Mississippi Colege Athletics

INFORMATION FOR REPRESENTATIVES FOR
ATHLETICS INTERESTS / BOOSTERS / ALUMNI


WHAT/WHO IS A REPRESENTATIVE OF MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE ATHLETICS INTERESTS

A representative of athletics interests is an individual, business, or organization who is known (or should be known) by a member of the institution's executive or athletics administration to:

-- Have participated in or is a member of an agency or organization promoting the institution's intercollegiate athletics program;

-- Have made financial contributions to the athletics department or to an athletics booster organization of that institution;

-- Assisting or have been requested (by the athletics department staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospects;

-- Assisting or to have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families.

The NCAA stipulates that once an individual has been identified as a "Representatives of Athletics Interests" of the University's athletics programs, he or she retains this status forever. This is true even if the individual no longer contributes to the athletics program

 
RECRUITING ISSUES REGARDING ATHLETICS REPRESENTATIVES

WHAT ARE THE BASIC PROVISIONS OF THE NCAA REGULATIONS IN THIS AREA? 

Only authorized coaches and athletic department staff members can be involved in the recruiting process in person and off campus.  All representatives of the institution's athletics interest who are not employed by Mississippi College are prohibited from contacting a prospect (or parents/legal guardians) in person and off campus to encourage the prospect to participate in intercollegiate athletics at Mississippi College.


WHAT IS A CONTACT?

"Contact" is defined as any face-to-face encounter between a prospect or the prospect's parent or legal guardians during which time any dialogue in excess of a greeting occurs.


WHAT IS A PROSPECT?

 - A prospect is a student who has started classes for the ninth grade. In addition, a student who has not yet started ninth grade classes becomes a prospect if the institution provides any benefit not available to general prospective students.

 - A prospective student-athlete remains a prospect even after he or she has signed or accepted an offer of financial aid to attend Mississippi College.

 - The prospective student-athlete remains a prospect until they report for the first day of class during either the fall or spring term.


WHAT CONSTITUTES BEING RECRUITED?

Actions by staff members or athletics representatives that cause a prospective student athlete to become a recruited prospective student-athlete at Mississippi College are:

-- Providing the prospect with an official visit

-- Having an arranged, in-person, off-campus encounter with the prospect or the prospect's relatives or legal guardians

-- Initiating or arranging a telephone contact with the prospect, the prospect's relatives or legal guardian(s) on more than one occasion for the purpose of recruitment; or

-- Issuing the institution's financial aid written offer of athletic related financial aid to the prospect
 

PERMISSIBLE ACTIVITIES
 
It is permissible for an athletics representative to:

-- Notify Mississippi College coaches and staff about prospects in your area

-- Attend high school or two-year college contest or other events where prospects may compete

-- Continue existing friendships with families of prospects, but you may not attempt to recruit the prospect.

-- Invite a student-athlete into your home for an occasional meal

-- Make a donation to the Athletic Department

-- Provide summer employment for enrolled student-athletes with appropriate documentation on file with the compliance office.
 

PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES

It is NOT permissible for an athletics representative to:

-- Make telephone calls to a prospect or his/her parents or legal guardians

-- Observing Prospect's Contest - An athletics representative may view a prospect's athletics contest on his or her own initiative, however, you may NOT contact the prospect or the prospect's parents/legal guardians.

-- Evaluation of Prospect - An athletics representative may not contact a prospect's coach, principal or counselor in an attempt to evaluate the prospect; and

-- Visiting Prospect's Institution - An athletics representative may not visit a prospect's educational institution to pick up film/videotape or transcripts pertaining to the evaluation of the prospect's academic eligibility or athletics ability.

-- Make arrangements for a prospect or the prospect's relatives or friends to receive money or financial aid of any kind.

-- Provide transportation to a prospect or the prospect's relatives or friends

-- Provide free or reduced tickets to a prospect or the prospect's relatives or friends to attend a sporting event.

-- Entertain high school, prep school or community college coaches

-- In general, you are NOT allowed to provide a benefit that is not authorized by NCAA legislation or make special arrangements for student-athletes and prospects that are not available to the general student population. The following are a few examples:

  *  Providing cash or loans in any amount, or signing or co-signing for a loan
  *  Providing gifts of any kind, including birthday cards, gift cards and/or holiday gifts
  *  Providing special discounts for goods and services (ex: car repairs, legal services, meals)
  *  Providing free rent or reduced rent-housing
  *  Providing an honorarium to a student-athlete for a speaking engagement


CONTACT WITH CURRENTLY ENROLLED STUDENT-ATHLETES

You may not provide a student-athlete any benefit or special arrangement that would not be offered to the rest of the student population. Such a benefit may cause a student-athlete to lose his or her eligibility. These activities include, but are not limited to:

-- You may not entertain student-athletes, their friends or family.

-- You may not use the name of picture of an enrolled student-athlete to advertise, recommend, or promote any product or service of any kind.

-- You may not provide awards or gifts to a student-athlete.

-- You may not allow a student-athlete to use your telephone to make free calls, or allow use of a free or discounted automobile.

-- You can however, invite an enrolled student-athlete to your home for an occasional home cooked meal, but you may not take a student-athlete to a restaurant. 


EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENT-ATHLETES

It is permissible to employ a prospective student-athlete as well as an enrolled student-athlete provided they are compensated under the following conditions;

-- Only for work actually performed

-- At a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality for similar services; and

-- Athletic reputation is not considered.  Compensation may NOT include any remuneration for value or utility that the student-athlete may have for the employer because of the publicity, reputation, fame or personal following that he or she has obtained because of athletics eligibility.
 


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