INSTITUTIONAL CONTROL
Institutional control of Athletics is a fundamental requirement of NCAA rules. The NCAA Constitution provides that each institution shall be responsible for ensuring that student-athletes, members of the institution's staff and other individuals or groups that represent the institution's athletics interests comply with all applicable NCAA regulations.
This information is intended to provide you with basic information concerning NCAA rules that apply to a booster, a.k.a. "Representative of the Institution's Athletics Interests." It highlights NCAA and Conference regulations concerning situations encountered by alumni, faculty and friends of The University of Texas of the Permian Basin.
If a booster becomes aware of a rules violation, he/she should contact the Compliance Office (Narita Holmes or Erin Bohn) or the Athletic Director's Office (Scott Farmer) to report and/or discuss the information pertinent to the violation. If the athletic representative wishes to remain anonymous, he/she can contact the Compliance Office or Athletic Director's Office to provide information without giving a name.
Because of the complexity of NCAA rules, this document does not include all applicable situations and should not be relied upon exclusively. We need your help complying with these rules.
If you have any questions about recruits or current student-athletes, please direct your inquiries to:
Scott Farmer
UTPB Athletics
4901 East University
Odessa, TX 79762
432-552-2675
aicinena_s@utpb.edu
Who is a "Booster?"
A "booster" is known in NCAA terms as a "representative of the institution's athletics interests." You become a booster if:
- You have ever been a member of any organization promoting UTPB Athletics,
- You have ever made any type of donation to the Falcon Athletic Club, UTPB Athletics or any other UTPB booster organization,
- You have ever assisted in evaluating or recruiting prospective student-athletes,
- You have ever assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families,
- You have promoted UTPB Athletics in any other manner.
NCAA Bylaw 13.02.11.1 mandates that when you become a booster, you retain that identity for the rest of your life. As a representative of UTPB's athletics interests, you are bound by NCAA rules. UTPB is responsible for your actions.
What is a Prospect?
A prospective student-athlete (or "prospect") is a student in the ninth grade or above. Prospects include students in prep schools and junior colleges and individuals who have officially withdrawn from four-year schools. Any student not yet in the ninth grade becomes a prospect if an institution provides him/her with any financial aid or other benefits that are not generally provided to prospective students.
A prospective student-athlete remains a prospect even after committing to or signing a National Letter of Intent with UTPB or any institution, and both the institution and the prospect continue to be governed by the NCAA recruiting legislation regarding prospects until the prospect reports for regular squad practice or the prospect attends his/her first day of classes in any regular term.
A Booster may...
View a prospect's athletics contest on his or her own initiative, subject to the understanding that the athletics representative may not contact the prospect on such occasions.
Continue to have contact with established family friends or neighbors, provided it is understood that such contacts cannot be made for recruiting purposes and cannot be initiated or arranged by UTPB coaching staff members.
o In addition, the established relationship between the booster and the prospect must have occurred prior to the friend or neighbor becoming a prospect.
Have on-campus contact and written communications (after September 1 of the prospect's junior year in high school) per Bylaw 13.01.5.
o Recruiting contacts by representatives during a prospective student-athlete's official visit are confined to campus.
Have a telephone conversation with a prospect ONLY if the prospect initiates the call.
o Such a call may not be prearranged by an institutional staff member and the athletic representative may NOT have a recruiting conversation, but may exhibit normal civility.
o The athletic representative must refer any questions about the University's athletic program to the Athletic Department.
Contact a prospective student-athlete to discuss a summer job, provided the prospect has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend UTPB.
o A prospective student-athlete may not be employed until the completion of his/her senior year in high school. Any such contact must receive prior approval from the Athletic Department.
o When a prospect is employed, he/she must be paid only for work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality for similar services.
Bring to UTPB's attention outstanding prospects from the representative's local area. However, boosters may not get involved in the actual evaluation of the talent of a prospect.
Provide a current student-athlete or whole team with an occasional meal.
o The meal can be provided at the booster's home, on campus or at a facility that is regularly used for home competition and may be catered.
o The meal is restricted to infrequent or special occasions.
o The booster who is hosting the meal and UTPB staff may provide transportation to student-athletes.
o Please approve such a meal with the appropriate coach and have the coach turn in an Occasional Meal Form to the Compliance Office.
A Booster may NOT...
Contact a prospect's coach, principal or counselor in an attempt to evaluate the prospect.
Visit a prospect's educational institution to pick up film/videotape or transcripts pertaining to the evaluation of the prospect's academic eligibility or athletics ability.
Make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts or telephone calls (or texts) with a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's relatives or legal guardians.
o An unavoidable incidental contact with a prospect is permissible provided the contact is not prearranged by the athletic representative or an Athletic Department staff member, does not take place on the grounds of the prospect's educational institution or at the sites of organized competition and practice involving the prospect or the prospect's team, is not made for the purpose of recruitment of the prospect, and involves only a normal greeting.
o Even if the purpose of the call is only to congratulate the prospect on committing or signing with UPB, he/she is still a prospect and the same contact rules apply after committing or signing that applied before. Telephone calls are still not permitted.
Contact an enrolled student-athlete from another collegiate institution for the purpose of recruiting.
Provide prospective or current student-athletes (and their relatives or friends) with any type of inducement, gift, or extra benefit.
o Types of inducements that are prohibited include, but are not limited to the following:
Cash or loans;
Promise of employment after college education;
Involvement in arrangement for free or reduced charges for professional or personal services, purchases or charges;
Use of an automobile;
Providing transportation to or from a summer job or to any other site;
Signing or co-signing a note for a loan;
Gifts of any kind;
Purchases of items or services from a prospect or the prospect's family at inflated prices;
Providing directly or indirectly transportation to enroll in classes;
Any financial aid other than that administered by UTPB;
Free or reduced cost housing arrangements;
Arrangement for or payment of transportation costs incurred by relatives or friends of a prospective student-athlete;
Entertainment of a prospect or prospect's family on or off campus;
Benefits connected with on or off campus housing (e.g., television sets or stereo equipment, specialized recreational facilities);
Tickets or admission to an athletic, institutional or community event; educational expenses (e.g., typing costs, course supplies, use of a copy machine); or
Registration fees for summer sports camps.
Accompany a UTPB coach when he/she visits a local high school campus.
Reimburse the coach of a prospect for expenses incurred in transporting a prospect to visit campus.
Use the name of picture of an enrolled student-athlete to advertise, recommend, or promote any product or service of any kind.
Gambling and Boosters
NCAA rules prohibit all student-athletes, coaches and staff (including those outside of the athletics departments who have oversight over athletics) from wagering on any practice or competition, at any level, involving a sport sponsored by the NCAA. This means that the prohibition covers not only, for example, wagering on the NCAA basketball tournament, but also, for example, wagering on professional football, since both football and basketball are sports sponsored by the NCAA.
What is considered "wagering"?
Any time you put something at risk -- an entry fee, an amount of money, dinner, even a t-shirt - with the opportunity to win something in return, it is considered a wager under NCAA rules.
The NCAA definition of gambling includes any pools or bracket contests that involve an entry fee and have a prize for the winner OR any fantasy leagues that involve an entry fee and a prize for the winner.
NCAA rules also prohibit student-athletes, coaches and staff from sharing information about injuries, disciplinary actions or similar issues involving athletics teams with anyone known to be involved in gambling.
UTPB is committed to upholding NCAA regulations in the area of gambling. Sports wagering is an issue which affects not only the integrity of sports, but also the well being of our student-athletes. Gambling is damaging to an individual's financial and emotional well being, as well as being illegal in most states. The athletics departments have made educating our student-athletes about the dangers of gambling a point of emphasis.
Given the seriousness of this issue, the NCAA's penalties for gambling are severe. For example, NCAA rules state that student-athletes who are found to have engaged in activities such as point shaving or having bet on contests at their own institutions can be ruled permanently ineligible to compete in collegiate athletics.
If you have questions about the NCAA's gambling rules, please contact the Compliance Office!
If you are concerned that you may have a gambling problem, please contact the 24 Hour Confidential National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
