Guide to NCAA Rules
Alumni, Faculty and Friends of UTPB
General Information You Should Know

"Institutional control" of Athletics is a fundamental requirement of NCAA rules.
The NCAA constitution provides that each institution shall be responsible for ensuring that student-athletes, members of the institution's staff and other individuals or groups that represent the institution's athletics interests comply with all applicable NCAA regulations.

This information is intended to provide you with basic information concerning NCAA rules that apply to a booster, a.k.a. "Representative of the Institution's Athletics Interests." It highlights NCAA and Conference regulations concerning situations encountered by alumni, faculty and friends of The University of Texas of the Permian Basin .

If a booster becomes aware of a rules violation, he should contact the Athletic Compliance Office or the Athletic Director’s Office to report and/or discuss the information pertinent to the violation. If the athletic representative wishes to remain anonymous, he/she can contact the Athletic Compliance Office or Athletic Director’s Office to provide information without giving a name.

Because of the complexity of NCAA rules, this document does not include all applicable situations and should not be relied upon exclusively. We need your help complying with these rules.
If you have any questions about recruits or current student-athletes, please direct your inquiries to:

Dr. Steve Aicinena
UTPB Athletics
4901 East University
Odessa , TX 79762
432-552-2675
aicinena_s@utpb.edu

What is a "booster?"
A "booster" is known in NCAA terms as a "representative of the institution's athletics interests." You become a booster if:

You have ever been a member of any organization promoting UTPB Athletics,

You have ever made any type of donation to the Falcon Athletic Club, UTPB Athletics or any other UTPB booster organization,

You have ever assisted in evaluating or recruiting prospective student-athletes,

You have ever assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families,

You have promoted UTPB Athletics in any other manner.

NCAA Bylaw 13.02.12.1 mandates that when you become a booster, you retain that identity for the rest of your life. As a representative of UTPB's athletics interests, you are bound by NCAA rules. UTPB is responsible for your actions.

Boosters CAN:
Provide an occasional meal to a student-athlete or an entire team.
The meal must be provided at the booster's home and must be restricted to infrequent or special occasions. Only the booster who is hosting the meal may provide transportation to student-athletes. Please approve such a meal with the appropriate coach.

Provide summer jobs to enrolled student-athletes (not recruits) at a rate commensurate with the normal wage for such employment in the locality and for work actually performed. You cannot give the student-athlete anything that is not given to other employees in general.

Please also note that there are different and more restrictive rules regarding work for student-athletes during the academic year. Please do not ever employ a student-athlete without approval from UTPB Athletics.

Continue to maintain contact with student-athletes and their families with whom the booster has a verifiable pre-existing relationship.

Inform UTPB coaches of recruits by sending the coach newspaper clippings or other information regarding the recruit.

Boosters CANNOT:

Contact recruits, either in-person, by telephone, in writing or by any other methods.

Contact the recruit's coach, principal or counselor in any manner.
( Please leave this to our coaches)

Provide any type of benefit (money, services, items) to recruits or student-athletes, unless such a benefit is readily available to the public in general and such a claim can be easily demonstrated.

Limited Exceptions for Faculty and Staff:

UTPB faculty and staff members are permitted to have in-person contacts with recruits only at UTPB.

UTPB faculty and staff members, at the direction of a coach, may begin to write to recruits after Sept. 1 at the start of the recruit's junior year of high school.

Booster FAQ’s

Q. Who is considered to be a prospective student-athlete (prospect)?
A. A prospect is a student in the ninth grade or above, including students in prep schools and junior colleges and individuals who have officially withdrawn from four-year schools. Any student not yet in the ninth grade becomes a prospect if an institution provides him/her with any financial aid or other benefits that are not generally provided to prospective students.

Q. How long is a prospective student-athlete considered to be a prospect?
A. A prospective student-athlete remains a prospect even after committing to or signing a National Letter of Intent with UTPB or any institution, and both the institution and the prospect continue to be governed by the NCAA recruiting legislation regarding prospects until the prospect reports for regular squad practice or the prospect attends his/her first day of classes in any regular term.

Q. Is it permissible to contact a prospective student-athlete or his/her parents or legal guardians?
A. No. An athletic representative (booster) may not contact a prospect or his/her parents in person, by telephone or in writing, except when the prospect is on the UTPB campus.

Q. Is this contact rule applicable to "established family friends" or neighbors?
A. No. However, it must be understood that such contacts cannot be made for recruiting purposes and cannot be initiated or arranged by UTPB coaching staff members. In addition, the established relationship between the booster and the prospect must have occurred prior to the friend or neighbor becoming a prospect.

Q. What if a prospect calls an athletic representative?
A. An athletic representative may have a telephone conversation with a prospect ONLY if the prospect initiates the call. Such a call may not be prearranged by an institutional staff member and the athletic representative may NOT have a recruiting conversation, but may exhibit normal civility. The athletic representative must refer any questions about the University's athletic program to the Athletic Department.

Q. What if a prospect knows that an athletic representative is a UTPB graduate and contacts him/her to ask questions about UTPB?
A. If a prospect contacts an athletic representative, he/she may answer questions regarding various aspects of UTPB as long as NO discussion takes place regarding the UTPB athletic program. If a prospect asks about UTPB athletics, refer him/her to the Athletic Department.

Q. What if unavoidable incidental contact is made with a prospect by an athletic representative?
A. An unavoidable incidental contact with a prospect is permissible provided the contact is not prearranged by the athletic representative or an Athletic Department staff member, does not take place on the grounds or the prospect's educational institution or at the sites of organized competition and practice involving the prospect or the prospect's team, is not made for the purpose of recruitment of the prospect, and involves only a normal greeting.

Q. May an athletics representative aid the UTPB coaching staff by observing or evaluating high school or community college prospects?
A. An athletics representative may view a prospect's game on his or her initiative as long as he or she does not contact the prospect or the prospect's family on such occasions. If a prospect approaches you on- or off-campus regarding the UTPB athletic program, explain that NCAA rules do not permit you to discuss the program. Suggest that the prospect contact the head coach of the sport for information. An athletics representative may not contact a prospect's coach, principal or counselor in an attempt to evaluate the prospect or visit the prospect's educational institution to pick up game films or transcripts.

Q. Is it permissible for an athletic representative to telephone a prospect once the prospect has committed to or signed a National Letter of Intent with UTPB?
A. No. Even if the purpose of the call is only to congratulate the prospect, he/she is still a prospect and the same contact rules apply after committing or signing that applied before. Do not contact a prospect for any reason without first checking with the Athletic Compliance Office, unless the prospect is a relative.

Q. May an athletic representative contact a prospective student-athlete to discuss a summer job?
A. Yes, but ONLY AFTER the prospect has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend UTPB. A prospective student-athlete may not be employed until the completion of his/her senior year in high school. Any such contact must receive prior approval from the Athletic Department. When a prospect is employed, he/she must be paid only for work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality for similar services.

Q. May an athletic representative speak to a UTPB coach if a prospect is with the coach?
A. If a UTPB coach is with a prospect, do not approach the coach until the prospect and family have gone elsewhere. Otherwise, the coach will be placed in an awkward situation because he/she will not be able to introduce the prospect to the athletic representative. If a prospect approaches an athletic representative off UTPB's campus regarding the athletic program, explain that NCAA rules do not permit discussion of the athletic program. Refer the prospect to the appropriate UTPB coach.

Q. Is it permissible for an athletic representative (booster) to contact an enrolled student-athlete from another collegiate institution for the purpose of recruiting?
A. No. Student-athletes at other institutions are not allowed to be contacted for purposes of recruitment to UTPB.

Q. What are considered types of inducements that are prohibited for prospects, their relatives or friends?
A. Other types of inducements that are prohibited include, but are not limited to the following: cash or loans; promise of employment after college education; special discounts or payment arrangements on loans; employment of relatives or friends of prospect; involvement in arrangement for free or reduced charges for professional or personal services, purchases or charges; use of an automobile; providing transportation to or from a summer job or to any other site; signing or co-signing a note for a loan; the loan or gift of money or other tangible items (e.g., clothes, cars, jewelry, electronic/stereo equipment); gifts of any kind; guarantees of bond; purchases of items or services from a prospect or the prospect's family at inflated prices; providing directly or indirectly transportation to enroll in classes; any financial aid other than that administered by UTPB; the promise of financial aid for post graduate education; free or reduced cost housing arrangements; arrangement for or payment of transportation costs incurred by relatives or friends of a prospective student-athlete; entertainment of a prospect or prospect's family on or off campus; benefits connected with on or off campus housing (e.g., television sets or stereo equipment, specialized recreational facilities); tickets or admission to an athletic, institutional or community event; educational expenses (e.g., typing costs, course supplies, use of a copy machine); or registration fees for summer sports camps.

Q. Is it permissible for an athletic representative to bring to UTPB's attention outstanding prospects from the representative's local area?
A. Yes. An athletic representative may not, however, get involved in the actual evaluation of the talent of a prospect. In other words, an athletic representative may not contact a prospect's coach, principal or counselor nor visit the prospect's educational institution to pick up film or transcripts pertaining to the evaluation of the prospect's athletic or academic abilities. In addition, an athletic representative cannot contact the prospect for purposes of soliciting the prospect's enrollment to UTPB and ultimate participation in athletics.

Q. Is it permissible for an athletic representative to accompany a UTPB coach when he/she visits the local high school campus?
A. No. If an athletic representative transports a UTPB coach from the airport to a high school campus, the athletic representative may not enter the high school with the coach and may not observe prospects.

Q. Is it permissible for an athletic representative to reimburse the coach of a prospect for expenses incurred in transporting a prospect to visit campus?
A. No.

Q. Is it permissible for an athletic representative to provide transportation to or from campus or free admission to the institution's athletic events on or off campus to prospects, their friends or relatives?
A. No.

Q. Why can’t a coach publicly comment about prospective student-athletes before they sign a National Letter-of-Intent?
A. Per NCAA Bylaws, UTPB coaches are expressly prohibited from making public comments prior to the signing of a National Letter-of-Intent and UTPB’s official press release announcing the signing. Prior comments about recruits may give institutions a recruiting advantage over other institutions; therefore, a ban on prior public comments helps level the recruiting playing field.

Q. Why can’t UTPB coaches give out a list of recruits who have verbally committed? And how do other schools’ lists get into the newspapers?
A. See above for the first part. Secondly, most high-profile athletes are being monitored by recruiting services and publications such as Rivals.com who publicize their verbal commitments. Also, prospects and their parents and coaches usually call their local paper once the prospect verbally commits to an institution. Please note that the list of verbal commitments never comes from the institution itself.

Thanks to Scott Abel, St. Edwards Compliance Officer and Heartland Conference Compliance Office for this information!