C O M P L IA N C E N EW SLETTER FO R BO O STER S
Fall 2009
University of North Dakota Compliance:
• Kara Helmig Assistant Athletics Director ‐ Compliance
• Matt Bonzer Compliance Intern • Jon Godfread Compliance Intern
• Mikayla Jablonski Compliance Intern • Tyler Johannes Compliance Intern • Mike Lies Compliance Intern • Brandon Pittenger Compliance Intern
An Informational Guide for Fighting Sioux Club and Sioux Boosters Members TOP FIVE DIVISION I RULES YOU SHOULD KNOW 1. AM I A BOOSTER? -As a member of the Fighting Sioux Club or the Sioux Boosters, you are considered a booster. Additionally, all alumni, fans, former student athletes or friends of the University of North Dakota are boosters in the eyes of the NCAA. UND is responsible for the actions of its boosters. If a booster violates an NCAA rule, even unintentionally, there are penalties for the university and the individuals involved. ONCE A BOOSTER…ALWAYS A BOOSTER. 2. WHAT IS AN EXTRA BENEFIT? -You may not provide any type of extra benefit to a prospective or enrolled student-athlete or their family or friends. Examples of extra benefits include, but are not limited to: cash; gifts of any kind; a vehicle or use of a vehicle; free or reduced cost goods or services; arranging, providing, or co-signing a loan; and free or reduced cost housing. An individual can become a booster, if not previously identified as a booster, if he or she provides such benefits. 3. CAN A BOOSTER RECRUIT? As a booster, you may not be involved in recruiting a prospective student-athlete. A prospective student-athlete is a student who has started classes for the ninth grade.
Limitations on Boosters: 1 Permissible Activities:
2
Impermissible Activities: 2 Interactions with prospects, current athletes:
3
4. WHO CAN A BOOSTER EMPLOY? -You may not employ or arrange for the employment of a prospective student-athlete until he or she has signed a National Letter of Intent and has completed his or her senior year of high school. You may employ a current student-athlete provided he or she registered the job with the Compliance Office. 5. ALWAYS ASK BEFORE YOU ACT. -UND Athletics would like to thank you for your continued support of the UND Athletics. If you have any questions, please contact Kara Helmig, Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance at (701) 777-5585.
THE PRINCIPLE OF INSTITUTIONAL CONTROL AND RESPONSIBILITY Institutional control of athletics is a fundamental requirement of NCAA legislation. The institution's responsibility for the conduct of its athletics program includes responsibility for the actions of its staff members and for the actions of boosters or "representatives of the University's Athletics Interests."
IMPERMISSIBLE ACTIVITIES Boosters: In Division I, representatives of UND's athletic interests are prohibited from making any in-person, on- or off-campus recruiting contacts, as well as written or telephone communications with a prospect or the prospect's parents or relatives. Contact With Prospect's Coach or School Staff: Contact with a prospect's coach, principal or counselor in an attempt to evaluate the prospect is prohibited. Financial Aid or Other Benefits to Prospects and Current Student-Athletes: Representatives of UND's athletic interests (boosters) may not provide any financial aid or other benefits, such as clothing, special discounts, tickets to events, or co-signing loans, to a prospect or their relatives OR current UND student-athletes and their relatives. If boosters were to give financial aid or any benefits to a prospect or their relatives OR student-athletes and their relatives, it would make that prospect/student-athlete ineligible for competition at UND and possibly mean that UND athletics teams would have to forfeit any contests that the prospect/student-athlete participated in at UND. Contact With Prospect's Coach or School Staff: Contact with a prospect's coach, principal or counselor in an attempt to evaluate the prospect is prohibited.
Compliance Newsletter ~ PAGE 2
PERMISSIBLE ACTIVITIES BY BOOSTERS * UND boosters may attend events (e.g., contests, banquets) where prospects are present on his or her own initiative, subject to the understanding that the booster may NOT contact the prospect or the prospect's relatives. * UND boosters may inform the Sioux coaches of prospects in their area by contacting the UND staff and sending Sioux coaches newspaper clippings with the names of particular prospects. * Do continue establishing family relationships with friends and neighbors. Contacts with prospects are permitted as long as they are not made for recruiting purposes and are not initiated by UND staff members. UND boosters may arrange employment for prospective student-athletes. The prospect may not begin the job until after the completion of his or her senior year in high school. Compensation must be based on work actually performed and at a normal rate. Occasional Meals A single current student-athlete or an entire team may receive an occasional family meal from a booster under certain conditions. The occasional meal MUST be provided in the individual's home, may be catered and must be restricted to infrequent or special occasions. All occasional meals must be pre-approved by the Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance PRIOR to the meal occurring. It is an NCAA violation for student-athletes to receive too many occasional meals, so seeking approval BEFORE the meal ensures that any meals offered are permissible per NCAA legislation.
WHO IS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNIVERSITY'S ATHLETICS INTERESTS? You are considered a "Representative of the University's Athletics Interests (a booster) if you: * have participated in or are currently a member of any athletics department booster group, the Fighting Sioux Club, or Sioux Boosters; * made a donation to the men's or women's athletic program; * have assisted or been asked to assist in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes; * have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled studentathletes or their families; or * have been or are involved in promoting UND athletics in any way. * Once a person is defined as a booster/representative of UND's athletic interests, they retain that identity indefinitely, even if they no longer support the athletics program.
Compliance Newsletter ~ PAGE 3
INTERACTION WITH PROSPECTS The NCAA defines a “prospective student-athlete” as any student who has either begun classes in the ninth grade or who has accepted extra benefits from a booster and has not yet enrolled at a fouryear institution. This definition includes junior college student-athletes as well as high school students who don’t play a varsity sport. 1. No Contact with Prospects or Their Families: Boosters may not have ANY contact with prospects or their families, Including (but not limited to): *Calling a prospect or a family member of the prospect. *Writing to a prospect or a family member of a prospect. *Sending a text message to a prospect or a family member of a prospect *Having any pre-arranged face-to-face contact with a prospect’s family, including wishing good luck or congratulations at games. *Admitting prospect or a family member of a prospect to a booster club function 2. Attending Competitions: Boosters may attend high school and junior college competitions provided no contact with prospects or the families of prospects occurs. Additionally, while boosters are permitted to notify our coaches about talented prospects in the area, it is not permissible for boosters to attend high school and junior college competitions at the direction of UND coaches.
Definitions & Guidelines as explained in the 200910 NCAA Division I Manual
3. Pre-existing relationships: Boosters are permitted to continue pre-existing relationships with prospective student-athletes, provided the booster refrains from any form of recruitment. In order for a relationship to be considered “pre-existing” for the purposes of this rule, the relationship must have begun prior to the prospect beginning ninth grade. Should the University of North Dakota or its athletic programs ever arise as a topic of conversation, the booster must refer all of the questions about the UND athletics program to the athletics department staff. 4. Summer Employment of Prospects: Boosters are permitted to employ incoming prospects who have signed a National Letter of Intent, provided the prospect has graduated from high school. The prospect must be paid at the going rate for similar jobs in the area and may only be compensated for work actually performed.
INTERACTION WITH CURRENT COLLEGIATE STUDENT-ATHLETES A prospect becomes a student-athlete on the first day of initial collegiate enrollment at a four-year institution, triggering a different set of rules pertaining to booster interactions. 1. Student Athletes Attending Booster Club Functions: Student Athletes are permitted to attend booster club functions, provided the activity occurs within 100 miles of campus, no awards are presented to the student-athletes, and the activity is preapproved by the coaching staff and compliance office. Student-athletes may not be compensated for attending or speaking at such a function. 2. Occasional Home Meals Boosters are allowed to provide “occasional home meals” to current student-athletes as long as they contact the appropriate UND coach before the meal and the meal is held at the booster’s home (although it may be catered in). It is not permissible to take a student-athlete out to eat at a restaurant. 3. Autographs: It is permissible for a booster to ask a student-athlete for an autography, provided nothing is offered in exchange for the autograph and the autograph is not displayed in the booster’s place of business.
Only UND coaches may be involved in the recruiting process. Representatives of athletics interests may not make any recruiting contacts. This includes letters, e-mail, telephone calls or face-to-face contact on or off campus with a prospect or prospect’s relatives [guardian(s)].