Kelly Brummett Binh Nguyen

While Not Representing Institution Must conform to rules of amateur sports organization that governs the competition. May not include cash that exceeds actual and necessary expenses. While Representing Institution Governed by NCAA Bylaw May not include: cash, gift certificates or gift cards redeemable for cash; or country club or sports club membership.

 Sam is a baseball student-athlete who was ineligible for competition during the season due to a transfer year in residence.  Sam’s team won the regular season conference championship.  Sam would like to pay for a conference championship award himself. His ring would be ordered with the rest of the team, but he would pay for it before the order is placed.  Is this permissible?

 Maybe.  If a version of the ring is available for purchase by members of the public (e.g., boosters), it is permissible for Sam to purchase a ring on those same terms. Otherwise, the institution's involvement in facilitating the purchase of a ring that Sam could not receive from the institution and could not otherwise purchase is not permissible. Bylaw

 The women’s basketball team would like to divide the team up into two groups. At the end of each practice, the coaches would like to provide the group with the most made half-court shots with running shoes.  The shoes would be valued at $75.

 May the coaches provide the running shoes to the winning team?  Yes. If the award is actual or necessary apparel/equipment for practice or competition, it is the institution's discretion how to distribute the apparel/equipment.  As such, the institution may determine whether to distribute actual and necessary equipment/apparel to SAs as an award or as an incentive, and may determine whether to distribute actual and necessary apparel/equipment to SAs depending on certain criteria set by the team.

 The women's golf team hosted their end of the year awards banquet after the completion of their season at Dave and Busters.  Each SA was presented with a $10 game card to be used while at the venue in addition to the award that they received.

 May the institution provide the team with the $10 entertainment cards?  Yes. Using the new interpretations philosophy, it is permissible for the SAs to be provided the $10 game cards as reasonable entertainment activities in conjunction with the institutional awards banquet, considering that such activities are incidental to participation and not excessive in nature.

 The women’s bowling coach would like to combine the award limits for winning a conference championship ($325) and for participating in a NCAA tournament ($375) to allow the team to purchase a larger gift versus purchasing two smaller gifts that would fall under the individual award limits.

 May the team combine the limit of two awards to purchase an award of combined value?  No. This would not be permissible per Bylaw

 May provide four complimentary admissions to home or away competition in the SA’s sport.  Must be issued through a pass list.  May provide one complimentary admission to home event in sport other than the SAs.

 Jake is in his first year as a member Shermer University’s soccer team.  Due to his high school grade-point average, Jake is a nonqualifier but received an initial- eligibility waiver for aid only.

 May Jake receive four complimentary admissions to home men’s soccer games? Yes. A nonqualifier who receives a partial initial- eligibility waiver (e.g., for aid only) may receive four complimentary admissions per home intercollegiate athletics event in the sport in which the individual participates. October 6, 2004, Official Interpretation

 May Jake receive one complimentary admissions to home football games? Yes. A nonqualifier in the first academic year of residence may receive complimentary admission to home regular-season competitions. Bylaw

 Institution may arrange for a SA to purchase tickets at face value for a postseason athletics event in which his or her team participates.  SA is not permitted to resell the tickets.

 May Jake take advantage of the institution arranging for SA’s to purchase tickets to the men’s soccer team’s postseason competition? No.

 General academic counseling and tutoring services available to all SAs.  Provided through athletics or through student support services.  Institution, conference or the NCAA may finance other academic support, career counseling or personal development services that support the success of SAs.

 Our football SAs would like to take part in a mandatory leadership training during a discretionary week.  The coaches will be in attendance during the required

 May the football SAs take part in this leadership training activity with their coaches?  Yes. A bona fide leadership training and/or team building activities, conducted as part of life skills programming, can take place at any time (in season or out of season). Further, coaching staff members may observe and/or participate in bona fide leadership training and/or team building activities. March 6, 2014 Staff Interpretation and Bylaw

 The skiing team would like to provide parking to the team to be used for on-campus parking for academic tutoring sessions.

 May the team buy the parking passes?  It is permissible to provide parking expenses related to a SA participating in a permissible activity in which the institution can pay expenses, provided the pass does not end up being an unlimited parking situation for class, other events, etc.  Parking expenses should be limited to the time in which the SA is participating in the practice activity as opposed to allowing free campus parking for the entire day, term, etc.

 Justine is a pharmacy major in her third year. She is required to take an internship in order to graduate.  This fall, she is slated to conduct her internship at Happy Pills Corporation.  Justine does not have a car to drive the two hours to and from the internship.

 Can the institution pay for Justine’s transportation expenses?  It is the institution’s discretion to pay for the expenses if it determined the internship is supportive of the SA's academic success.

 Athletic dormitories/blocks not permitted:  50% or more are SAs.  Meals and snacks incidental to participation:  Snacks permitted at any time.  Nutritional supplements.

 State University is interested in contracting with a local private (nonuniversity owned) apartment complex to rent the entire building to its students.  The university would setup the contract so that any student on campus would go to the normal university residence life website choosing this private off-campus complex in the same manner as they would choose any regular residence hall on its campus.  The university would retain 100% control of just the contracted units in the residence hall (e.g., oversee and administer all housing registration, reviewing applications)

 Is this housing facility subject to the 50% rule? Yes, since it is controlled by State University.

 The men’s golf team is travelling to California for a four-day tournament.  The family of one of the SAs lives in the locale of the tournament.

 Is it permissible for the family to lodge the team for a night and provide the team three meals? Yes, as the lodging and meals can be donated to the institution through its regular policies and procedures.

 We offer our rowing SAs a product called Body Power, which is essentially filtered milk. We have been using the Superman Body Power for a few years now (which is made up to less than 30% protein), but was contacted by our distributor about purchasing the general Body Power offered in stores (which is made up of more than 30% protein).

 Can the general Body Power (made up of more than 30% protein) be classified as a whole food and not as a nutritional supplement, since the product does not contain any nutritional supplements? Maybe. AMA does not make this determination. The NCAA Sport Science Institute staff is available for consultation. You will be asked to provide a product label with ingredients.

 At our institution, a SA, when purchasing a meal plan at a specific dining facility, can also purchase meal points that can be utilized at other locations around campus.  These other dining locations are open outside of the typical hours of the specific dining facility where the students meal plan is located.  We cannot restrict the use of the card to only dining facilities and use of the meal points for nonfood items.

 Can the institution allow their SAs to use the meal points?  Institution would be able to provide snacks and meals incidental to participation by means of meal points even if those points could be used to purchase other items at one location.  Mechanisms should be put in place to monitor.

 May provide actual and necessary expenses for practice and competition, provided the SA is eligible for competition.  SA who is: serving an academic year of residence due to transfer; or serving an academic year of residence due to amateurism certification condition.  May not receive competition-related expenses.

 Samantha plays women’s basketball at Shermer University.  Due to her amateurism certification, she must be withheld from the first four contests.

 The team’s first four contests are: November 11: Home. November 13: Home. November 17: Home. November 21: Away.  Samantha will become eligible for the team’s away- from-home contest on November 23.  The team will travel directly from its competition November 21 to its competition on November 23, without first returning to campus.

 May Samantha receive competition- related expenses to travel with the team to its competition November 21?  Yes. Because Samantha will become eligible during the team’s travel, she may receive expenses to travel with the team for the November 21 competition.

 Mike has been invited to represent his country in the World Championships in June  Mike plans to remain on campus following the 2016 spring term to train but will not enroll in summer classes.

 May the institution provide Mike transportation expenses to compete in the World Championships? Yes, provided Mike was eligible to represent the institution in competition. Bylaw (b)

 May the institution provide Mike with meals and lodging while he remains on campus to train? No. The term “related participation” does not includes weeks of training on campus prior to the competition. It is intended to assist with transportation to and from a competition as well as expenses during the competition. Bylaw

 SA may borrow against his or her future earnings potential from an established, accredited commercial lending institution, exclusively for the purpose of purchasing insurance against a disabling injury or illness that would prevent the individual from pursuing his or her chosen career or for the purpose of purchasing loss-of-value insurance.  Third party or booster may not be involved in arrangements for securing the loan.

 Institution's chancellor or president may designate an institutional staff member(s) to assist a SA with arrangements for securing the loan and insurance.  The institution shall retain copies of all documents related to loan transactions and insurance policies, regardless of whether the institution is involved in the arrangements.

 See NCAA website for additional information:  ance/student-athlete-insurance-programs ance/student-athlete-insurance-programs

Institution may provide:  The use of a return ticket at any time after the conclusion of a foreign tour;  Receipt of frequent flier points and/or miles earned while traveling to and from intercollegiate practice and/or competition;  Participation in receptions and festivities associated with championships, conference tournaments or all-star events hosted by and conducted on the institution's campus;  Occasional meals to team members provided by a SA's family member at any location;  Telephone calls in emergency situations as approved by the director of athletics (or his or her designee);

 Reasonable tokens of support and transportation, housing and meal expenses in the event of injury, illness, or death of a family member or another SA;  Fundraisers for SAs (or their family members) under the following extreme circumstances: Extreme circumstances should be extraordinary in the result of events beyond the SA's control (e.g., life-threatening illness, natural disaster); The proceeds must be designated for a specific purpose (e.g., payment of medical bills, purchase of medical equipment, replacement of items lost in a fire, etc.) The proceeds may be given directly to the beneficiaries, with receipt kept on file by the institution, which must include the amount of expenses incurred and the total amount received; and The excess proceeds must be given to a not-for-profit organization with the receipt kept on file by the institution.  The payment of admission costs or a meal for any SA being honored at a nonathletics awards ceremony.

 Caroline’s grandmother’s home was recently destroyed by wildfires.  Caroline has created a GoFundMe account to raise money to replace items lost (e.g., clothes, toiletries).  The title of the GoFundMe website is “Caroline’s Call to Action” and includes pictures of Caroline with her grandmother.

 Is Caroline’s GoFundMe account permissible? No. Because Caroline is using her name and image to fundraise.  Thinking about Bylaw 16.11, how can it be permissible? If the institution becomes involved with the fundraiser, it falls under Bylaw (g). Caroline’s name and picture may then be used to fundraise.

 May not be used to finance: Salaries; Tuition, fees, room and board, and course-related books during a regular term (other than summer school) for SAs with eligibility remaining; Capital improvements; Stipends; and Outside athletics development opportunities for SAs.  Conference office has discretion over how funds are used, provided not in a prohibited category.

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