NYIT Booster's Guide to NCAA Regulations
New York Institute of Technology Guidebook to NCAA Rules As a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), NYIT is responsible for ensuring that the faculty, staff, administrators, student-athletes, alumni, and friends of the University abide by the NCAA regulations and guidelines. NCAA rules govern every aspect of the NYIT athletics program, and this guidebook is a quick reference to assist you in learning the “do’s” and “don’ts” as they apply to Representative of Athletics Interest or “boosters” and to institutional employees. Your enthusiasm and support of NYIT athletics is important; however, any inappropriate action by a Representative of Athletics Interest or an institutional employee could jeopardize the eligibility of a prospective student-athlete or an enrolled student-athlete and could lead to institutional sanctions against the Booster. All questions concerning NCAA rules and regulations should be directed to New York Institute of Technology's Office of Athletic Compliance at 516-686-3974.
I. Definitions A Representative of Athletics Interest (boosters) is any individual who is known by the institution’s staff to:
Have made financial donations to the Bears Athletic Fund or any booster club or organization promoting NYIT athletics at any time;
Have participated in or is a member of any organization or group promoting NYIT athletics; Have been involved in any way in promoting NYIT athletics; Have arranged or provided employment to enrolled student-athletics Be assisting a staff member in recruitment of a Prospective Student Athlete (PSA).
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 Athletic Interest found in violation of NCAA rules is subject to losing benefits and privileges received from NYIT
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. For Camp and clinic purposes, in the sport of basketball, a PSA extends to those entering the seventh grade. 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 NYIT. Signing a National Letter of Intent does not change the status of the prospect. An Enrolled Student-Athlete is any NYIT student who is a member of a varsity athletic team. An extra benefit is any special arrangement that is not authorized by NCAA rules.
II. Rules you need to know Do not try to recruit a prospective student-athlete to attend Seton Hall. Only coaches and NYIT 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 NYIT 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, use of a car gifts, meals, or free services (e.g. use of telephone, restaurants meals, birthday gift) special discounts for goods or services transportation of any kind rent free or reduced housing (this includes summer vacation housing) tickets to athletics, institutional or community events (including NYIT athletic events) promise of employment after graduation financial assistance of post-graduation studies invitations to your home or summer house 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 NYIT 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 for 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 a speaker’s fee to a student-athlete, prospective student-athlete
or a relative of either.
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 it is for an occasional meal at home. This must be prearranged through the Office of Athletic Compliance.
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 NYIT coaching staff newspaper clippings or other information about prospects; however, you cannot reach out to the prospective student-athlete to try to recruit him/her to attend NYIT.
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 of your own accord 2. Your donation is processed through normal channels established by the high school 3. You 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 permissible 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 for NYIT Administrators, faculty and staff of NYIT are permitted to contact prospects only on NYIT’s campus. NYIT 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.
NYIT 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 NCAA Bylaw 13.12.1.5.1 An institution, members of its staff or representatives of its athletics interests shall not employ or give free or reduced admission privileges to a prospective student-athlete who is an athletics award winner or any individual being recruited by the institution per Bylaw 13.02.12.1. Employment of NYIT Student-Athletes Enrolled NYIT scholarship student-athletes can work during the academic year provided the following:
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; Transportation cannot be provided.
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-athletic, 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 Interest (e.g. loss of season– ticket privileges)
VIII. Technology Technology
has changed the landscape of recruiting tremendously. Now there are blogs, fan Twitter accounts and Facebook pages. All of these advances have blurred the line between Booster and Media Representative. If a booster is also in a position to report on NYIT or it’s PSA’s, there are many NCAA rules that govern prohibiting contact with PSA’s. While we can understand the enthusiasm that NYIT fans may have, we will caution them to ask first and respect the NCAA rules and regulations.
NYIT Athletic Department Directory (area code is 516 for all numbers)
Sportsmanship, ethical conduct and integrity are the hallmarks of the New York Institute of Technology intercollegiate athletic program. Your cooperation in the following NCAA rules is an important component to the overall success of the New York Institute of Technology athletic programs. All questions about NCAA rules should be directed to Megan Cullinane the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at 516-686-3974