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If defined as a “representative of UCI’s athletic interests” (commonly known as a booster), you are bound by NCAA rules and UCI Athletics is held responsible for your actions.
Under NCAA legislation, you are considered a UCI booster if any of the following apply:
- You made a financial contribution of any amount or a gift in-kind (goods, services, gifts) to UCI Athletics or to any of the groups or funds that support our athletic programs;
- You provided NCAA-permissible benefits to UCI student-athletes or their families or to prospective student-athletes or their families (such as employment);
- You assisted in any manner in the recruitment of a prospective student-athlete to attend UCI, even if UCI didn’t request the assistance;
- You have otherwise assisted in promoting UCI athletics in any manner.
Some examples of boosters are: fans, undergraduate students, graduate students, all university faculty, staff and other employees and alumni. These are just a few examples and anyone who meets the criteria above is a booster.
Once you are identified as a booster, you retain that status forever, and NCAA rules will always apply to you.
NCAA DEFINITIONS FOR UCI FANS AND BOOSTERS TO KNOW:
Prospect – Who is a prospective student-athlete?
A prospective student-athlete “prospect” is any student, regardless of athletics ability or participation, who has either started classes for the ninth (9th) grade. Students attending prep schools and junior colleges are considered prospects as are student-athletes at other four-year institutions who have withdrawn from that institution or are considering a transfer. A student who has not yet started ninth grade can become a prospect if UCI or a booster provides the student or his/her relatives or friends with a benefit or financial assistance not available to other students or the general public.
Extra Benefits
As a booster, you may not provide extra benefits to our student-athletes or prospects or to their friends or relatives. Defined as any special arrangement provided to student-athletes or prospects not otherwise available to all UCI students or the general public, extra benefits include, but are not limited to:
- Cash or loans of any amount or co-signing for a loan
- Use of an automobile or payment of any transportation expense
- Gifts of any kind including birthday and holiday gifts
- Tangible items such as clothing, jewelry or electronics or use of personal property
- Discounted or free merchandise or services not available to UCI student body
- Payment for meals at restaurants or providing food or groceries
- Free or reduced rent or housing, including housesitting
- Honorariums for appearances or speaking engagements
Institutional Control – What is it?
When college athletic programs make headlines for NCAA rules violations, a lack of institutional control is often cited to explain significant penalties. To establish “Institutional Control,” the NCAA Constitution provides that UCI must:
• Control its intercollegiate athletic program in compliance with NCAA rules and regulations;
• Monitor its program, including identifying and reporting to the NCAA instances in which compliance has not been achieved and take corrective actions; and
• Ensure that coaches, student-athletes, university staff and others representing UCI’s athletic interests share responsibility for complying with NCAA rules. As an NCAA member, UCI is responsible for the actions of its alumni and supporters.
As our most loyal supporters and fans, what is your role? Please keep NCAA rules compliance in mind, report to the UCI Compliance Office when you are aware of a potential rules violation, and, “ask before acting.”
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A Booster MAY:
• provide information about noteworthy prospects from the booster's local area to UCI coaches and staff (but no contacting a prospect's coach or school officials regarding recruitment);
• watch a prospect's athletic contest (but NOT have contact with that prospect or the prospect's parents);
• continue an established relationship with a prospect and his/her family if the relationship predates the prospect entering the ninth grade and the relationship didn’t develop as a result of the prospects athletic participation or notoriety.
A Booster MAY NOT:
• have any in-person contact with a prospect or his/her family in person on or off the UCI campus;
• have any contact or communication with a prospect through written correspondence, email, texting, instant messaging, Internet (e.g., Skype) or any form of social media, including but not limited to Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram;
• approach a UCI coach who is with a prospect either on or off the UCI campus or at any athletics event;
• invite a prospect or his or her relatives or friends to a UCI athletic event or to any booster or alumni function;
• provide any extra benefit to a prospect or his/her family or friends; and
• arrange employment opportunities for prospects or their relatives or friends.
What about unavoidable incidental contact with a prospect?
There are times when contact occurs between a booster and prospect that is unavoidable. In such instances, an NCAA violation does not occur, but only if the contact 1) is not prearranged by the booster or UCI, 2) doesn’t occur at the prospect’s high school or competition site, 3) isn’t made for recruiting purposes and 4) is incidental and involves only normal civility and an attempt to end the contact immediately.
Can boosters employ prospective student athletes or their relatives or friends?
UCI boosters may NOT arrange or create employment opportunities for relatives, friends or legal guardians of prospects
Boosters may assist UCI coaches or staff in finding a prospect summer employment, but only AFTER the PSA signs his or her National Letter of Intent with UCI.
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A Booster MAY:
• provide an occasional meal to a student-athlete or an entire team. Such meal MUST take place in the booster’s home or on campus, and may not be provided in a restaurant. This meal may be catered. Meals may never be provided by boosters to a student-athlete’s family members or friends. ALL meals provided under this rule MUST be approved in advance by the UCI Compliance Office.
• provide employment under certain circumstances to current student-athletes. Student-athletes must be paid the established rate in the area for similar services for work actually performed.
A Booster MAY NOT:
• provide extra benefits to any student-athlete and his/her family (see list above for examples);
• use the name or picture of a student-athlete to directly or indirectly promote the sale or use of a commercial product or service;
• provide free or reduced rate housing for a student-athlete or his/her family
EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENT-ATHLETES
As representatives of UCI’s athletic interests (boosters), here are the NCAA employment rules that hiring boosters need to know: A student-athlete may be employed during or outside the academic year, provided:
• The student-athlete's compensation may not be based on the value or utility that they may have for the employer because of the publicity, reputation, fame or personal following that he or she has obtained because of athletics ability;
• The student-athlete is compensated only for work actually performed; and
• The student-athlete is paid at a rate commensurate with the going rate for similar services;
Also note that it is not permissible to provide any benefits to a student-athlete employee (e.g., transportation, meals) unless the same benefits are provided to all other employees.
NCAA rules don’t permit current student-athletes to be hired to house sit, regardless if they are paid or not.
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