Transcript Represent UTM

SKYHAWK CLUB & OTHER
ATHLETIC BOOSTERS WHO
REPRESENT UTM ATHLETICS
How to properly represent UTM
Athletics in accordance with the NCAA
Bylaws
The NCAA Handbook
• UTM is home to 15 collegiate sports teams, 13 of which
compete within the NCAA.
• The NCAA is a governing body set up to ensure all
collegiate athletes receive fair, respectable treatment
while enrolled and playing at the collegiate level.
• As a member of the NCAA, it is UTM’s responsibility to
abide by the rules and regulations set forth within the
NCAA handbook.
• Furthermore, UTM holds the duty to make certain that
those who support our athletic teams as fans, supporters,
or Skyhawk Club members are also in compliance with
the NCAA handbook.
How You Can Help
As an NCAA member institution, the University of
Tennessee-Martin is responsible for the actions of its
coaches, student-athletes, staff, boosters, alumni, fans and
friends. The NCAA mandates that boosters conduct
themselves according to strict guidelines pertaining to their
involvement in the Skyhawk Athletics program.
The following information is designed to assist you in
understanding these guidelines, so that the eligibility of a
student-athlete or prospective student-athlete, your
affiliation with the University of Tennessee-Martin or the
integrity of the athletics program is not jeopardized.
Who is a UTM Representative?
• A "representative of the institution's athletics interests" is an individual,
independent agency, corporate entity or other organization who is 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 prospective student-athletes;
• (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.
Article 13.02.14
WHO IS A PROSPECTIVE
STUDENT-ATHLETE (PROSPECT)?
High School Prospect
• A prospective student-athlete (prospect) is defined by the NCAA as
any person who has begun classes for the ninth (9th) grade. In
addition, a student who has not yet started classes for the ninth grade
becomes a prospect if an institution provides that individual (or the
individual's relatives or friends) any financial assistance or other
benefits that the institution does not provide to prospective studentathletes generally.
Post High School Prospect
• The rules regarding prospective student-athletes also apply to
student-athletes at junior colleges, preparatory schools, and two and
four-year universities who are considering transferring to the
University of Tennessee-Martin to compete in athletics. A prospect
remains a prospect until she/he reports for the first day of classes for
a regular term or participates in regular practice or competition prior to
the beginning of any term.
BOOSTERS AND PROSPECTIVE
STUDENT-ATHLETES
The following information is a summary of the types of
interaction that boosters can/cannot have with prospects.
• Recruiting as a general rule, NCAA regulations prohibit
boosters from contacting prospects by mail, telephone, or
in-person (on-or off-campus) for the purpose of
encouraging the prospect to participate in intercollegiate
athletics. Only UTM coaches and athletics department
staff members are permitted to be involved in the
recruiting process
Article 13.01.4
BOOSTERS AND PROSPECTIVE
STUDENT-ATHLETES
Specifically, boosters should NOT:
• Telephone, write or make in-person contact with a prospect (or a member of the prospect's family) for
the purpose of encouraging his/her participation in intercollegiate athletics at UTM;
• Make arrangements, directly or indirectly, for a prospect, the prospect's relatives or friends to receive
money, financial aid of any kind, gifts, special discounts for goods or services or the use of an
automobile;
• Provide transportation to prospects, including transportation to visit campus or to attend athletics
events;
• Contact a prospect's coach, principal or guidance counselor for the purpose of evaluating the
prospect (including picking up films or transcripts);
• Provide free or reduced-cost tickets to any UTM athletics events (home or away) to prospects, their
friends or relatives;
• Pay or offer to pay a prospect's registration fees for summer sports camps; or
• Entertain a high school, prep school or two-year college coach in any way.
BOOSTERS AND PROSPECTIVE
STUDENT-ATHLETES
Boosters MAY:
• Attend high school, prep school and two-year college athletics events that they would
normally;
• Speak to a prospective student-athlete via telephone ONLY if the prospect initiates the
conversation and the call is not for recruiting purposes. Any questions regarding the
University of Tennessee-Martin’s athletics program must be referred to a member of the
athletics department staff;
• Continue existing friendships with the families of prospects without encouraging the
prospect to participate in intercollegiate athletics at the University of Tennessee at
Martin.
• Prospects may be invited to booster club/alumni events only if the invitation is not based
on their status as an athlete.
• If an athletics department staff member is invited to speak at a booster club/alumni
event, please let her/him know if prospects will be in attendance. There are certain time
periods when coaches are prohibited from having off-campus contact with a prospect.
BOOSTERS & CURRENTLY
ENROLLED STUDENT-ATHLETES
The following is a summary of the types of interaction that
boosters can/cannot have with currently enrolled studentathletes.
Extra Benefits
• A student-athlete shall not receive any extra benefit. Receipt by
a student-athlete of an award, benefit, or expense allowance
not authorized by the NCAA legislation renders the studentathlete ineligible for athletics competition
Article 16.01.1
• University of Tennessee-Martin boosters (Skyhawk Club
members or otherwise) cannot provide an "extra benefit" or
special arrangement to a prospect or to an enrolled studentathlete. An "extra benefit" is any special arrangement by an
institution employee or a booster to provide a student-athlete,
prospect, or their relatives or friends a benefit not expressly
authorized by NCAA legislation.
Extra Benefits
Examples include:
• Financial aid other than that provided by the University of TennesseeMartin, established scholarship funds or parents/guardians;
• Providing cash or loans in any amount, or signing/cosigning for a loan.
• Providing gifts or services of any kind (e.g., birthday cards, holiday gifts,
clothing, airline tickets, transportation, reduced or free rent for housing);
• Providing special discounts for goods or services. (e.g., car rental, legal
services, haircuts);
• Providing rewards for athletic performance;
Extra Benefits
Examples continued:
• Purchasing complimentary admissions from a student-athlete or providing
any item of value in exchange for a complimentary admission;
• Providing an honorarium to a student-athlete for a speaking engagement;
• Purchasing meals, services, and/or entertainment at commercial
establishments.
• Promising employment after graduation or employment for friends and
relatives.
• A benefit is not considered a violation if it is one that is generally available
to students determined on a basis unrelated to athletic ability.
Housing
• An institution is required to apply the same housing
policies to student-athletes as it applies to the student
body in general.
Article 16.5.1
• Athletes are awarded scholarships that cover some or all
of their housing. Any extra help in paying these costs is
seen as an extra benefit over the rest of the student body.
• It is not permissible for Skyhawk Club members or
boosters to finance athletes housing or any sort of living
expenses.
Student-Athlete’s Relatives and
Friends
• An institution may not provide any expenses to a student-
athlete’s relatives or friends
Article 16.6.1
• This includes Skyhawk Club members providing extra
benefits to relatives or friends of student-athletes that the
rest of the student body is not privy to.
• Tickets, gifts, food, hotel rooms, transportation, among other
benefits are not permissible.
Student Athlete Employment
Under NCAA legislation, a student-athlete may receive earnings from
legitimate on or off-campus employment provided:
• The student-athlete's wages are for work actually performed;
• The student-athlete's compensation does not include remuneration for
value, utility, publicity, fame, athletic ability, etc.
• The student-athlete's employer completes and returns an Employment
Confirmation Form to the Compliance Office.
• Transportation to work for prospective or enrolled student-athletes that
you employ is prohibited unless it is provided for all other employees.
• Student-athletes are to be compensated at a rate commensurate with the
going rate in that locality for similar services.
Student Athlete Employment
• Student-athletes may not receive compensation related to their speaking
at an institutional athletic booster/club function.
• Student-athletes are not permitted to be involved in the advertisement,
recommendation or promotion of sales, or use of commercial product or
service of any kind.
• Student-athletes are prohibited from selling athletics equipment related
to the student-athlete's sport if his or her name, picture, or athletic
reputation is used to advertise or promote the product, the job, or the
employer.
• Student-athletes are prohibited from making appearances at a business
establishment for any purposes such as signing autographs. Such
appearance is impermissible because it could be construed as a direct
or indirect endorsement of the establishment
Occasional Meals
• A student-athlete or the entire team in a sport may receive
an occasional meal from a representative of athletics
interests on infrequent and special occasions under the
following conditions
• (a) The meal may only be provided in an individual’s home, on
campus or at a facility that is regularly used for home competition
and may be catered; and
• (b) A representative of the institution’s athletics interests (Skyhawk
Club or boosters) may provide reasonable local transportation to
student-athletes to attend the meal function only if the meal
function is at the home of that representative.
Article 16.11.1.5
Occasional Meals
• It is permissible to invite a student-athlete or team to your
home for an "occasional" meal (special occasions would
include a birthday, holiday, etc.).
• You may provide transportation only if the meal is in your
home and your home is in the Weakley County vicinity
(local in nature).
• Such events must receive prior approval from the
University of Tennessee-Martin athletics department.
THANK YOU!!!
• Thank you very much for your time. We hope this presentation
will help you in supporting the Skyhawks in the best way
possible
• If you have any questions please feel free to contact
• Col. Bill Kaler [email protected]
• Richard Schoeberl [email protected]
• Jenna Miller [email protected]
GO SKYHAWKS!!!!!