Bronco Athletics
Santa Clara University associates success in its athletics programs with the welfare of its student-athletes and maintaining "institutional control" to ensure compliance with NCAA regulations. The NCAA requires that each institution shall be responsible for ensuring student-athletes, institutional staff members, and other individuals or groups who represent Santa Clara Athletics comply with all applicable NCAA regulations.
Strict observance of rules and regulations contributes to the success of our athletics program. It is the responsibility of the Department of Athletics and the administrative staff to adhere to all regulations created for the governance of intercollegiate athletics as set forth by the NCAA, West Coast Conference (WCC) and Santa Clara University (SCU).
This information is intended to provide you with basic information concerning NCAA regulations that apply to a booster, a.k.a. "Representative of Santa Clara University's Athletics Interests." The information below will highlight NCAA and WCC regulations for family, faculty and friends of Santa Clara University.
Because of the complexity of NCAA rules, this information is not intended to supply answers for all applicable situations which may arise during your involvement with Santa Clara University Athletics and should not be relied upon exclusively. If you have any questions about your ability to interact with recruits and student-athletes, please direct your inquiries to Jay Farwell, Director of Compliance in the Santa Clara University Department of Athletics and Recreation at 408-554-4063. Your attention, assistance and compliance with the rules is greatly appreciated.
What is a "booster?" (a.k.a. Representative of Santa Clara University's Athletics Interests)
You become a booster if:
- You have ever been a member of any organization promoting SCU Athletics,
- Y ou have ever made any type of donation to SCU Athletics, Bronco Bench or a SCU booster organization,
- Y ou assisted in any manner the recruitment of a prospective student-athlete,
- Y ou have ever assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families
- Y ou are the parent or legal guardian of an enrolled student-athlete,
- Y ou have promoted SCU Athletics in any other manner.
Once an individual is identified as a "booster" the individual retains the booster identity forever. NCAA rules hold Santa Clara University responsible for all actions of its athletics representatives and boosters. Any booster involved in a NCAA violation may lose benefits and privileges associated with the athletic program. Such benefits and privileges may include, without limitation, ticket privileges that may be withheld by Santa Clara University for a period of time deemed to be reasonably appropriate by the NCAA, WCC or SCU. The revocation of ticket privileges may result in a booster being denied admittance to any SCU hosted athletics event.
Basics You Should Know
Boosters can:
- Provide an occasional meal to a student-athlete or an entire team. The meal must be at the booster's home and must be restricted to infrequent or special occasions. Only the booster hosting the meal may provide transportation to student-athletes (local transportation only). Please approve such a meal with the appropriate coach.
- Invite an entire SCU team for dinner when the team is visiting your area for an away competition. This meal may take place at a booster's home or at a restaurant.
- Provide summer employment to a student-athlete (not recruit) at a rate commensurate to the normal wage for such employment in the locality and for work actually performed. The employer may not provide any item or benefit to student-athletes which is not available to other employees in general.
- Provide housing to student-athletes at a rate commensurate for similar housing in the area. Please do not provide housing to student-athletes without prior approval for the Department of Athletics and Recreation 408-554-4063.
- Continue to maintain contact with student-athletes and their families with whom the booster has a verifiable pre-existing relationship.
- Inform SCU coaches of recruits by sending the coach newspaper clippings or other information regarding the recruit.
- Have a phone conversation with a prospective student-athlete ONLY if the prospect initiates the call. Such a call cannot be pre-arranged by any institutional staff member or another booster. All questions regarding the Department of Athletics and Recreation must be referred to the proper Athletic Department staff member.
Boosters cannot:
- Contact recruits, either in-person, by telephone, in writing or by any other method.
- Contact the recruit's coach, principal, or academic counselor in any manner.
- Provide any type of benefit (money, services, items) to recruits or current student-athletes unless such a benefit is readily available to the public in general and such a claim can be easily demonstrated.
Limited Exception for Faculty and Staff:
- SCU faculty and staff members are permitted to have in-person contacts with recruits only if such contact occurs on the Santa Clara University campus.
- SCU faculty and staff members may provide recruits any information that is available to the public in general.
NCAA Definitions
Prospective Student-Athlete:
A "prospect" or "recruit" is any student who has started classes for the ninth grade. Any student who has not started classes for the ninth grade can also become a "prospect" if the student receives any benefits that SCU does not provide to potential students in general. SCU requests that you treat ALL students as prospects.
Student-Athlete:
A student-athlete is any student who was recruited by SCU for athletics participation or has joined an intercollegiate team at SCU.
Contact:
A "contact" is any face-to-face encounter between a coach or booster and a prospect or prospect's parent(s) or legal guardian during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange or greeting. Any such contact that is prearranged or takes place on the grounds of the prospect's educational institution or at the sire of an organized practice or competition involving the prospect or prospect's team shall be considered by the NCAA to be a contact, regardless of the occurring conversation. Please remember, boosters are prohibited from contacting recruits.
Recruiting:
Recruiting is any solicitation of a prospect or prospect's parent(s) or legal guardian by a SCU staff member or by a SCU booster for the purpose of securing the prospect's enrollment at SCU and/or participation in SCU's athletics program.
- Please remember, only coaches and university staff members can be involved in the recruiting process. All boosters, alumni and friends of the university, who are not employed by the university, are prohibited from making contact (in person, by phone, by fax or by letter) with a prospect, or his/her family, for the purpose of encouraging participation in SCU's athletics program. A SCU alum may receive a call from a prospect to discuss the university generally, but is prohibited from discussing Santa Clara University Athletics.
- An impermissible contact, even if unintentional, could subject Santa Clara University to penalties imposed by the NCAA. Prospects could lose eligibility for competition at SCU because of a recruiting violation
As a representative of SCU's athletics interests, you may not provide a prospect with improper recruiting inducements, including but not limited to:
- Contact a prospect's coach, principal or counselor in an effort to evaluate a prospect,
- Visit a prospect's educational institution to pick up film or transcripts pertaining to the evaluation of a prospect's academic eligibility or athletic ability;
- Contact a prospect, his/her relatives or legal guardians on or off the SCU campus or by telephone,
- Write a prospect, his/her relatives or legal guardians; or make special arrangements for entertaining a prospect on an official visit (e.g., by providing donations, good, services, or discounts).
Extra Benefits
What you must know
An enrolled student-athlete is a student who is currently participating in intercollegiate athletics or has completed his/her eligibility and is still enrolled at Santa Clara University.
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 student body at Santa Clara University. The extra benefit rules may also apply to gifts and arrangements (other than a legitimate job) following the student-athlete's graduation.
Rules to remember
Boosters cannot provide an "extra benefit" or special arrangement to an enrolled student-athlete that is not available to all other students at Santa Clara University. If a student-athlete accepts any benefit based on his/her athletic ability, that athlete will lose all eligibility for intercollegiate athletic participation. If the student-athlete has completed his/her eligibility, Santa Clara University is still responsible and may receive penalties. Additionally, the booster may be asked to disassociate from the university's athletics program.
As a booster of Santa Clara University athletics, you may not:
- provide a student-athlete with extra benefits or services including, but not limited to: --a loan of money
--a guarantee of bond
--the use of an automobile
--signing or co-signing a note with an outside agency to arrange a loan,
- Make services available to student-athletes (e.g. dinners, use of automobile, movie tickets) without charge or at a reduced rate,
- Provide a student-athlete with a special discount, payment arrangement or credit on a purchase or service,
- Provide a student-athlete with professional services without charge or at a reduced rate,
- Allow a student-athlete to use a telephone or credit card without charge or at a reduced cost.
Student-Athlete Employment
Santa Clara University may arrange employment for prospective student-athletes during the summer prior to their enrollment as freshmen (provided they have signed a National Letter of Intent) and for enrolled student-athletes.
The following rules are applicable to student-athlete employment:
- Aa student-athlete's compensation may not include any payment for value or utility that the student-athlete may have for the employer because of the publicity, reputation, fame or personal following that he or she has obtained because of athletics,
- The student-athlete is compensated only for work actually performed. The student-athlete is compensated at a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality for similar services.
A student-athlete can receive money from you or your family for teaching or giving lessons in their sport. To do this the following conditions must be met:
- Santa Clara University 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 Compliance Office,
- Compensation for the lessons must be paid by the lesson recipient or family and not anyone else.
Promotional Activities
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 product or service of any kind. If a student-athletes name or picture appears on commercial items (e.g., T-shirts, playing cards, posters etc.) or is used to promote a commercial product without the student-athletes knowledge or permission, the student-athlete and the institution are required to take steps to stop such an activity in order to retain the student-athlete's eligibility.
All charitable, educational and non-profit promotional activities involving student-athletes must have prior approval from the Director of Athletics. If you use a student-athlete's name or picture prior to checking with the Compliance Office, you risk the student-athlete's eligibility. He or she will be prevented from competing based upon your action.
Gambling/Sports Wagering
Gambling on collegiate and professional sports is a national problem. Santa Clara University is very sensitive on issues concerning gambling. NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes or intercollegiate athletics staff members from placing bets 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.
Agents
In light of recent national issues regarding sports agents and student-athletes, the Santa Clara University has created a set of guidelines for its student-athletes to follow. It is the university's intention to protect the welfare of its student-athletes, their family and the athletics program from severe consequences that can be experienced as a result of violation of SCU's policy and NCAA regulations.
It is not permissible for student-athletes to make a written or verbal agreement with an agent prior to the exhaustion of their eligibility. Further, student-athletes may not receive benefits including meals, clothing or transportation from an agent or a representative of an agent.
SCU Athletics
Thank you for your continuing support of Santa Clara University athletics. If you have any questions or concerns about the above information, please contact the Compliance Office at your earliest convenience (408) 551-1782. GO BRONCOS!!!!!!
