Guidelines for Prospects and Their Families
Compliance with NCAA rules is a never-ending process that requires diligence on the part of both the Department of Athletics and Tennessee Tech as a whole. Below is a brief summary of the basic issues that you may be faced with as a prospective student-athlete.
1. You become a prospective student-athlete if you have started classes for the ninth grade. Before the ninth grade, you become a prospective student-athlete if the college provides you (or your relatives or friends) any financial aid or other benefits that the college does not provide to prospective students generally. In the sport of men's basketball, you become a prospective student-athlete if you have started classes for seventh grade.
2. A "representative of an institution's athletics interests" (commonly referred to as a booster) is defined by the NCAA as anyone who:
* Is now, or previously been, a member of any organization promoting the institution's intercollegiate athletics program;
* Has made a financial contribution to the athletics program or an athletics booster organization;
* Has helped arrange any employment for a student-athlete;
* Has been involved, in any way, in the promotion of the athletics program.
* Assisted or has been requested by an Athletics staff member to assist in recruitment.
3. Please be aware that any former Tennessee Tech student is automatically considered a representative of Tennessee Tech's athletics interests (booster). According to NCAA rules, once an individual is identified as a booster, he/she retains that status forever.
4. You become a "recruited" prospective student-athlete at a particular college if any coach or booster solicits you or your family for the purpose of securing your enrollment and participation in intercollegiate athletics. Activities by coaches or boosters that trigger recruited status are:
* Paying some or all of your expenses during a visit to campus (known as an "official" visit);
* Arranging an in-person, off-campus encounter with you or your parent(s) or legal guardian; or
* Initiating or arranging a telephone contact with you, your family or guardian on more than one occasion for the purpose of recruitment.
5. A booster may not solicit your enrollment in any manner (no phone calls, letters or in-person encounters).
6. You (or your family) may not receive any benefit, inducement or arrangement such as cash, clothing, cars, improper expenses, transportation, gifts or loans to encourage you to sign a National Letter of Intent or to attend an NCAA school.
7. A "contact" is any face-to-face encounter between you or your parent(s) or legal guardian and an institutional staff member or athletic representative during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of greeting.
8. Phone calls to you from faculty members and coaches (but not boosters) are permitted beginning July 1 (Sept. 1 for football) after completion of your junior year. In addition, football coaches may call a prospect or the prospect's family once during the month of May during the prospect's junior year. A college coach or faculty member is limited to one telephone call per week to you (or your parents or legal guardians). Unlimited calls to you (or your parents or legal guardians) may be made under the following circumstances:
* During the five days immediately before your official visit by the university you will be visiting;
* On the day of a coach's off-campus contact with you;
* During the time beginning with the initial National Letter of Intent signing date in your sport through the two days after the signing date; and
* In the sport of football only, during the permissible off-campus contact periods and during the 48 hours prior to and 24 hours after 5 a.m. on the initial signing date for the National Letter of Intent. Coaches also may accept collect calls, and universities are permitted to utilize a toll-free number to receive telephone calls from you (or your parents or legal guardians) on or after July 1 after completion of your junior year.
* In the sport of men's basketball, one call per month after June 15 following sophomore year; two times per week after July 31 preceding senior year.
* In the sport of women's basketball, the following limits apply:
During junior year:
One call in April after completion of Women's Final Four
One call in May
One call June 1 through 20
One call June 21 through 30
Three calls in July following junior year.
9. Letters to you from coaches and faculty members (but not boosters) are permitted beginning Sept. 1 at the beginning of your junior year in high school. A Division I university may provide you with the following printed materials:
* General correspondence, including letters, U.S. Postal Service postcards and institutional note cards;
* Game programs which may not include posters and one Student-Athlete Handbook;
* NCAA educational information;
* Pre-enrollment information subsequent to signing a National Letter of Intent with the university;
* One athletic publication (media guide or recruiting brochure);
* Official academic, admissions and student services publications published or videotapes produced by the institution and available to all students;
* Schedule and business cards;
* Questionnaires which may be provided prior to your junior year; and
* Camp brochures which may be provided prior to your junior year.
* In the sport of men's basketball, general correspondance begins July 15 following sophomore year.
10. An "evaluation" is any off-campus activity designed to assess your academic qualifications or athletic ability, including any visit to your high school (during which no contact occurs) or the observation of any practice or competition in which you participate.
This page was developed as a quick-reference guide to provide a basic understanding of NCAA rules. It is not all-inclusive, but rather a tool to help you avoid inadvertent involvement in a violation of NCAA legislation. We encourage you to always ASK BEFORE YOU ACT.
Please contact Frank Harrell, the Tennessee Tech Compliance Coordinator, if you have any questions at (931) 372-3939.
The Role of Boosters in the
Recruiting of Student-Athletes
Per NCAA regulations, only coaches and athletics department staff members are permitted to be directly involved in the recruiting process. Boosters are not permitted to contact a prospect or his/her family by telephone, letter or in person (on- or off-campus) for the purpose of encouraging participation in the Tech athletics program. These regulations apply to Athletic Foundation members, alumni, season-ticket holders (past or current) and anyone who has ever donated money to the Tech athletics program.
If you find yourself in a conversation with a prospect or his/her relative(s) and the topic turns to the Tech athletics program, politely explain that NCAA regulations don't permit you to discuss this with them, and direct their questions to the Tech coach in that sport or another staff member.
NCAA Regulations DO permit the following:
* Contacting a Tech coach regarding any prospect that you feel would be a worthy addition to the university and its athletics program.
* Attendance at public functions where prospects may be (such as high school banquets).
* Forwarding newspaper articles regarding prospects to Tech coaches.
* Continuing existing relationships with families that include children of prospect age.
NCAA Regulations DO NOT permit the following:
* Providing a prospect, his/her family or friends with any benefit or special arrangement, including (but not limited to):
- transportation;
- meals;
- admission to an athletics event;
- costs incurred to attend Tech camp;
- entertainment;
- costs incurred to visit campus;
- free services or discounts;
- gifts or awards.
* Contacting a prospect's coach, principal or counselor for the purpose of evaluating the prospect; picking up films or transcripts from the prospect's high school, prep school or junior college.
* Assisting in arrangements for a prospect's future financial aid.
* Entertaining or providing tickets to a high school, prep school or junior college coach.
Remember that this is not an all-inclusive list, so please ASK BEFORE YOU ACT
Please contact Frank Harrell, the Tennessee Tech Compliance Coordinator, if you have any questions at (931) 372-3939.
If you are interested in becoming a student-athlete at Tennessee Tech, please visit the Prospective Student Athlete Information page located on each individual sport, and tell us about yourself.
