A Quick Guide to NCAA Rules

Introduction

Prairie View A&M University, as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), is responsible for ensuring that its coaches, student-athletes, faculty and staff, former students, donors, boosters and friends abide by SWAC and NCAA rules and regulations.

This section is a quick reference to the many NCAA rules which apply to our former students, fans and friends of the University. Since all applicable situations cannot be covered in this section, please feel free to call if you have any questions. The University appreciates your interest and support but reminds you that an inappropriate contact or an inadvertent action on your part can jeopardize the eligibility of a prospective student-athlete, an enrolled student-athlete, and the University.

The University is proud to have the loyal support of and continued interest in its athletic programs by you. As we strive for continued excellence, we must always seek the highest standard of ethical conduct. With your assistance and cooperation, we believe we can accomplish these goals.

Questions About NCAA Rules

Q. Who is a representative of athletics interests?

A. An individual is considered to be a representative of Prairie View A&M University's athletics interests just by being a former student, friend or fan. Once an individual is identified as an athletic representative, the person retains that identity indefinitely.

Q. Is Prairie View A&M University responsible for the actions of its representatives and their support groups?

A. Yes. Representatives of athletics interests are subject to NCAA regulations and Prairie View A&M is subject to penalties for any violation of NCAA rules by athletic representatives or their support organization.

Questions Related to Prospective Student-Athletes

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in the ninth grade or above, including students in prep schools and junior colleges and individuals who have officially withdrawn from four-year schools.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 Prairie View A&M or any institution, and both the institution and the prospect continue to be governed by 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 or receives institutional financial aid during the summer prior to initial college enrollment.

Q. Is it permissible to contact a prospective student-athlete or his/her parents or legal guardians?

A. No. An athletic representative may not contact a prospect or his/her parents in person, by telephone or in writing. Contact may not be made with a prospect or his/her parents on or off the Prairie View A&M 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 Prairie View A&M University coaching staff members. In addition, the established relationship 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 Prairie View A&M graduate and contacts him/her to ask questions about Prairie View?

A. If a prospect contacts an athletic representative, he/she may answer questions regarding various aspects of Prairie View A&M University as long as NO discussion takes place regarding the Prairie View athletic program. If a prospect asks about Prairie View 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 of 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 normal civility. The athletic representative must refer any questions about the university's athletic program to the Athletic Department.

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 Prairie View A&M?

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 Officer, 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 Prairie View A&M University. A prospective student-athlete may not be employed until the completion of his/her senior year in high school. Additionally, 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 Prairie View A&M coach if a prospect is with the coach?

A. If a Prairie View A&M 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 on or off campus regarding the athletic program, explain that NCAA rules do not permit discussion of the athletic program. Refer the prospect to the appropriate Prairie View A&M coach.

Q. Is it permissible for an athletic representative to contact an enrolled student-athlete from another institution for the purpose of recruiting?

A. No. Student-athletes at other institutions are not allowed to be contacted for purposes of recruitment to Prairie View A&M.

Q. During recruitment, or prior to an individual's enrollment, can an athletic representative be involved directly or indirectly in making arrangements for a prospect, the prospect's relatives, or friends to receive money, financial aid, or equivalent inducements regardless if similar financial aid, benefits or arrangements are available to prospective students in general, their relatives or friends?

A. No. Furthermore, it would not be permissible to make such arrangements for current student-athletes at Prairie View A&M.

Q. What are considered other 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 Prairie View A&M; 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 Prairie View A&M'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 Prairie View A&M and ultimate participation in athletics.

Q. Is it permissible for an athletic representative to accompany a Prairie View A&M coach when he/she visits the local high school campus?

A. No. If an athletic representative transports a Prairie View A&M 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 entertain high school, preparatory, or junior college coaches at any location?

A. No. However, it is permissible for Prairie View A&M University to provide two complimentary admissions to the coaches to home athletic contests.

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.

The following three questions apply only to Prairie View A&M athletic booster clubs. Athletic booster organizations are not permitted such involvement with prospective student-athletes.

Q. Can a prospect receive a Prairie View A&M athletic booster club scholarship?

A. No. Because Prairie View A&M Athletic booster club scholarships restrict the recipient's choice of institutions to Prairie View A&M University, a student-athlete would not be able to receive the award.

Q. What involvement can the Prairie View A&M athletic booster club have with a prospect?

A. Prospects from the area may be invited to Prairie View athletic booster club functions as long as they are not singled out to be the only students included in the function. If all students invited to the function are receiving a complimentary meal, it would be permissible for prospects recruited to Prairie View A&M for athletics to receive a complimentary meal also. In the same manner, because prospects cannot be contacted, invitations to Prairie View A&M athletic booster club functions must be given in the same manner that they would be given to all students participating in the function. Invitations may be sent to the high schools or advertised in the newspaper in the area indicating what the invitation entails. The invitation may be sent to all high school seniors in the area, seniors who are interested in attending Prairie View A&M, seniors who have been accepted to Prairie View A&M, etc. but cannot be issued only to prospects who will participate in athletics at Prairie View A&M. In addition, prospects who attend Prairie View A&M athletic booster club functions cannot be singled out to be introduced as that would be a violation of NCAA publicity legislation relating to prospects. Treat prospects in the same manner that all other students are treated.

Q. What if the Prairie View athletic booster club function is open to the general public and prospects attend the function?

A. Prospects may attend Prairie View athletic booster club functions that are open to the general public as long as the prospects pay for their own meal and entertainment and provide their own transportation to attend. An exception to this would be if the function and meal were free to all high school seniors from the local community, as stated in the previous answer. The same restrictions would still apply after a prospect commits to or signs a National Letter of Intent with Prairie View A&M. A Prairie View A&M signee must be treated the same as any other high school student. Again, the prospect could not be singled out to be introduced at the function.

Questions Related to Current Student-Athletes

A student-athlete is a student whose enrollment was solicited by a member of the athletic staff with a view toward the student's ultimate participation in the intercollegiate athletic program. Any other student becomes a student-athlete only when the student reports for an intercollegiate squad that is under the jurisdiction of the athletic department. A student is not deemed a student-athlete solely on the basis of high school athletic participation.

Q. Can student-athletes be provided a benefit not available to the general student body?

A. No. Under NCAA rules, an extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution's athletics interests to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete's relative or friend a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation. Receipt of a benefit by student-athletes or their relatives or friends is not a violation of NCAA legislation. If it is demonstrated that the same benefit is generally available to the institution's students or their relatives or friends or to a particular segment of the student body (e.g., foreign students, minority students, etc.) determined on a basis unrelated to athletic ability.

Q. What are some examples of benefits an athletic representative may not provide to student-athletes, their relatives or friends?

A. Types of extra benefits that are prohibited include, but are not limited to the following: cash or loans; special discounts or payment arrangements on loans; employment of relatives or friends of a student-athlete; 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 or awards of any kind; guarantees of bond; purchases of items or services from a student-athlete or the student-athlete's family at inflated prices; providing directly or indirectly transportation to enroll in classes; any financial aid other than that administered by Prairie View A&M; the promise of financial aid for post graduate education; free or reduced cost housing arrangement; arrangement for or payment of transportation or other costs incurred by relatives or friends of a student-athlete to visit the student-athlete or to attend any contest; entertainment of a student-athlete'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); payment of any registration fees (e.g., tuition and fees, summer camps, etc.); payment to a student-athlete for use of his/her complimentary admissions; or receipt of payment for complimentary admissions sold to a third party when designated as the recipient of a complimentary admission by a student-athlete; use of or pay for long distance telephone calls, or the purchase or athletic apparel or awards from a student-athlete.

Q. Is it permissible for anyone to use the name or picture of an enrolled student-athlete to advertise, recommend or promote sales or use of a product or service of any kind?

A. No.

Q. Is it permissible for a student-athlete to receive any expenses for speaking to a booster club or civic organization?

A. A student-athlete may only accept transportation and meal expenses in conjunction with participation in a luncheon meeting of a booster club or civic organization, provided the meeting occurs within a 30 mile radius of the institution's main campus and no tangible award is provided to the student-athlete. If the luncheon is outside of the 30 mile radius, the student-athlete is not permitted to accept any transportation or meal expenses.

Q. Is it permissible for an athletic representative to provide an honorarium to a student-athlete who has been approved for a speaking engagement?

A. No. Student-athletes may only receive necessary travel expenses, as stated above, and may not receive an honorarium. All speaking engagements must be approved in advance by the Athletic Department.

Q. Is it permissible for student-athletes to be involved in any type of promotional activities?

A. It is permissible for student-athletes to be involved in promotional activities for institutional, charitable, educational, or nonprofit agencies provided the activity is approved by Prairie View A&M's Athletic Director.

Q. Is it permissible for an athletic representative to employ a student-athlete?

A. A student-athlete receiving a grant-in-aid may now receive employment income during the academic year under various situations. Both the student-athlete and the employer must sign a written statement prior to beginning any employment during the academic year. All student-athletes may be employed during the institutional vacation and summer periods. Please note that student-athletes may be compensated only for work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality for similar services. If you employ student-athletes, you will be contacted to complete information regarding the employment.

Q. What action should an athletic representative take, if he/she becomes aware of a rules violation?

A. The athletic representative 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. The Athletic Compliance Office will review the information and process it as necessary.

Q. What should an athletic representative do if he/she has a question about involvement with prospects, student-athletes, coaches or has any other NCAA or Southwestern Athletic Conference rules question?

A. The athletic representative should contact the Athletic Recruiting Coordinator at 936/857-4416.

Final Notes

Every Prairie View A&M former student, fan and friend of the University wants to avoid actions which might penalize the institution and the athletic programs. The manual of NCAA rules is thick and complex and the opportunities to inadvertently break the rules exist. However, if we all understand two general principles and act accordingly, then most of the confusion can be avoided.

• Recruitment of prospective student-athletes is the sole responsibility of Prairie View A&M coaches. Do not become involved in the recruiting process.
• Ask questions regarding interaction with student-athletes or prospects prior to the interaction taking place to insure that it is permissible.