COMPLIANCE: BOOSTERS, ALUMNI, PARENTS & FANS
Welcome to University of Hawai‘i! The University of Hawai‘i is proud of its legacy in intercollegiate athletics. This letter comes to you as a part of a continuing effort to build upon that tradition. We are committed to the success of our students on and off the field or court, while also adhering to the appropriate National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules. The success of our athletic program is due in large part to your encouragement and support. This same support is important to our compliance efforts as well.
As an NCAA member, University of Hawai‘i is responsible for the actions of its "representatives of athletics interests," also known as boosters, donors, alum, faculty, staff, parents and fans. Once you become a representative of athletics interest you retain that designation forever. University of Hawai‘i appreciates your interest and support and reminds you that an inappropriate or inadvertent action on your part can jeopardize the eligibility of prospective and current student-athletes.
Below you will find basic information about the NCAA rules regarding the recruitment of prospective student-athletes and interaction with currently enrolled student-athletes. We encourage everyone to review this information and share it with others who support our programs.
The volume and complexity of the NCAA rules prohibit us from addressing all the possible scenarios. Therefore, we encourage you to contact Bill Bryant, Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance and Eligibility, with questions at any time at (808) 956-4509. By increasing the awareness of these guidelines within our community we can guarantee many years of the continued athletic success for which University of Hawai‘i is known.
Other Related links:
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
Western Athletic Conference (WAC)
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF)
College Home Pages
Collegiate Athletic Conferences
NCAA Affiliated Organizations
NCAA Rules: A Guide for Alumni & Friends (FAQs)
What is institutional control and compliance?
Who are representatives of athletics interests (boosters)?
What are permissible activities by boosters?
What is recruiting? Who can recruit?
What kind of interaction can I have with a current student-athlete?
Can I hire a student-athlete?
Can I use a University of Hawai‘i student-athlete to promote something?
What are the rules about sports agents and amateurism?
What about gambling? Can I bet on University of Hawai‘i, or on a student-athlete's behalf?
What is the Buckley Amendment? How does it affect a student-athlete's privacy?
WHAT IS INSTITUTIONAL CONTROL AND COMPLIANCE?
NCAA rules hold the institution responsible for all actions of its athletics representatives. Boosters involved in NCAA violations may lose benefits and privileges associated with the athletic program (e.g., season tickets or seating priority).WHO ARE REPRESENTATIVES OF ATHLETICS INTERESTS (BOOSTERS)?
Under NCAA rules, a "Representative of Athletics Interests (also known as a "Booster") is any individual who:- Made any type of contribution to the athletics department;
- Joined a University of Hawai‘i booster club (i.e., Warriors/Rainbows Club, ‘Ahahui Koa Ānuenue) or any sport specific support group;
- Provided benefits to prospective or enrolled student-athletes, or their families;
- Assisted, in any manner, in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes;
- Participated as a varsity athlete at University of Hawai‘i University;
- Is a parent or legal guardian of an enrolled student-athlete;
- Promoted the athletics program in any way.
- Notify our coaches about prospects in your area;
- Attend high school or two-year college athletic contests or other events where prospects may compete, but you MAY NOT contact the prospect, the prospect's relatives or coach;
- Continue existing friendships with families of prospects, but you MAY NOT attempt to recruit the prospect;
- Engage in permissible pre-enrollment activities with a prospect such as summer employment, provided the prospect has already signed a National Letter of Intent - notify University of Hawai‘i Compliance first!
- Have a phone conversation with a prospect about University of Hawai‘i in general ONLY if the call is initiated by the prospect. Such a call may not be prearranged by any University of Hawai‘i staff member or another Athletics Representative. All questions regarding the athletic department must be directed to the proper athletics department staff member.
WHAT ARE PERMISSIBLE ACTIVITIES BY BOOSTERS?
Affecting Prospective Student-Athletes- You CAN contact a student-athlete for the purpose of arranging summer employment after he/she has signed a National Letter of Intent (this does not include accepting offers of financial aid). Notify University of Hawai‘i Compliance first!
- You CAN provide a sport-specific coach with names or newspaper clippings of talented prospective student-athletes in your community.
- All picnics must be coordinated by and through the Warriors/Rainbows Club Office.
- PARENTS of a student-athlete(s) may provide an occasional (twice a semester) meal to a student-athlete(s) or an entire team
- STAFF MEMBERS may host a student-athlete(s) or an entire team at their home or on the main campus for a meal in the locale of the institution (30-mile radius) on an occasional basis (twice a semester).
- BOOSTERS (who are not parents of a student-athlete or staff members) may invite a enrolled student-athlete(s) or an entire team ONLY to your home for a meal (you may not take them to a restaurant). The meal, which may be catered, must be limited to infrequent and special occasions (twice a semester). Boosters are permitted to give a student-athlete transportation to their homes on these occasions (local transportation only). Please notify the Warriors/Rainbows Club office when you do invite a student-athlete for a home meal.
WHAT IS RECRUITING? WHO CAN RECRUIT?
A Prospective Student-Athlete ("Prospect") is any student who has started classes for the ninth grade OR any student (or student's relatives or friends) who has be contacted for recruitment purposes.Recruiting is ANY solicitation of a prospect or a prospect's relatives (legal guardians) by a University of Hawai‘i staff member or Athletic Representative/Boosters for the purpose of securing the prospect's enrollment and ultimate participation in the University of Hawai‘i program.
Actions by staff members or Athletics Representatives that cause a prospect to become "recruited" are:
- Providing the prospect with an official visit (any paid expense);
- Having an arranged, in-person, off-campus encounter with a prospect (his/her parents, relatives or legal guardians); or
- Initiating or arranging a telephone contact with the prospect (his/her parents, relatives or legal guardians) on more than one occasion for the purpose of recruitment.
- A Recruiting Contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospect (his/her parents or legal guardians), and a University staff member or Athletics Representative/Booster during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of greetings.
- Only coaches can be involved in the recruiting process. All boosters, alumni, friends, and other Athletics Representatives, who are not employed by the University, are prohibited from making contact (in-person, by phone, by fax, by letter, by email or instant messenger or internet chat room) with a prospective student-athlete for the purpose of encouraging participation in the University of Hawai‘i athletics program. You may, however, contact a coach to tell him about a student in your neighborhood.
- A prospective student-athlete remains a prospect even after he/she has signed a National Letter of Intent or financial aid letter to attend University of Hawai‘i. A prospect does not lose his/her prospect status until the start of classes at University of Hawai‘i or until the beginning of official team practice prior to the start of classes.
As an Athletics Representative/Booster, you may not provide a prospect with improper recruiting inducements, including but not limited to:
- Contacting a prospect's coach, principal or counselor in an effort to evaluate a prospect;
- Visiting a prospect's educational institution to pick up film or transcripts pertaining to the evaluation of a prospect's academic or athletic eligibility;
- Making special arrangements for entertaining a prospect on an official visit (e.g., providing donations, goods, services, or discounts).
In sports other than football and basketball, the coach may speak at a meeting or banquet (except for dead periods per Bylaw 13.02.4.4) at a prospective student-athlete's educational institution without using one of the institution's permissible contacts or evaluations, provided:
- The meeting or banquet is initiated and conducted by the educational institution;
- The coach does not make a recruiting presentation in conjunction with the appearance;
- The coach does not have any direct contact with any prospective student-athlete (or the prospective student-athlete's parents) in attendance; and
- The coach does not engage in any evaluation activities at the educational institution.
- During a Contact Period. In basketball, an institution's basketball coaching staff member, who speaks at a meeting or banquet at a prospective student-athlete's educational institution during the contact period, uses the institution's once-per-week visit to a prospective student-athlete's educational institution during a contact period and also uses an evaluation for all basketball prospective student-athletes at that educational institution. The coach does not use a contact, provided he or she does not make a recruiting presentation in conjunction with the appearance and has no direct contact with any prospective student-athlete (or the prospective student-athlete's parents) in attendance.
- Outside a Contact Period. A member of the basketball coaching staff may speak at a meeting or banquet outside the recruiting contact periods without such attendance being considered an evaluation or a visit to the high school (except for dead periods per Bylaw 13.02.4.4), provided: (Revised: 5/18/05)
- The meeting or banquet is initiated and conducted by the educational institution; (Adopted: 2/22/01)
- The coach does not make a recruiting presentation in conjunction with the appearance;
- The coach does not have direct contact with any prospective student-athlete in attendance; and
- The coach does not engage in any evaluation activities. (Revised: 9/9/98)
HOW CAN I INTERACT WITH A CURRENT STUDENT-ATHLETE?
In addition to regulating contact between Athletics Representatives/Boosters and prospects, the NCAA also regulates contact with current (enrolled) University of Hawai‘i student-athletes, their relatives and friends.An Enrolled Student-Athlete is a student who is presently participating in athletics or has completed his/her eligibility and is still enrolled at University of Hawai‘i.
An Extra Benefit is any special gift or arrangement provided to an enrolled student-athlete or a student-athlete's relative or friend which is not available to the general University of Hawai‘i student body. Extra benefit legislation may also apply to gifts or arrangements following the student-athlete's graduation.
Impermissible Extra Benefits (not a comprehensive list)
- Providing cash or loans in any amount, or signing or co-signing for loans.
- Providing special discounts or free goods and services (i.e., meals, event tickets, car, etc).
- Providing free rent or reduced rent, housing.
- Providing a special discount payment arrangement, or credit on a purchase or service.
- Allow student-athlete to use a telephone or credit card without charge or at a reduced cost.
- Serve as a "sponsor" or "family" for enrolled student-athletes.
- Providing an honorarium to a student-athlete for speaking engagement.
- Purchasing complimentary admissions from student-athletes.
CAN I HIRE A STUDENT-ATHLETE?
University of Hawai‘i is permitted to arrange employment for prospective student-athletes during the summer prior to their initial enrollment (provided they have signed a National Letter of Intent).The Department of Athletics must keep written records verifying employment of all student-athletes.
The following rules are applicable to student-athletes:
- Employers must receive prior approval before hiring any student-athletes.
- A student-athlete MAY NOT be hired based on his/her athletics reputation or ability;
- A student-athlete must be compensated only for work actually performed, and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in the locality for similar services.
- Transportation to work MAY NOT be provided to student-athletes by employer unless transportation is provided to all employees.
A student-athlete may receive compensation for teaching or coaching sport skills or techniques in his/her sport on a fee-for-lesson basis, provided:
- Institutional facilities CANNOT be used;
- To simply "play" against the student-athlete is NOT permitted (e.g., playing lessons);
- Documentation of the lessons must be on file with the Athletics Department;
- Compensation for the lessons must be paid by the recipient or recipient's family.
CAN I USE A UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I STUDENT-ATHLETE TO PROMOTE SOMETHING?
An individual shall not be eligible for participation in intercollegiate athletics if the individual accepts any payment for or permits the use of his/her name or picture to advertise, recommend or promote directly the sale or use of a commercial products or service of any kind.All charitable, educational and nonprofit promotional activities involving student-athletes must have prior approval from the Athletics Compliance Office.
WHAT ARE THE RULES ABOUT SPORTS AGENTS AND AMATEURISM?
A student-athlete loses their amateur status and shall not be eligible for intercollegiate competition in a particular sport if the student-athlete (or relative):- Makes a written or verbal agreement (for the student-athlete) with an agent (or anyone representing an agent) prior to the exhaustion of their eligibility;
- Receives benefits including meals, clothing or transportation from an agent (or representative of an agent);
- Competes with a professional sports team or competes as a professional in an individual sport and receives any compensation for participation;
- Uses his/her athletic skills for pay or promise of pay.
WHAT ARE THE RULES ABOUT GAMBLING? CAN I BET ON COLLEGE OR PROFESSIONAL SPORTS, OR ON A STUDENT-ATHLETE'S BEHALF?
Sports gambling is a national problem. University of Hawai‘i is very sensitive to the issues surrounding gambling.NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes or intercollegiate athletics staff members from placing bets (through organized means) on any sporting event, amateur or professional, in which the NCAA sponsors a championship. It is a violation of federal law to affect, or attempt to affect, the outcome of a collegiate contest. Additionally, it is not legal for anyone (student-athlete, coach, staff or booster) to provide information that can be used to bet on the outcome of a contest. It is impermissible for parents or any other individual to place a bet on behalf of a student-athlete.
WHAT IS THE BUCKLEY AMENDMENT? HOW DOES IT AFFECT A STUDENT'S PRIVACY?
All student-athletes are protected by federal legislation entitled the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, oftentimes referred to as The Buckley Amendment. All student-athletes are required to sign NCAA-sponsored forms verifying their awareness of their basic right to privacy.Under the Act, information pertaining to a student-athlete's education records (e.g., drug tests, financial aid, test scores, etc) . . . may not be divulged at any time without the consent of the student-athlete. This law prohibits disclosure by the University to ANYONE, including parents, without direct consent from the student-athlete.
