ARE YOU A “REPRESENTATIVE OF ATHLETICS INTERESTS”?
More commonly known as a “booster,” you are considered to be a “representative of Bethel University’s athletics interests” if you meet any of the following criteria:
• You have participated in or been a member of an agency or organization promoting Bethel University’s intercollegiate athletics program (e.g., a booster club).
• You have made a financial contribution to the Bethel University athletics department or to an athletic booster organization of that institution.
• You have ever assisted in recruiting a prospective student-athlete.
• You have ever assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their family (e.g., summer job or occasional meal).
• You have ever otherwise been involved in promoting Bethel University’s athletics program in any way.
• Boosters may be individuals, independent agencies, corporate entities, or other organizations. Once booster status is established, you are considered a booster forever.
Do's and Don'ts Regarding Current Student-Athletes.
Student-athletes are permitted to receive many benefits as a result of their participation in intercollegiate athletics, including benefits that are available to students or the public generally and not tied in any way to the student-athlete's status as an athlete, as well as benefits that are expressly permitted by NCAA rules.
As a representative of athletics interest YOU MAY…
• Provide an occasional meal to a student-athlete or an entire team at any location in the locale of the institution. Meals must be restricted to infrequent and special occasions. Please consult with the director of athletics at the institution to determine what qualifies as "in the locale" and what constitutes "infrequent and special occasions."
• Provide local transportation to a student-athlete for the occasional meal.
• Pay for or provide a meal to a student-athlete or entire team outside of the locale of the institution as long as the meal is in conjunction with, or en route to or from, an away-from-home contest.
• Donate lodging to an institution, which the institution may, in turn, provide to a student-athlete or team in conjunction with, or en route to or from, an away-from-home contest.
But, please DO NOT…
• Provide a current student-athlete, their parents or friends with any benefit or special arrangement without prior approval of the director of athletics.
• Provide, co-sign, or arrange a loan for a student-athlete, the student-athlete's parents, relatives or friends – no matter the amount.
• Pay for, arrange for payment of, or provide cost-free room, board, or transportation for a student-athlete or their family and friends.
• Provide or arrange for the provision of gifts or free or reduced-cost services of any kind (e.g., restaurant meals, summer storage space, use of laundry facilities, retail discounts, etc.) for a current student-athlete or his or her family members.
• Provide entertainment to student-athletes or their families.
• Provide any award (e.g., financial aid award, most valuable player award, etc.) to student-athletes which are not approved by the department of athletics or not provided through the college/university.
• Provide tickets to professional sporting events.
• Make contact (e.g., in-person contact, telephone calls, electronic communication, written correspondence) with the student-athlete of another NCAA or National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) four-year collegiate institution about transferring institutions.
Do's and Don'ts Regarding Recruitment and Prospective Student-Athletes.
Although recruitment of prospects is reserved for authorized university staff members, YOU MAY …
• Write, email, text, or telephone a prospect in an effort to recruit him or her to the university.
• Contact a prospect's high school coach, principal or counselor for the purpose of recruiting the prospect (e.g., meeting with the counselor, picking up a videotape of the prospect, etc.)
• Forward information (e.g., via newspaper clippings, internet postings, telephone calls to coaching staff members, etc.) about a prospect to coaching staff members.
• Attend high school, prep school, club events and two-year college athletics events at your own initiative (i.e., not at the direction of a university staff member) provided you do not have contact with the prospect or his/her family until after the completion of the contest and only if the prospect has completed his/her sophomore year in high school.
• Display normal civility if you "run into" a prospect somewhere other than the prospect's educational institution, practice or competition site. Such contact must be truly incidental and not prearranged by anyone.
• Continue established relationships with friends and neighbors. Contacts with these individuals should not be for recruiting purposes. Any benefits provided should be similar in nature to benefits provided prior to the individual entering ninth grade.
• Prospects may attend luncheons or dinners in their immediate locale which are sponsored by the college/university and are open to all prospective students (not prospective student-athletes only). Contact with prospects at such events is permissible.
But, please DO NOT…
• Directly or indirectly make any arrangement for a prospect to receive cash, financial aid of any kind, or loans of any kind (including signing or co-signing for a loan).
• Provide, arrange for or pay for any type of transportation to any location for a prospect.
• Provide a prospect with any cost-free or discounted gifts or services, including tickets to a home or away event, and payment of camp registration fees.
• Provide or arrange employment for a prospect or a prospect's relatives or friends.
• Provide gifts of clothing or equipment, or any tangible item including merchandise.
• Provide free or reduced-cost services, rentals or purchase of any type or free or reduced-cost housing.
• Finance or arrange the use of recruiting aids to publicize the institutions interest in a particular prospect.
• Contact a student from another institution to encourage him or her to transfer.
• Provide anything to a prospect without prior approval from the director of athletics
Under NCAA Bylaw 6.4.2.1, Bethel University reserves the right to withhold any benefit or privilege associated with the athletics department from individuals who are involved in an NCAA rules violation, including revocation of booster club memberships and ticket privileges.
“Representatives of Athletics Interests” are reminded that per NCAA Bylaw 3.2.4.14, Bethel University is required to submit secondary violations to the MIAC Conference Commissioner as they are discovered.
The policy of the Bethel University Athletic Department is that any rules violations or potential rules violations be reported to Gretchen Hunt, Compliance Officer, so that she can determine if a rule has been violated, and if so, make the required reports.
CONTACT
Gretchen Hunt
Associate Athletic Director
(651) 638-6790
