Guide for Athletic Boosters
Are You a Representative of Loyola Athletics Interests?
You are a representative of Loyola University Maryland’s athletics interests, more commonly known as a “booster,” if you meet any of the following conditions:
- You have ever been a member of any organization that promotes the Loyola University Maryland athletics program.
- You have made a financial contribution to the Loyola University Maryland athletics department or its booster organization.
- You are or have been a season ticket holder in any sport.
- You have provided benefits (e.g., summer jobs or occasional family meals) to enrolled student-athletes.
- You have ever, in any way, promoted the athletics program at Loyola University Maryland.
NOTE: Please remember that once you are a booster, you are always a booster.
Who is a Prospective Student-Athlete?
A prospective student-athlete, commonly known as a “prospect,” is any individual who has started classes for the 9th grade. In addition, student-athletes enrolled in preparatory school or two-year colleges are considered prospects. Ultimately, a student remains a prospect until enrollment at a four-year collegiate institution.
Who Can Recruit for Loyola University Maryland?
Only Loyola University Maryland coaches who are designated as coaches are permitted to recruit.
BOOSTERS MAY NOT:
- Make any recruiting contacts with prospects or their relatives. This includes telephone calls, letters, emails, social media contact and facsimiles, along with any face-to-face contact either on or off-campus.
- Assist Loyola University Maryland coaches by picking up transcripts, films, or any other information pertaining to a prospect’s ability from the prospect’s educational institution.
- Provide financial aid or benefit or any kind (e.g., clothing, special discounts, lodging, meals, transportation, tickets, loans of money) to prospects or their relatives.
- Make contact with a prospective student-athlete or his/her parents when the prospect is on campus for an official or unofficial recruiting visit.
- Contact a prospective student-athlete to congratulate him/her on signing a National Letter of Intent to attend Loyola University Maryland.
- 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 Loyola University Maryland summer camp. Instead, you must donate the funds to the high school, and the school and the students will decide which camps they will attend.
- Employ or arrange for employment of a prospect before the completion of his/her senior year. After graduation, a booster may employ a prospect as long as compensation is for work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with experience and the going rate.
- Provide ANYTHING to a prospect or the prospect’s family or friends without prior approval from the compliance office.
BOOSTERS MAY:
- Forward information about prospects to the appropriate coaching staff member.
- View a prospect’s athletics contest on your own initiative, provided you do not contact the prospect or his/her relatives, coach, principal, or counselor in an attempt to evaluate the academic or athletic abilities of the prospect. You are responsible for all incurred costs or fees at a contest.
- Speak to a prospect on the telephone ONLY if the prospect initiates the call. You May Not have a recruiting conversation, but you may refer questions about the athletics program to the athletics department staff.
BOOSTERS MAY NOT:
- Pay for or arrange for payment of room, board, or any type of transportation at anytime for currently enrolled student-athletes, their relatives, or their friends.
- Provide student-athletes with any sort of extra benefit, which refers to any special arrangement to provide a student-athlete or his/her relatives or with a benefit unavailable to the general student population.
- Provide student-athletes with any special discount, payment arrangements (e.g., cosigning a loan), credits on a purchase (e.g., airline ticket, clothing), or services (e.g., dry cleaning, transportation).
- Allow student-athletes to use your telephone to make free calls.
- Provide awards or gifts to student-athletes for any reason. This also prohibits honorariums for speaking engagements. All awards to student-athletes must meet all NCAA legislation and be approved by the compliance office.
- Entertain student-athletes or their family and friends. The only exception to this is that you may, on an occasional basis, provide a student-athlete or team (not family members or friends) with a meal.
- Provide annual awards to student-athletes without approval from the compliance office since there is a limit on the value of awards given to student-athletes.
NOTE: These rules apply throughout the student-athlete’s entire enrollment at Loyola University Maryland (including summer).
NCAA Rules Regarding Student-Athlete Employment
- Prospects may be employed by boosters during the summer prior to their enrollment at Loyola University Maryland. Please note that this employment may not begin until the prospect has graduated from high school.
- Current student-athletes may seek employment during the academic year and during Loyola University Maryland vacation periods.
- The compliance office must keep written records verifying all student-athlete employment records.
- The following rules are applicable to student-athlete employment:
- Student-athletes may be compensated only for work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate for similar services.
- Student-athletes may not be hired based on their athletic abilities.
Loyola University Maryland is committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct as well as excellence in athletic performance. In addition, Loyola University Maryland, as a member of the Patriot League and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), is responsible for insuring that its coaches, student-athletes, faculty and staff, former students, donors, boosters, and friends abide by University, Conference, and NCAA regulations.
Most alumni and friends of Loyola University Maryland who have ever had contact with our men’s and/or women’s athletic programs are considered by the NCAA to be representatives of athletic interests (boosters). Boosters are bound by the same rules and regulations as the athletic department’s coaches, administrators, and staff members.
To be safe, we want all of our alumni and friends to assume that NCAA rules are applicable to them. There are possible consequences for the athletic department, student-athlete, and the booster if a rules violation does occur. While it does not include all applicable provisions, it does include the most common situations encountered by alumni and friends and the most important NCAA rules governing those situations.
Common Questions
Q: Can a representative of athletics interest (booster) be involved when a prospect is on an official or unofficial visit?
A: NO. Boosters are precluded from all recruiting activities, including face-to-face contacts with a prospect or his/her relatives at anytime.
Q: Can boosters contact prospects to encourage them to attend Loyola University Maryland?
A: NO. Any such contact could result in the prospect being declared ineligible to participate in athletics at Loyola University Maryland.
Q: May a booster engage in evaluation activities on behalf of the institution?
A: A booster may view a prospect’s contest on his/her own initiative, provided no contact is made with the prospect or his/her family. However, this evaluation may not take place at the request or direction of a Loyola University Maryland staff member, and a booster is not permitted to contact anyone associated with the prospect in an effort to evaluate him/her.
Q: May a booster attend a public event (e.g., high school awards banquet or dinner) at which prospects are in attendance?
A: Yes. However, contact with prospects or their families may not occur, and no attempt can be made to recruit the prospect.
Q: May a student-athlete’s name, picture, or appearance be used in a promotional activity?
A: It depends on the situation. Please contact the compliance office at 410-617-2172 with your specific questions.
What Can You Do?
- If you know of a high school student-athlete who might want to attend Loyola University Maryland, we encourage you to call the appropriate coach, as this is the only permissible recruiting activity for boosters.
Two Final Reminders
- Please contact the compliance office at 410-617-2172 if you need a specific NCAA rule interpretation.
- Ask before you act!
