Something VERY important for you recruiting junkies to know....

#1
g8terh8ter_eric

g8terh8ter_eric

No Disassemble!
Joined
Jan 13, 2005
Messages
26,985
Likes
686
#1
The rules of being a booster/fan of our university. This comes straight from the UT Compliance Office....

Who is a Representative of Athletic Interests (Booster/Donor)?
NCAA rules indicate that all alumni, friends, and employees of the University are categorized as "representatives of athletics interests". The NCAA stipulates that once an individual has been identified as a representative or "booster/donor" of the University's athletics programs, he or she retains this status forever even if the individual is no longer associated with the athletics program. Furthermore, the NCAA states that it is possible to be a representative of athletics interest at more than one university at the same time.

A representative of athletics interests is anyone who has ever:

  • made any type of contribution to the athletics department or to a booster club
  • joined the institution's booster club or any sport specific support group
  • provided or helped arrange employment for a student-athlete
  • provided benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families
  • assisted in any manner in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes
  • promoted the institution's athletics program in any manner.
  • purchased season tickets from the University.
As a representative of athletics interests (booster/donor), you may not:
  • contact a prospect's coach, principal or counselor in an effort to evaluate a prospect
  • visit the prospect's institution to pick up film or transcripts pertaining to the evaluation of the prospect's academic eligibility or athletic ability
  • contact a prospect, his/her parents, legal guardians or spouse on or off campus
  • contact a prospect by telephone or by letter
  • make special arrangements for entertainment for recruiting purposes
  • provide extra benefits to a prospect, student -athlete at UT or another institution or to the parents, family and/or guardians of the prospects or student athlete's.
Who is a Prospective Student-Athlete? NCAA rules stipulate that a prospective student-athlete is a person who has started classes for the ninth (9th) grade, regardless of his/her athletics ability and /or participation.

  • A prospective student-athlete remains a prospect even after he or she has signed a National Letter of Intent or accepts an offer of financial aid to attend an institution.
  • The prospect remains a prospect until he/she reports for the first day of classes for a regular term (fall or spring) or the first official day of practice (whichever comes first).
Don't forget about the Transfer Student! As a representative of athletics interest you are not permitted to contact any student-athlete or the family member/guardian of a student-athlete who is or has enrolled at another institution for the purposes of recruiting and/or to determine the possibility of transferring to UT. The same rules apply to these students as they do for prospective student-athletes.

What is an "Extra Benefit"?
The NCAA defines an extra benefit as any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution's athletics interest ("booster/donor") to provide a student-athlete (or a student-athlete's relative or friend) a benefit that is not generally available to other UT students and their relative and/or friends. Therefore, please be aware of the following:

  • A student-athlete cannot accept anything from an employee of UT or athletic booster/donor (e.g., use of a car, hair cut, clothing, gifts, money, tickets for any kind of entertainment, payment of long distance telephone calls).
  • A student-athlete cannot accept free or reduced cost room and/or board from any UT employee or booster/donor of UT's athletic programs. This includes in on or off campus, in the student-athlete's home city or any other location. This would preclude a student-athlete from "house sitting" without paying rental costs at a comparable rate for similar housing in that locale.
  • A student-athlete may not accept free or reduced cost storage room for personal belongings for the summer months from any UT employee or booster/donor of UT's athletic programs.
  • A student-athlete cannot accept free or reduced merchandise or services from any merchant unless that free or reduced cost item is also available to the general public.
  • A student-athlete cannot eat at a restaurant as the guest of an athletic booster/donor or an employee of UT.
  • On infrequent, special occasions (e.g., a birthday, Thanksgiving, etc.), a student-athlete may accept an invitation to the home of an employee of UT or an athletic booster/donor for a meal.
  • A student-athlete cannot use a Department of Athletics copy machine, fax machine or make long distance phone calls using departmental equipment or the long distance access code of an employee of UT or athletic booster/donor.
  • Members of the Department of Athletics staff or an athletic booster/donor are not permitted to type reports, papers, letters, etc., for a student-athlete.
  • A student-athlete cannot receive a special discount, payment arrangement or credit on a purchase (e.g., airline ticket, clothing), or service (e.g., laundry, dry cleaning) from an employee of UT or an athletic booster/donor.
  • An UT employee or a booster/donor cannot provide a student-athlete with a loan of money, a guarantee of bond, the use of an automobile or the signing or co-signing of a note to arrange a loan, or pay or provide other compensation for work not performed or at unreasonable levels for work performed.
  • An UT employee may provide a student-athlete only reasonable and occasional local (i.e., within a 30 mile radius of the UT campus) transportation. However, an UT employee may not utilize a University vehicle for purposes of assisting a student-athlete's move from one residence to another.
What are the consequences of NCAA violations?
  • A currently enrolled student-athlete being declared ineligible to participate.
  • The eligibility of a prospective student-athlete(s) being jeopardized.
  • Violations of NCAA regulations and sanctions placed on the University and the athletics programs.
What are the consequences to athletic representatives (boosters/donors) for NCAA violations? The University of Tennessee is required by the NCAA to notify boosters of consequences regarding rules violations. Boosters found in violation of NCAA rules are subject to losing benefits and privileges, including but not limited to disassociation from the University of Tennessee and/or loss of ticket privileges.
 
#3
#3
BigOrangeCrush32 said:
So 2 sum it up

Booster=Bad

Fans=Good

:)

GoVols
Posted via VolNation Mobile
Click to expand...

What do you think a fan is?? Have you bought tickets lately?? A fan is a booster, unless they have nothing to do with UT and then they wouldn't be a fan or a booster.
 
Last edited:
#4
#4
To sum it up, don't facebook recruits. Don't post on their myspace. Don't contact their coaches.
 
#6
#6
No it means when ever the NCAA updates its rules to the 21st century everyone talking ot these kids on facebook will be a no no. Honestly you shouldnt talk to these kids anyway.

You will not seal the deal for UT by sending videos and "cool" emails. Honestly its sad that people bother kids all the time. I relize people will come on and say that if they didnt want to be talked to they would close the account or something but the kid is 15-18 and they dont realize what they are getting into when they accept 90,000 friendship request.

People need to leave it up to the coaches to recruit and the PRESS to get news updates. All in all stop myspacing(your lame to be on this anyways) and facebooking. Its just creepy and wrong.
 
#8
#8
bwilli40 said:
No it means when ever the NCAA updates its rules to the 21st century everyone talking ot these kids on facebook will be a no no. Honestly you shouldnt talk to these kids anyway.

You will not seal the deal for UT by sending videos and "cool" emails. Honestly its sad that people bother kids all the time. I relize people will come on and say that if they didnt want to be talked to they would close the account or something but the kid is 15-18 and they dont realize what they are getting into when they accept 90,000 friendship request.

People need to leave it up to the coaches to recruit and the PRESS to get news updates. All in all stop myspacing(your lame to be on this anyways) and facebooking. Its just creepy and wrong.
Click to expand...

More in detail, but correct never the less.
 
#10
#10
Every member needs to have to esign a copy saying they understand the rules. If you are caught breaking them by facebook or myspace stalking a recruit, then you should be banned from this site.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#12
#12
I think the NCAA is getting ready to update these rules so as to enforce them better and challenge colleges to police their own fan/booster base better. The problem in the past is the NCAA has not been able to confirm what was said between fan/booster and the prospect. But I remeber several stories where these fans were not allowed to attend games and season ticket holders loosing their season tickets because of this. The problem today is that sites like facebook where people can talk via the Wall, those conversations are public. So others can read them if they are on a friends lists. That will give the NCAA the evidence they need, but if chatting online or via phone there is not much they can do.

I believe it was a PAC-10 school that ran into this problam a few years ago. Some fans posted it on a board like this that they had spoken with the prospect. The NCAA wasn't concerned about what was said, because they really had no proof, but because there were some other concerns about the prospect and the fans lost their ticket privilages to all sports at that school. Remember you can also make the prospect ineligible from accepting a scholship at your school.

Again just be careful. Also remember an athlete becomes a prospect when they start their freshman year and all rules involing recruitment of that prosect starts.
 
#13
#13
One problem with this, is what is to stop me from posing as a big Alabama fan and talking up recruits trying to influence them to go to Tuscaloosa? It'd be very easy to get other rival schools in trouble.
 
#14
#14
The NCAA has never enforced any rules in regards to online recruiting. Just look at the whole UK/Patrick Patterson recruitment. He was receiving thousands of messages and comments a day from UK fans begging him to go there. There were even articles written about what was happening.

If the NCAA lets UK fans get away with doing that, how can they justify punishing another school for doing virtually the same thing?

Bottom line is it is way too easy online for a fan to pretend to be a fan of a rival school and attempt to get them into trouble by being on these kids pages.

My guess is it is something that will never be enforced.
 
#15
#15
IPorange said:
One problem with this, is what is to stop me from posing as a big Alabama fan and talking up recruits trying to influence them to go to Tuscaloosa? It'd be very easy to get other rival schools in trouble.
Click to expand...

Exactly. That is why I dont think it is something the NCAA will ever seriously enforce.
 
#16
#16
Not important. The NCAA requires so much more than facebooking to get you in trouble. Reggie Bush anyone?

Patrick Patterson was a good example. You guys are hilarious if you think that playing amateur reporter by a Volnation poster is going to make a prospect ineligible.

Bottom line, envelopes of cash=probation.
Facebook = nothing.

The NCAA rules= Insane

The only thing more idiotic is the new SEC rules about taking pictures etc. I will break them, so will most fans and the SEC is disgusting to try to tell me what I can do on my blackberry at a game where I paid for my tickets.
 
#17
#17
IPorange said:
One problem with this, is what is to stop me from posing as a big Alabama fan and talking up recruits trying to influence them to go to Tuscaloosa? It'd be very easy to get other rival schools in trouble.
Click to expand...

You beat me to it, IPOrange . . . I was just in the middle of making out a $1.00 check to the University of Alabama Elephant Athletic Scholarship Fund (or whatever) . . .
 
#18
#18
I think once they can do it they will, but right now they do not have the capability. I doubt very seriously that if I came on VN as a UT fan and said I am recruiting a player for UT because I know someone that knows him, that if the NCAA asks VN for my contact info and IP address that VN would tell them no. It is not hard to get the info and track down that person and then investigate who they might be. If the info is bogus and they are using a cyber cafe than no info and the NCAA can't do anything about it. Only if they have concrete info will they and they will always take their time to determine if something happened. Look at USC and R Bush. They have info and still are investigating.

The point is as stupid as the NCAA appears to be at times, they understand situations like a rival fan will happen. I think if the NCAA ever does anything about it, it will be more concerned if the prospect feels they are being harrassed or stalked. A fan really doesn't make that big of a recruitment deal for a prospect. All prospects realize most schools, especially the SEC, have huge fan bases and will want them. The only time the NCAA needs to be concerned is when the fan adds something to the recruitment package to entice the prospect. I would be more concerned as a fan if other fans were stalking prospects. Like some have said it is creepy and would be afraid it moght turned them off on the school. I think they may have more of a negative impact than a positive in regards to helping get a recruit to a school.

Remeber the movie The Fan with Snipes and De Niro.
 
#19
#19
Montrell Hardy said:
The NCAA has never enforced any rules in regards to online recruiting. Just look at the whole UK/Patrick Patterson recruitment. He was receiving thousands of messages and comments a day from UK fans begging him to go there. There were even articles written about what was happening.

If the NCAA lets UK fans get away with doing that, how can they justify punishing another school for doing virtually the same thing?

Bottom line is it is way too easy online for a fan to pretend to be a fan of a rival school and attempt to get them into trouble by being on these kids pages.

My guess is it is something that will never be enforced.
Click to expand...

It's coming. Trust me. :good!:
 
#23
#23
g8terh8ter_eric said:
If you say so. I've heard otherwise. Plus, communication is communication, electronic or otherwise.
Click to expand...

You can't do it, Eric. You can't police a social networking site anymore than you can go to a school and stop a recruits classmates from trying to talk them into going to Home State U.
 
#24
#24
Sabanocchio said:
You can't do it, Eric. You can't police a social networking site anymore than you can go to a school and stop a recruits classmates from trying to talk them into going to Home State U.
Click to expand...

You can, and they will in the future. You can get someone's IP address if need be and find out many things about someone if you are the Compliance Office. I don't know when it's going to start, but it will happen. They can't live by dinosaur laws much longer.
 
#25
#25
g8terh8ter_eric said:
You can, and they will in the future. You can get someone's IP address if need be and find out many things about someone if you are the Compliance Office. I don't know when it's going to start, but it will happen. They can't live by dinosaur laws much longer.
Click to expand...

You've lost your mind.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top