Compliance

Compliance Database

Adams State

is committed to absolute compliance with all NCAA and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference rules and regulations. Institutional control of athletics is a fundamental principle of NCAA legislation. It requires each institution to conduct its intercollegiate athletics programs in accordance with the rules and regulations of the NCAA. This responsibility includes ensuring that coaches, staff, and other groups representing the insitution's athletics interest comply with all applicable rules. As a result, it is important for prospects, fans, and alumni to have some understanding of the principles governing college athletics. Below are a few definitions and rules that apply to all athletic boosters.

NCAA DEFINITIONS REPRESENTATIVE OF ATHLETICS INTERESTS (BOOSTER)
A "representative of athletics interests" (booster) is any indiviudal or group that has ever:

• Been a member of an organization promoting Adams State athletics.
• Contributed to the Athletics Department or its booster organizations.
• Assisted in evaluating or recruiting prospective student-athletes.
• Provided benefits to prospective student-athletes, enroled student-athletes or family members.
• Otherwise promoted the Adams State athletics program.

Keep in mind that is very easy to meet one or more of these criteria and once you become an athletics representative, you retain this status FOREVER!

PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETE
A "prospect" is a high school student that has started classes for the ninth grade and alo any junior college student. A student that has not started classes for the ninth grade becomes a prospect if the student receives any beneftis that the institution does not provide to all prospective students in general. An individual remains a prospect until he or she starts classes at ASC or reports for practice, whichever occurs first.

STUDENT-ATHLETE
A "student-athlete" is a student whose enrollment was solicited by an athletics staff member with the expectation that the student would participate in athletics. A student not solicited by an athletics staff member becomes a student-athlete when he or she joins an intercollegiate team or reports for practice.

RECRUITING
"Recruiting" is any solicitation of a prospect or the prospect's family by an authorized institutional staff member for the purpose of securing the prospect's enrollment at ASC and participation in athletics. Athletics representatives may not be involved in the recruitment of prospects except as outlined in the following section.

CONTACT
A "contact" is any face-to-face encounter between a prospect or the prospect's parent or legal guardian and an institutional staff member or athletics representative during which the institution's athletic interests are discussed. An unavoidable incidental contact occurs provided the contact is not prearranged by the representative or an athletics department staff member and is not made for the purpose of the recruitment of the prospective student-athlete and involves only normal activity.

Guidelines and Reminders for Boosters

• A booster may not contact a prospect, prospect's family, friends, coach or school administrator in an attempt to evaluate or recruit the prospect.
• A booster may not expend funds to entertain or provide transportation for a prospect or the prospect's family or friends.
• A booster may not write, make phone calls, or otherwise communicate with a prospect or the prospect's family or friends for recruiting purposes.
• A booster may not contribute funds to a prospect's high school or club team as a form of recruiting inducement or if solicited to do so by a collegiate coach.
• A booster may attend a prospect's athletic events without contacting the prospect or his/her family.
• A booster may send recommendation letters and newspaper clippings about a prospect in their area to ASC's coaches.
• A booster may continue a pre-existing relationship with a prospect and his/her famly as long as the relationship pre-dated the prospect's recruitment or notoriety as an athlete and the nature of the relationship is not enhanced after his/her notoriety as an athlete. Such a relationship may not be for recruiting purposes.
• A booster may host a current student-athlete or an entire team in their home for a meal, but only on an occasional basis.
• A booster may provide a job for a student-athlete, but the job responsibilities must be ligitimate and the pay commensurate for the task.

GUIDELINES FOR EXTRA BENEFITS
An "extra benefit" is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or athletics representative to provide a prospect, a student-athlete or his or her family with a benefit not exressly authorized by the NCAA. Boosters may not provide any special arrangement considered to be an extra benefit. Examples of extra benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Gifts of money, awards or other tangible items.
• Use of vehicles or payment of transportation costs incurred by prospect, their relatives or friends.
• Free or reduced housing arrangments.
• Promise of employment after graduation or employment of prospect's relatives or friends.
• Special discounts or payment arrangements.

RECRUITING GUIDELINES FOR PROSPECTS LETTERS AND NOTES
Coaches may begin to write notes and letters to prospects beginning September 1 of their junior year in high school (September 15 after sophmore year for men's basketball prospects).

PHONE CALLS

• Prospect Calling: A coach may receive a call initiated by a prospect and paid for by the prospect at any time, including the prospect's freshman or sophomore years. Prospects may call coaches collect at any time.
• Football: Coaches may call a prospect at their discretion during a contact period fater June 15 in the summer preceding his senior year.
• Men's Basketball: Coaches may call a prospect at their discretion during a contact period after June 15 in the summer preceding his senior year.
• Women's Basketball: Coaches may call a prospect at their discretion during a contact period after June 15 in the summer preceding her senior year.
• Other Sports: Coaches may call a prospect at their discretion during a contact period after June 15 in the summer preceding his or her senior year.

UNOFFICIAL VISITS
There are no limits on the number of unofficial (unpaid) visits to ASC a prospect may make and no age restriction on who may make unofficial visits. At each unofficial visit, a prospect may receive three (3) complimentary admissions to a home athletic event. No other expenses may be paid by ASC. At certain times of the year, unofficial visits are prohibited so please coordinate your visit with the coaching staff.

OFFICIAL VISITS
A prospect may only make a total of five official (paid) visits and only one official visit to Adams State. A prospect may not make an official visit until the first day of classes of their senior year (January 1 of junior year for men's basketball prospects). All official visits will be coordinated by the coaching staffs.

For further information regarding NCAA rules, please contact the Athletic Compliance Office at 719-587-8335 or by mail at 208 Edgemont Blvd., Alamosa, CO 81101.