1. Division I Introduction to Recruiting: Official/Unofficial Visits and Publicity Shauna Cobb and Andy Cardamone Academic and Membership Affairs 2010 Regional Seminars

2. Summary
Official Visits.
Unofficial Visits.
Publicity.
Case Studies.

3. Official Visits

4. Official Visit Definition
Campus visit financed in whole or in part by the institution.
NCAA Bylaw

5. Official Visit Limitations
One visit per institution.
A maximum of five expense-paid visits.
Not earlier than the opening day of classes senior year.
Women’s basketball may not occur during the July evaluation period.
Bylaws , , and

6. Official Visit Limitations
May not be provided to a nonqualifier in his or her first year at a two-year institution.
Shall not exceed 48 hours.
Prospective student-athlete (PSA) may receive five additional visits beginning October 15 after completion of high school.
Bylaws , and

7. Requirements for Official Visit
Test score taken on national testing date.
State administered ACT may be used to meet requirement.
High school or college transcript.
Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Placed on institution’s Institutional Request List (IRL).
Bylaw

8. Transportation on Official Visit
PSA may be provided actual round-trip transportation costs.
Round-trip from any location (return to origin).
If PSA does not return to origin, cost cannot exceed round-trip cost.
Airfare may not exceed coach (or comparable) class.
Bylaws and

9. Transportation on Official Visit (continued)
PSA travelling by automobile may receive round- trip mileage expenses at the same rate institution’s staff members receive.
Institution’s coach may transport; however, the hour period starts when the coach starts transporting the PSA.
Bylaws and

10. Lodging Within a 30-mile radius of institution’s campus.
Scale comparable to that of normal student life with no special accessories.
Only for PSA and the parents (or legal guardians) or spouse.
Additional persons.
May pay PSA’s reasonable meals and lodging while in transit to and from campus from visit.
Bylaws , and13.6.9

11. Entertainment PSA and parents or legal guardians may be provided:
Reasonable entertainment.
$30 per day.
Within 30 miles of campus.
Normal retail cost.
Bylaws and

12. Meals
PSA and parents or legal guardians, spouse and children may be provided three meals per day.
Does not come out of the $30 per day entertainment money.
Must be comparable to those provided to student-athletes (SA) during the academic year.
Bylaw

13. Complimentary Admissions
Maximum of three complimentary admissions to home athletics event within a 30-mile radius of campus.
Nontraditional family may receive two additional complimentary admissions.
PSA may not receive complimentary admissions to a conference tournament, NCAA or other postseason competition.
Bylaws , , and

14. Student-Host Maximum of $30 per day to cover entertainment.
Excludes the cost of meals.
May receive meals if accompanying PSA.
May receive complimentary admissions to campus athletics event if accompanying PSA.
Bylaw

15. Student-Host (continued)
$30 per day entertainment is for PSA and all hosts.
Only one student-host may be provided a free meal if accompanying PSA.
Bylaw

16. Recap
Lodging, meals and entertainment may be provided for PSA and parents or legal guardians.
Transportation expenses may be provided for PSA only.
Complimentary admissions may be provided to anyone accompanying PSA.

17. Unofficial Visits

18. Unofficial Visit Definition
Campus visit financed by the PSA.
Bylaw

19. Limitations No limit in number. May be prior to senior year.
May not occur during dead period.
Men’s basketball.
May not occur during the month of July.
Women’s basketball.
May not occur during the July evaluation period.
Bylaws , , and

20. Transportation
May provide transportation to view practice and competition sites in PSA’s sport and other institutional facilities and to attend a home athletics contest at any local facility.
Institution’s staff member must accompany PSA.
Bylaw

21. Lodging
PSA may stay on campus with an enrolled SA only if he or she pays the regular institutional rate for lodging.
Bylaw

22. Entertainment and Meals
Maximum of three complimentary admissions may be provided to any home athletics event at any facility within a 30-mile radius of campus.
PSA may pay the actual cost of meals to eat on campus.
Bylaw and

23. Activities During Official and Unofficial Visit
Not permissible during official or unofficial visit.
Personalized recruiting aids (e.g., jerseys, scoreboard).
Game-day simulations.
Decorative items (whether or not include PSA’s name).
Balloons/welcome signs in hotel room/lobby.
Name plate on locker.
Bylaws and

24. Publicity

25. Presence of Media during Recruiting Contact
Not permissible for a media entity to be present during any recruiting contact made by an institution's coaching staff member.
Bylaw

26. Comments before Signing/Acceptance
A member institution may only confirm PSA’s recruitment.
No comments regarding PSA’s ability or contribution to team.
Bylaw

27. PSA’s Visit to Campus
May not publicize a PSA's visit to the institution's campus.
May not arrange for the publicity of a PSA’s visit. 
PSA may not participate in team activities that would make the public or media aware of the PSA's visit to the institution.
Bylaw

28. Introduction of PSA
An institution may not introduce PSA at an event that is open to the general public or the media.
Bylaw

29. Media Releases Regarding Signing/Acceptance
May occur only after signing of National Letter of Intent (NLI) or written offer.
Communication regarding a PSA’s signing may be released to media outlets at the institution's discretion. 
No limits on:
Number.
Content.
Bylaw

30. Media Releases Regarding Signing/Acceptance (continued)
An institution is prohibited from purchasing or receiving commercial advertising to be used to identify a PSA by name or picture.
Advertising includes printed flyers, media or billboards.
Bylaw

31. Media Releases Regarding Signing/Acceptance
One on-campus press conference per sport is permitted.
No PSAs (or their friends or relatives) may be in attendance.
Bylaw

32. Media Releases Regarding Signing/Acceptance (continued)
Celebratory functions.
Coaching staff members may attend.
Discuss PSA’s who have signed, including with working media.
Provided that communication of PSA’s commitments had previously been released by institution to media outlets.
Bylaw

33. Signings On Campus Institutional control.
An institution is responsible for signings on its campus.
Contact by the media with PSA on campus during the time he or she signs a NLI or tender of financial aid shall be prohibited.
Bylaw

34. Recap
Before signing of NLI, financial aid agreement or written offer of admission.
No media during recruiting contacts.
No media during campus visit.
No comments regarding PSA’s ability, possible contribution to team or likelihood of signing.

35. Recap (continued)
After signing of NLI, financial aid agreement or written offer of admission.
Multiple media releases.
One press conference.

36. Case Studies

37. Case Study - Brenda
Brenda, a swimming PSA, signed an NLI with Coal State University.
Coal State takes out an 8 ½” x 11” glossy, color print ad in the newspaper to announce the signing.
The photo shows Brenda standing in front of a well-known landmark on campus.

38. Case Study – Brenda (continued)
Is this permissible?
No, Institutions are prohibited from purchasing or receiving commercial advertising (e.g., print, media or billboard) to be used to identify the PSA by name or picture.
If the photo was part of a press release and media guide would it be permissible?
Yes, however Brenda may not be provided the photo.

39. Case Study - Brandon
Brandon, a basketball PSA, is attending an institutional camp at Valley State University.
Valley State allows the general public to come and watch the final day of the camp.
Various media outlets attend and print several stories regarding Brandon.

40. Case Study – Brandon (continued)
Is this permissible?
Yes, the media was not provided any special access to areas of the camp that are not already available to the general public.
Additionally, the media was not specifically invited to the camp nor did any representative from the institution take part in the stories.
Bylaw
Official Interpretation 6/24/2009

41. Case Study – Dylan and Steve
Dylan, a PSA, is taking an official visit to Valley State University.
Dylan and his student-host Steve want to go to a concert at the After Dark using the $60 ($30 per day for 2 days) received for entertainment money.

42. Case Study – Dylan and Steve (continued)
Can the entire amount be spent in one day for the purchase of the tickets?
Yes, Dylan and Steve may use the entertainment money to purchase tickets for a concert.
Total amount of the concert tickets may not exceed $60.

43. Case Study - David
David, a diving PSA, makes an unofficial visit to California University.
Can Coach Nat take David to lunch at The Peach Pit, an off-campus facility, as long as David pays for himself?
No. Unless David is a senior PSA and it is a permissible contact period. The contact would have to count as one of the seven recruiting opportunities.

44. Case Study – David (continued)
Can Coach Nat instruct Ray, a diving SA at California, to take David to The Peach Pit instead?
No. Off-campus, in-person contact between an enrolled SA and a PSA is permissible only if it is unavoidable, incidental and not at the direction of a coach.

45. Case Study – Donna and Kelly
Donna, a junior PSA in field hockey, arrives at Melrose University to make an unofficial visit.
Melrose has practice at their off-campus artificial turf facility.

46. Case Study – Donna and Kelly (continued)
May Coach Kelly provide transportation for Donna to watch Melrose practice?
Yes, it is permissible to provide Donna with transportation to view practice sites in the PSA's sport and other institutional facilities.
An institutional staff member must accompany Donna.

47. Summary
Official Visits.
Unofficial Visits.
Publicity.
Case Studies.

48. Questions?