May 1
Q. Can a prospect who did not sign a National Letter of Intent
participate in voluntary strength and conditioning programs
conducted by our strength and conditioning coach in the summer prior
to initial enrollment?
Football: No. Only prospects who sign a National Letter of
Intent may participate in voluntary strength and conditioning
activities conducted by a strength and conditioning coach. All other
prospects may only use facilities that general students have access
to and cannot participate in voluntary conditioning activities
directed by our strength and conditioning coach as this would
constitute an impermissible tryout.
Basketball: Only prospects who sign a National Letter of Intent or
prospects who are enrolled in summer school (including four-year
prospects) and receiving athletically-related aid may participate in
voluntary strength and conditioning activities conducted by a coach.
All other prospects may only use facilities that general students
have access to and cannot participate in voluntary conditioning
activities directed by our strength and conditioning coach as this
would constitute an impermissible tryout.
All Other Sports: No prospects, whether he/she signs and NLI or not,
may participate in voluntary strength and conditioning activities
conducted by our strength and conditioning coach as this would
constitute an impermissible tryout. A prospect who is enrolled in
classes during the summer may only use our facilities that general
students would have access to.
April 24
Q. Would it be permissible for a student-athlete to store his/her
belongings as a staff member's residence during the summer because
the student-athlete will be moving to a new apartment in the fall
and doesn't want to take it home in the meantime?
A. No. Rental fees are normally applied when storing items so
the above scenario would constitute an extra benefit.
April 17
Q. Is it permissible to provide free parking passes for prospects
and/or their parents/legal guardians to come to campus at times
other than an official visit?
A. No. A school is not permitted to provide any
extra benefits (i.e. free parking, pizza, pop, etc.) to prospects
and his/her parents/legal guardians that are not available to the
general public unless during the one permissible visit (other then 3
complimentary admissions to a home athletics event), regardless of
whether the prospect has signed a National Letter of Intent or not.
April 10
Q. A student-athlete has not complied with team policies during the
season and is required to complete one week of daily 30-minute
workouts from Sunday through Saturday. Is this permissible?
A. Any form of "corrective action" that includes activities
that meet the definition of Countable Athletically Related
Activities (17.02.01) must comply with bylaw 17.1.5 -- Time Limits
for such activities. Therefore, the above mentioned scenario would
not be permissible if the sports defined week begins on Sunday due
to not providing the student-athlete with a day off. In addition,
these types of required activities must also be included in the
maximum 20 hours per week and maximum four hours per day.
April 3
Q. Is it permissible for a high school prospect to participate in a
"pick-up games" with enrolled student-athletes?
A. Yes. Provided all arrangements are initiated by the
prospect, the facilities are open to the general public if
institutional facilities are used, and no recruitment activities
occur.
March 27
Q. Can an athletics department staff member purchase green fees to
participate in a golf outing that's purpose is to raise funds for a
high school athletics program?
A. No. In general, an athletics department staff member may
not provide any financial contributions to a high school athletics
program through participation in a fund-raising event. However, a
staff member is permitted to contribute to a high school athletics
program from which the staff member attended or in the school
district in which they reside.
March 20
Q. Can we conduct a campus tour with prospects who are participating
in one of our sport camps?
A. No. Recruiting activities are not permitted during camps
or clinics. It is permissible to show students facilities that will
be used during a camp (i.e. dining hall, dorms, athletic facilities,
etc.). However, a campus tour during a camp that's purpose is to
promote the institution or show the benefits of an institution would
be impermissible.
March
13
Q. Mr. “YSU Booster” phoned in and explained that his grandson
and his grandson’s friend, who is a fellow high school teammate
(prospective student-athlete), want to come to a Penguin home
game. Mr. “YSU Booster” indicated that he has provided his
grandson's friends with tickets and travel to Penguin home games
for over 10 years. Mr. “YSU Booster” indicated that he wants to
bring his grandson and his friend to his family’s tailgate as
well. Is this permissible according to NCAA rules?
A. Yes, it would be permissible because:
- Mr. Booster has a pre-existing relationship with his
grandson's friends;
- Mr. Booster’s relationship with the prospective
student-athlete does not originate in athletics; it originates
in his grandson's friendship;
- Mr. Booster did not arrange the proposed benefits; his
grandson did;
- Mr. Booster will be providing benefits that he has
consistently provided to his grandson's friends, irrespective of
athletic ability, for several years;
AND
- Neither Mr. Booster nor his
friends or family will solicit the prospective student-athlete’s
participation in athletics at YSU.
The last item is necessary due to
NCAA rules that preclude boosters from soliciting the enrollment
of a prospect at YSU.
March 6
Q. If a coach wants to use the $30 per day entertainment allotments
to rent a snowmobile and the snowmobile rental is $70, can the
prospect simply pay the difference?
A. No. If the normal rental cost for entertaining exceeds the
$30-per-day entertainment fee, such entertainment may not be
provided.
Feb. 27
Q. Is a prospect permitted to make an (un)official visit to campus on
the same day in which the prospect has a competition that night?
A. No. Recruiting contact may not be made with a prospect prior
to any athletics competition in which the prospect is a participant
during the day or days of competitions, even if the prospect is on
an official or unofficial visit.
Feb. 20
Q. Is it permissible to use a current student-athlete's action photo on
the cover of a YSU camp brochure?
A. No. Unless that is where all camp counselor photos are being
shown. A camp brochure may only use a student-athlete's name or
picture in the camp counselor section in its camp brochure to
identify the student-athlete as a staff member. A student-athlete's
name or picture may not be used in any other way to directly
advertise or promote the camp.
Feb. 13
Q. Is it permissible to pre-print a greeting (i.e. Happy Holidays, Happy
Birthday) on an institution's normal note card and send to prospects?
A. Yes. This would be permissible provided the note card is
considered to be a normal institutional note card. Institutional note
cards are items that are produced or bought by the institution along
with other stationary items which are used to send correspondence from
the institution. Externally created or printed (in part or in full) note
cards are not permissible to send to prospects because if constitutes an
externally produced greeting card, as opposed to a blank institutional
note card that had a greeting printed on it by the institution.
Feb. 6
Q. Can a current student-athlete be employed in the Athletics
Department?
A. Yes. Employment of a current student-athlete is permissible at
any time, whether within the athletics department or by a booster. The
only rules are that the student-athlete be paid for work actually
performed, at the going rate for that particular job, and cannot be
compensated for his/her reputation as a student-athlete.
**Non-qualifiers are not permitted to be employed by the athletics
department or by a booster during their first year of residence at YSU.
Jan. 30
Q. Member of various Youngstown State University departments have
created a pool for betting on the Super Bowl. It costs only $5 to join
the pool. Can a staff member of the Athletics Department participate
since the bet is a nominal amount?
A. No. Gambling on college or professional sports in which the
NCAA conducts championships is impermissible in any way, shape or form
or amount for all athletic staff members and student-athletes. Any
athletic staff member found to have participated in any form of gambling
as described is putting his/her employment at risk, as well as a
student-athlete will forfeit all future eligibility.
Jan. 23
Q. A coach has a home visit with a prospect. During the visit, the coach
carries a team jersey (not personalized), a few newspaper clippings in a
file folder, a highlight film and information about the Youngstown area.
The coach does not leave the jersey, highlight film or the clippings
with the prospect when the visit is over. Is this permissible?
A. Yes. It is permissible for institutions to show materials
other than newspaper articles provided they are not left in the home.
Additionally, a coach is permitted to show newspaper clippings provided
they are not compiled into an organized format, such as a portfolio or
scrapbook.
Jan. 16
Q. Would it be permissible for a booster to provide an
occasional meal to a
team and include a prospect who is on his/her official visit at YSU?
A. No. A booster cannot provide a prospective student-athlete
with an
occasional meal at their home or any other location. In general, a
booster
can have no contact whatsoever with a prospect, especially on an
official
visit.
