Guide to NCAA Rules for Fans, Boosters & Friends of the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff

The University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, is responsible for insuring that SWAC and NCAA regulations are followed by our coaches, student athletes, faculty and staff, donors, boosters, former students, fans and friends. Please use this guide as a reference to the NCAA rules as they apply to representatives of our athletics interests. All questions and situations cannot be answered in this brief brochure so please do not hesitate to call if you have any questions. We want to remind you that any incidental contact or inappropriate action by you can jeopardize the eligibility of either a prospective student-athlete, an enrolled student-athlete and the integrity of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is honored to have your support and interest in all of our athletic programs.

NCAA Definitions

Who is a prospective student-athlete?
A prospect is a student who has started classes for the ninth grade, students in prep schools, and students in junior colleges. 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 family or friend) any financial assistance or other benefits that the institution does not provide to prospective students.

When does a prospect become a student-athlete?
A prospect becomes a student-athlete only when he/she reports for an organized team pre-season practice or begins attending classes during the regular academic year, not after signing the National Letter of Intent.

Who is a Representative of Athletics Interests?
A “representative of the institution’s athletics interests” is an individual who is known (or should have been known) as a Golden Lion Foundation Member, anyone who donates money to the athletic department, fans, faculty and staff, former students, anyone assisting in the recruitment of a prospect, or anyone involved in promoting the athletics program.

ONCE YOU HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A REPRESENTATIVE, YOU RETAIN THAT IDENTITY FOREVER.

What is a contact?
Contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospect or the prospect’s relatives and an institutional staff member or athletics representative where any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of a greeting. Any face-to-face encounter that is prearranged or takes place on the grounds or takes place on the grounds of the prospect’s high school or site of organized competition or practice involving the prospect’s high school, preparatory school, two-year college, or all-star team is considered a contact regardless of the conversation that occurs.

What is the definition of Recruiting?
Recruiting is any solicitation of a prospect or a prospect’s relatives (or legal guardians) by an institutional staff member or by a representative of the institution’s athletics interest for the purpose of securing the prospect’s enrollment and ultimate participation in the institution’s intercollegiate athletic program.

Questions Regarding Prospective Student Athletes

I am a UAPB alumni living in Atlanta, Georgia. What can I do to help UAPB recruit a local high school basketball star?

In Division I, representatives of an institution’s athletic interests are prohibited from having an in-person contact, making telephone calls or corresponding with a prospect.

Can I meet a prospective student-athlete while they are at the university on an official visit?

Entertainment and contact by a representative of the institution’s athletics interests during the prospect’s unofficial or official visit is prohibited at Division I institutions.

If I am a representative of the university and a prospect contacts me, may I respond?

As long as the contact was NOT initiated by you or prearranged by another representative of the athletics interest, you may answer questions regarding different aspects of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff as long as no discussion takes place concerning the athletics program and you do not have a recruiting conversation.

Once a prospect signs a National Letter of Intent, may I contact the prospect and congratulate him?

NO, even though the prospect has signed an NLI, the same contact rules still apply. In general, do not contact a prospective student-athlete for any reason unless you are a relative.

Questions Regarding Student Athletes

Can I let a student-athlete borrow my car?

NO, that would be an extra benefit. An extra benefit is defined as any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution’s athletics interests to provide a student-athlete or a student-athlete’s relatives or friends a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation. Receipt of a benefit by a student-athlete 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. international students) determined on a basis unrelated to athletics ability.

Some extra benefits include, but are not limited to the following:

Cash;

An employment arrangement for a prospect’s relatives

Gift of clothing or equipment

Co-signing of loans or posting bond;

Any tangible items; Free or reduced-cost services, rentals, or merchandise of any type;

Free or reduced-cost housing

The use of washer or dryer;

Free summer storage

Promising employment after college graduation;

Telephone card to make free long distance call.

Can I hire a student-athlete to work at my company?

Yes, but you must first contact the Compliance Office. There are many NCAA regulations governing the employment of student-athletes.

Can I use a student-athlete’s name or picture to advertise Acme Shoes?

No. Acme Shoes is a commercial product and the use of the student-athlete’s name or picture to promote a commercial product would cause the student-athlete to lose his or her remaining eligibility.

Can I provide accommodations to a student-athlete’s relatives or friends when they are attending a UAPB athletic event or while visiting the university?

No. Providing room, board, or transportation to friends or family of an enrolled student-athlete to enable them to visit campus or attend an athletics contest is strictly prohibited.

NCAA PERMITS YOU TO. . .

Provide a student-athlete or the entire team in a sport an occasional meal in the home of an institutional staff member or a representative of athletics interests or the meal is served in a restaurant, as long as the meals are infrequent and on special occasions.

Attend High School or Junior College sporting events that you would normally attend provided there is no contact with a prospective student athlete.

Continue relationships with a prospect or his family as long as the relationship was established prior to the prospect’s freshman year of high school.

Send University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff coaching staff any newspaper clippings or other information about prospects which you think would be of interest.

Visit the NCAA Web Site for more information at WWW.NCAA.ORG

University of Arkansas Pine Bluff
Compliance Office Staff:
Vannette W. Johnson, Compliance Coordinator
Maxine Vaughn, Assistant Compliance
Louis B. 'Skip' Perkins, Athletic Director
Phone: (870) 575-8678 or 575-8658
Fax: (870) 575-8114 or 575 7880