COMPLIANCE WEEKLY TOPICS
Weekly Compliance Topic #14 (Mar. 14, 2006)
This week's compliance topic concerns the NCAA's sanction on Ohio State University's men's basketball team. The NCAA placed the team on three years' probation for several violations that occurred during 1999-2002. Ohio State used an ineligible player during these seasons as well as provided two members of the team with impermissible benefits, including housing, cash and other inducements, from a representative of athletics interest. Ohio State must wipe out their records from four NCAA Tournament appearances--including their trip and banner to the 1999 Final Four. They must also repay the tournament revenues for the years of 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 which totals approximately $800,000. The men's basketball team also was penalized in a public reprimand and on-campus visits by recruits.
Weekly Compliance Topic #13 (Jan. 24, 2006)
Extra Benefits: What Every Parent of a Gonzaga University Student-Athlete Should Know
There are many topics relating to NCAA rules that you should be aware of as the parent of a Gonzaga University student-athlete. One of the areas that causes the greatest number of questions and concerns involve a student-athlete's or a family member's receipt of an "extra benefit". An extra benefit is considered the receipt of any gift by a student-athlete or a student-athlete's relative or friend at a free or reduced cost, or any special arrangement that is not available to the general public and all other students at Gonzaga University. The receipt of a benefit not authorized by NCAA regulations by a student-athlete or his/her parent(s) will immediately place in jeopardy the student-athlete's eligibility for intercollegiate athletics competition. Examples of an extra benefit would include any of the following:
1. Anything from an employee of Gonzaga University or a representative of the University's athletics interests (e.g., use of a car, hair cut, clothing, gifts, money, tickets for any kind of entertainment, payment of long distance telephone calls, lodging).
2. Free or reduced priced merchandise or services from any merchant unless that free or reduced cost item is also available to the general public at the same rate.
3. Meals provided to parents of a student-athlete by a representative of the University's athletics interests or an employee of Gonzaga University.
4. Special discount, payment arrangement or credit on a purchase (e.g., airline ticket, car rental).
5. Providing a loan of money that is not transacted using the established policies and practices of an accredited commercial lending institution. Moreover, the provision of a guarantee of bond or the signing or co-signing of a note to arrange a loan are other examples of prohibited benefits.
*Please direct approvals and any questions involving a booster to the compliance office, (509) 323-5700*
For more information on NCAA bylaws surrounding boosters, please click on Representatives of Athletic Interest
Weekly Compliance Topic #12 (Jan. 18, 2006)
Occasional Meal Policy regarding student-athletes
Spring semester is now in session and student-athletes are back in full swing. In regards to student-athletes, we would like to reiterate our occasional meal policy as a majority of our student-athletes find themselves away from home. Our policy states the following:
A student-athlete or an entire team may receive an occasional meal from a representative of athletics interests under the following conditions:
1. The meal must be in the booster's home (as opposed to a restaurant) and may be catered;
2. The representative may provide reasonable local transportation for student-athletes to attend the meal;
3. Meals are limited to infrequent and special occasions. Our compliance office defines occasional as not more than three meals per semester and not more than one meal in any month; and
4. The compliance office approves the occasional meal in advance.
*Please direct approvals and any questions involving a booster to the compliance office, (509) 323-5700*
For more information on NCAA bylaws surrounding boosters, please click on Representatives of Athletic Interest
Weekly Compliance Topic #11 (Jan. 10, 2006)
Little known bylaws concerning boosters and student-athletes:
Professional Sports Tickets
Complimentary tickets to professional sports contests shall not be provided to student-athletes, unless the tickets are provided by the institution (or by a representative of athletics interests through the institution) for entertainment purposes to student-athletes involved in an away-from-home contest. Under the latter circumstances, the institution may pay actual costs for reasonable entertainment that takes place during a team trip.
Luncheon Meeting Expenses
A student-athlete may accept transportation and meal expenses in conjunction with participation in a luncheon meeting of a booster club or civic organization, provided the meeting occurs within a 30-mile radius of the institution's main campus and no tangible award is provided to the student-athlete.
Entertainment Services
A student-athlete may not receive services (e.g., movie tickets, dinners, use of car) from commercial agencies (e.g., movie theaters, restaurants, car dealers) without charge or at reduced rates, or free or reduced-cost admission to professional athletics contests from professional sports organizations, unless such services also are available to the student body in general.
Before providing any benefits to student-athletes, please contact the compliance office at (509) 323-4043.
For more information on NCAA bylaws surrounding boosters, please click on Representatives of Athletic Interest
Weekly Compliance Topic #10 (Dec. 20, 2005)
Representatives of athletic interest (parent, alumni, booster, etc) should be aware of certain guidelines surrounding prospective student-athletes during official and unofficial visits. It is prohibited for a prospective student-athlete to have any contact with a representative of athletic interest. For example, on such visits it is impermissible for a booster to eat with a prospective student-athlete. Please remember that parents of current student-athletes are considered representatives of athletic interest. Any contact that occurs during a visit renders the prospect ineligible.
Weekly Compliance Topic #9 (Dec. 12, 2005)
The holiday season is upon us. As you are doing your holiday shopping, we would like to remind you of the rules regarding gifts and student-athletes. Student-athletes are unable to receive or accept gifts of any monetary value (i.e. food, clothing, money, tickets, etc.). If a student-athlete does accept an extra benefit, the student-athlete will become ineligible immediately. If you wish to support our student-athletes, contributions may be sent to the athletic department and may be earmarked for a specific team.
Weekly Compliance Topic #8 (Nov. 28, 2005)
This week's compliance topic concerns recent violations reported by the University of Kansas men's basketball team. A member of the team received impermissible benefits, including transportation, meals, lodging, gifts, and a personal loan, from a representative of athletics interest. The benefits began during his junior year in high school and continued into his freshman year at Kansas. The player is required to repay the full amount, approximately $5,000, to a charity of his choice and is ineligible for the first nine games this season. Further, the booster was disassociated from institution for a period of three years. Specifically, the institution revoked season ticket privileges, prohibited participation in the booster club, and ceased all relationships with Kansas student-athletes.
For more information on NCAA bylaws surrounding boosters, please click on Representatives of Athletic Interest.
Weekly Compliance Topic #7 (Mar. 23, 2005)
This week's compliance topic concerns benefits to former student-athletes. More specifically, the NCAA states that just because an athlete has exhausted his or her eligibility, he or she is not exempt from the extra benefit rule. In other words, after a student-athlete plays the last game as a senior, the athletic department and its boosters are not allowed to reward these former athletes with additional benefits even years later. The NCAA calls this the "cradle to grave" rule, and it is in place because coaches could use post-eligibility rewards as a means of recruiting top athletes, explaining that they cannot receive such benefits while a student-athlete but promising such gifts later.
Another institution was recently punished by the NCAA when it was discovered that a coach provided a free trip to six former student-athletes as a reward for their outstanding careers. Not only did each athlete have to donate the cost of the trip to a charity of their choice, approximately $730, but the institution lost a scholarship in that sport for the 2004-05 season. Further, the head coach was restricted from any off-campus recruiting activities.
Weekly Compliance Topic #6 (Mar. 15, 2005)
This week's compliance topic concerns sports wagering. With March Madness now upon us and both our men's and women's basketball teams in postseason play, I wanted to highlight the NCAA rules that strictly prohibit student-athletes and athletic department staff members from participating in any form of gambling activities involving intercollegiate and professional athletics. More specifically, student-athletes and athletic department staff members shall not:
1) Provide information to individuals involved in organized gambling activities concerning intercollegiate athletics competition;
2) Solicit a bet on any intercollegiate team;
3) Accept a bet on any team representing Gonzaga University;
4) Solicit or accept a bet on any intercollegiate competition for any item (e.g. cash, shirt, dinner) that has tangible value; or
5) Participate in any gambling activity that involves intercollegiate or professional athletics through a bookmaker, parlay card or any other method employed by organized gambling (including, but not limited to, brackets, pools, squares, fantasy leagues, friendly bets, auctions, bid, etc.)
Weekly Compliance Topic #5 (Mar. 9, 2005)
This week's compliance topic concerns student-athlete financial aid. Any student who receives financial aid other than that administered by the institution shall be ineligible for competition. The only exceptions are 1) aid received from someone the student is naturally or legally dependant, 2) aid awarded solely on bases having no relationship to athletics ability, 3) aid awarded through an established and continuing program of which athletics participation shall not be the major criterion, and 4) aid awarded through an established and continuing program for recognition of outstanding high-school graduates, of which athletics participation may be a major criterion. Individuals may contribute funds to finance a scholarship or grant-in-aid for a particular sport, but the decision as to how such funds are allocated shall rest exclusively with the institution. It is not permissible for a donor to contribute funds to finance a scholarship for a particular student-athlete
Weekly Compliance Topic #4 (Mar. 3, 2005)
This week's compliance topic is booster involvement in the recruiting process. Athletics department staff members and representatives of athletic interest always want to learn of new prospective student-athletes. However, strict guidelines exist which prohibit much of what you can do as a representative of the University's athletics interest. For instance, the NCAA prohibits boosters from making any in-person contact with recruits whether the contact occurs on or off Gonzaga's campus. Further, boosters are not allowed to correspond with a prospect or his/her family, and any form of recruiting inducement (i.e. money, loans, gifts, notoriety, and other impermissible benefits) is strictly forbidden. On the other hand, feel free to inform the athletic department of outstanding prospects in your area. Additionally, keeping in mind the above-mentioned contact restriction, boosters are certainly permitted to attend high school and junior college contests.
Weekly Compliance Topic #3 (Feb. 22, 2005)
This week's compliance topic highlights a recent booster violation that occurred. More specifically, a booster of more than twenty years was disassociated from the Athletic Department for a period of three years as a result of a string of secondary violations that involved extra benefits to student-athletes. Through the institutional investigative process, the booster admitted to providing free rounds of golf to several student-athletes at the local golf course where the booster was employed. Further, the booster admitted knowing the rules but using bad judgment. In addition to imposing the three-year ban on the booster, the institution was forced to declare the involved student-athletes ineligible, and they missed several contests.
Weekly Compliance Topic #2 (Feb. 15, 2005)
This week's compliance topic is transportation. As representatives the athletic interests of Gonzaga, the NCAA prohibits you from providing transportation to prospective student-athletes, current student-athletes, and the friends and relatives of prospects and athletes. "Providing transportation" includes, but is not limited to: transporting in your vehicle, allowing for use of your vehicle, paying expenses for any form of transportation (i.e. air, train, bus, taxi, car, etc.), and assisting in the arrangement of any form of transportation when the same assistance is not available to the general student body of Gonzaga.
Weekly Compliance Topic #1 (Feb. 8, 2005)
As representatives of the interests of Gonzaga Athletics (boosters), the NCAA prohibits you from providing extra benefits to prospects and student-athletes. An extra benefit is a special arrangement that is granted to student-athletes or their friends and families but not to other general Gonzaga students. If a student-athlete receives an extra benefit from a booster, his or her eligibility could be affected! Examples of extra benefits include loans or cosigning a loan, transportation, free or reduced-cost services, gifts, use of a car, and complimentary tickets and other forms of entertainment. Thanks for your continued support and if you have any questions, please contact the compliance office.
