Important Definitions
Representative of Athletics Interests (Booster): A “representative of the institution’s athletics interests” is an individual who is known (or who should have been known) by a member of the institution’s executive or athletics administration to:
(a) Have participated in or to be a member of an agency or organization promoting the institution’s intercollegiate athletics program;
(b) Have made financial contributions to the athletics department or to an athletics booster organization of that institution;
(c) Be assisting or to have been requested (by the athletics department staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospects;
(d) Be assisting or to have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families; or
(e) Have been involved otherwise in promoting the institution’s athletics program.
** Once an individual is identified as such a representative, the person retains that identity indefinitely
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 prospective student-athlete maintains his or her identity as a prospect after he or she signs a Letter of Intent or financial aid agreement to attend the institution. His or her identity as a prospect is not lost until the start of classes at the institution or the start of official team practice immediately prior to the start of classes.
Recruiting: Recruiting is any solicitation of a prospect or a prospect’s relatives (or legal guardian(s)) by an institutional staff member or by a representative of the institution’s athletics interests for the purpose of securing the prospect’s enrollment and ultimate participation in the institution’s intercollegiate athletics program.
Contact: A contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospect or the prospect’s parents, relatives or legal guardian(s) and an institutional staff member or athletics representative during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of a greeting. Any such face-to-face encounter that is prearranged or that takes place on the grounds of the prospect’s educational institution or at the site of organized competition or practice involving the prospect or the prospect’s high school, preparatory school, two-year college or all-star team shall be considered a contact, regardless of the conversation that occurs.
Extra Benefit: An extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a booster to provide a student-athlete or his/her friends or relatives, a benefit not authorized by the NCAA. The benefits a student-athlete may NOT receive include, but are not limited to:
• Money;
• Special Discount;
• Payment arrangement or credit on a purchase (airline ticket, clothes) or service (laundry, typing);
• Free or reduced-cost professional service not available on the same basis to the general student body;
• use of a telephone or credit card for personal reasons without charge or at a reduced rate;
• entertainment services (movie tickets, dinners, use of car) from commercial agencies (theaters, restaurants, car dealers) without charge or at reduced rates, or free or reducedcost admission to professional athletics contests from professional sports organizations, unless such services are available to the student body in general;
• guarantee of bond;
• signing or cosigning a note with an outside agency to arrange a loan;
• preferential treatment, benefits or services based on his/her athletics reputation or skill or pay-back potential as a future professional;
• free or reduced-cost athletics equipment, supplies or clothing directly from a manufacturer or commercial enterprise;
• free or reduced cost room and/or board;
• payment or other compensation for work not performed or at unreasonable levels for the work performed;
• employment arrangements for a student-athlete or prospect's relatives or friends;
• payment of registration fees or other expenses to attend UF sports camp or clinic;
• use of personal property (boats, summer homes, cars, computers, stereos);
• holiday or birthday presents;
• promise of employment after college graduation;
• purchase of items or services from a prospect/student-athlete or their relatives at inflated prices; and
• payment or arrangements for payment of transportation costs incurred by a student-athlete or prospect's relatives or friends; or
• anything given because an individual is a student-athlete.
Return to Go Norse Fund's Booster Guidelines
