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Lewis & Clark College

Pioneer Athletics Club Compliance

 

 

Pioneer Athletics Club

Compliance with NCAA regulations is the responsibility of everyone involved with Lewis & Clark athletics. Upholding the integrity of our program and ensuring rules compliance is a shared responsibility of the athletic department, its student-athletes, institutional staff members as well as individuals and groups representing the Pioneer athletics interests. Institutional control and oversight in operations of the athletic program as guided by the NCAA and the Northwest Conference is a founding principle of our athletics program.

The following information provides PAC members and other representatives of the L&C athletic interest’s guidelines regarding interaction with prospective and enrolled Pioneer student-athletes.

Who is a representative of L&C Athletics interests?

A "representative of L&C athletics interests” or “booster” is an individual who is known (or who should have been known) by a member of the institution's executive or athletics administration to:

  • You have participated in or to be a member of an agency or organization Lewis & Clark’s intercollegiate athletics program.
  • You have made financial contributions to the L&C athletics department or  the athletics booster organization at L&C.
  • You currently are assisting or to have been requested (by the athletics department staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes.
  • You currently are assisting or to have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families.
  • You have been involved otherwise in promoting the Lewis & Clark's athletics program.

Once an individual is identified as such a representative, the person retains that identity indefinitely.

Who is a Prospective Student-Athlete?

A prospective student-athlete is a student who has started classes for the ninth grade. In addition, a student who has not started classes for the ninth grade becomes a prospective student-athlete if the institution provides such an individual (or the individual's relatives or friends) any financial assistance or other benefits that the institution does not provide to prospective students generally. An individual remains a prospective student-athlete until one of the following occurs (whichever occurs earlier):

  • The individual officially registers and enrolls in a minimum full-time program of studies and attends classes in any term of a four-year collegiate institution's regular academic year (excluding summer)
  • The individual participates in a regular squad practice or competition at a four-year collegiate institution.

What is the definition of Recruiting?

Recruiting is any solicitation of a prospective student-athlete or a prospective student-athlete's relatives [or guardian(s)] by an institutional staff member or by a representative of the institution's athletics interests for the purpose of securing the prospective student-athlete's enrollment and ultimate participation in the institution's intercollegiate athletics program. 

Actions by staff members or athletics representatives that cause a prospective student-athlete to become a recruited prospective student-athlete at that institution are:

  • Providing the prospective student-athlete with an official visit
  • Having an arranged, in-person, off-campus encounter with the prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's relatives, guardian(s) or individual of a comparable relationship
  • Initiating or arranging a telephone contact with the prospective student-athlete, the prospective student-athlete's relatives, guardian(s) or individual of a comparable relationship on more than one occasion for the purpose of recruitment.

What is a contact?

A contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's relatives, guardian(s) or individual of a comparable relationship and an institutional athletics department staff member or athletics representative during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of a greeting.  Any such face-to-face encounter that is prearranged (e.g., positions himself/herself in a location where contact is possible) or that takes place on the grounds of the prospective student-athlete's educational institution or at the site of organized competition or practice involving the prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's high school, preparatory school, two-year college or all-star team shall be considered a contact, regardless of the conversation that occurs.

What role may Pioneer boosters play in the recruiting process?

Only L&C coaches who have successfully completed the NCAA rules compliance exam are permitted to be involved in the recruitment of student-athletes. Boosters must adhere to NCAA regulations regarding recruiting.

PAC /Boosters Are NOT Allowed to: (Prospective Student-Athletes)

  • Assist L&C coaches by securing transcripts, film, or any other information pertaining to a prospect's ability from the prospect's current educational institution.
  • Provide financial aid or benefit of any kind (i.e., clothing, special discounts, lodging, meals, transportation, tickets, loans) to prospects or their relatives when the prospect is on campus for an official or unofficial visit.
  • Contact a prospect to congratulate him/her about attending L&C
  • Provide transportation or arrange for payment of transportation costs for a prospect or his/her relatives or friends to visit campus.
  • Earmark funds for specific prospects to attend a L&C summer camp.
  • Employ or arrange for employment of a prospect before the completion of his/her senior year. After graduation, a booster may employ a student-athlete, provided that the compensation for work performed is commensurate with the going rate.
  • Provide anything to a prospect or the prospect's family or friends without prior approval from the compliance Office.

PAC /Boosters ARE Allowed to: (Prospective Student-Athletes)

  • Communicate with L&C coaches regarding prospects.
  • View a prospect's athletic contest on your own initiative, provided you do not contact the prospect or his/her relatives or coach.
  • Continue established relationships with prospects' family members or friends, provided contacts are not made for recruiting purposes or are arranged by a Pioneer staff member.
  • Employ a prospect after they have graduated from high school, provided the compensation for work performed is commensurate with the going rate.

Extra Benefit Guidelines for PAC /Boosters

An extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or an athletic representative to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete’s relative or friend a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation.

PAC /Boosters are not permitted to provide extra benefits (Enrolled Student-Athletes)

Examples of extra benefits include but are not limited to:

  • Providing cash or loans of any amount
  • Signing or co-signing for a loan or other forms of financial assistance
  • Providing the use of a telephone to make local or long distance calls
  • Transporting a student-athlete or providing the use of a vehicle
  • Providing free or reduced rent housing
  • Giving gifts of any kind (i.e. birthday, Christmas, Valentine’s Day)
  • Promising a student-athlete postgraduate education or employment
  • Offering free services (i.e. clothing, airline tickets, laundry, car repair, haircuts, restaurant meals)
  • Providing payment to a student-athlete for a booster club speaking engagement
  • Providing employment for relatives or friends
  • Providing tickets to professional sports contests unless provided thru the athletics department

How can a PAC/Booster support L&C enrolled student-athletes:

  • Invite a student-athlete to participate in non-profit, charitable, or educational events with approval of athletic department
    • Invite student-athlete or the entire team for an occasional meal from an institutional staff member or representative of the institution's athletics interests under the following conditions: (a) The occasional meal may be provided at any location in the locale of the institution; (b) Meals must be restricted to infrequent and special occasions; and (c) Institutional staff members and representatives of the institution's athletics interests may provide transportation to student-athletes to attend such meals.
    • Contact the L&C athletics department for approval prior to a student-athlete engaging in outside speaking or promotional activities
    • Pay a student-athlete the commensurate rate for actual and legitimate employment

 http://www.lcpioneers.com