arrangements.
- Payment of registration fees for athletic camps.
- Promise of employment after college graduation.
