University of Oklahoma Athletics
2010 Compliance Questions of the Week
January 23, 2012 | Athletics
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December 13, 2010 Question
If a coach visits a prospect's school (and does not make any recruiting contacts) who has he/she used an evaluation for?
Answer: The coach has used an evaluation for each prospective student-athlete in that sport at that school.
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December 6, 2010 Question
Is it permissible for OU coaches to send a prospective student-athlete holiday cards to wish them a Happy Holiday?
Answer: No. It is not permissible to send a "greeting card" or an institutional note card that has been created as a holiday card. It is permissible to include a handwritten holiday greeting on an institutional note card that meets the NCAA mandated note card restrictions.
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November 29, 2010 Question
When is the last date to conduct required weight-training, conditioning and skill-related instruction if a team is currently out-of-season before winter break?
Answer: For those sports that are out-of-season, all athletically related activities are prohibited beginning one week prior to the beginning of the institution's final examination period. The exam period for fall 2010 begins Monday, December 13; therefore, all athletically related activities should cease December 6 in preparation of finals.
Please note that student-athletes may still participate in voluntary athletically related activities at their discretion during this time period.
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November 22, 2010 Question
Are institutions permitted to send materials to high school coaches via express mail? For example, can a high school coach be sent camp brochures or media guides via express mail?
Answer: In addition to prospective student-athletes (and their families), NCAA rules prohibit the use of express mailing services to send recruiting materials to a coach or any other individual responsible for teaching or directing an activity in which a prospective student-athlete is involved. Institutions may provide permissible recruiting materials via express mail who reside outside the United States.
It does remain permissible to provide a National Letter of Intent and financial aid agreement to all prospects via express mail.
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November 15, 2010 Question
Is it permissible to provide a prospective student-athlete with free or reduced-cost camp admission fee?
Answer: No, if the prospect is an athletics award winner ("lettered" in a high school sport) or any individual being recruited by the institution.
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November 8, 2010 Question
After a prospect signs a National Letter of Intent, or scholarship agreement, at what point may institutional staff members begin making unlimited telephone calls and sending text messages to the prospect and his/her family?
Answer: The day after a prospect signs a National Letter of Intent (or a four-year transfer signs a scholarship agreement) telephone calls and text messages to a prospect (and their families) may be made at the institution's discretion.
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November 1, 2010 Question
What recruiting activities remain permissible during a "dead period" in a sport's recruiting calendar?
Answer: It remains permissible for an institutional staff member to write or telephone prospects during a dead period (subject to applicable recruiting rules).
It is NOT permissible make in-person contacts or evaluations on- or off-campus and prospects may not visit campus on either an official or unofficial visit during a dead period.
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October 25, 2010 Question
Who do the NCAA's rules against sports wagering apply to and what sports wagering activities are prohibited?
Answer: NCAA rules pertaining to sports wagering apply to athletics department staff, nonathletics staff that have responsibilities within or over the athletics department, conference office staff and student-athletes.
The NCAA's prohibition against any form of sports wagering applies to all institutional practice sessions and any competition (amateur, college, profession) in a sport that the NCAA conducts a championship and in bowl subdivision football and emerging sports for women.
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October 18, 2010 Question
What is the NCAA rule concerning outside consultants working with a sport program?
Answer: A temporary consultant may provide in-service training for a coaching staff, but may not interact with student-athletes without counting against applicable coaching limits. Additionally, an outside consultant may not have involvement on- or off-field/court/mat/etc., coaching activities without counting against applicable coaching limits.This prohibits attending practices and meetings involving coaching activities (game planning, analyzing video of own team or opponent, etc.).
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October 11, 2010 Question
Can a prospective student-athlete on an unofficial visit have a meal with the team (or individual student-athletes) at an off-campus location?
Answer: No, it is not permissible for student-athletes to have off-campus recruiting contacts with prospective student-athletes unless the prospect is on an official visit.
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October 4, 2010 Question
May student-athletes accept awards based on their place finish in outside competitions?
Answer: A student-athlete may receive an award, as opposed to cash or items redeemable for cash, based on place finish (e.g., trophy, medal, saddle) in outside competition, subject to the applicable pre- and post-enrollment awards limits.
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September 27, 2010 Question
May an athletics department staff member market an individual's athletics abilities to agents or receive compensation for simply facilitating a meeting between a student-athlete and an agent?
Answer: No, both arrangements are strictly prohibited under NCAA regulations.
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September 20, 2010 Question
Who may have off-campus contact with a prospect (and any persons accompanying a prospect) during his/her official visit?
Answer: Institutional staff members and spouses and dependent children of athletics department staff members are permitted to have off-campus contact with a prospect during his/her official visit. Contact at any location (including on-campus) between a prospect and a member of an institution's board of regents is not permissible. Entertainment of prospects on official visits is limited to a 30-mile radius of campus so all contacts must conform to this restriction. Any restrictions regarding off-campus contacts also apply to any persons accompanying the prospect on the official visit.
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September 13, 2010 Question
May an institution put special decorations up in a prospective student-athlete's hotel room or in the sport's offices when a prospect comes on an official visit?
Answer: No. NCAA Bylaws 13.6.7.9 and 13.7.3 state that an institution may not arrange miscellaneous, personalized recruiting aids (e.g., personalized jerseys, personalized audio/video scoreboard presentations) and may not permit a prospective student-athlete to engage in any game-day simulations (e.g., running onto the field with the team during pre-game introductions) during an official or unofficial visit. Personalized recruiting aids include any decorative items and special additions to any location the prospective student-athlete will visit (e.g., hotel room, locker room, coach's office, conference room, arena) regardless of whether or not the items include the prospective student-athlete's name or picture.
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September 6, 2010 Question
What requirements must be met before an institution may provide an official visit to a prospect?
Answer: All prospects must present the institution with a high school (or college) transcript. High school and prep school prospects must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center and present the institution with a score from a PSAT, SAT, PLAN or ACT test taken on a national testing day under national testing conditions. Finally, the institution must place the prospect on their institutional request list with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
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August 30, 2010 Question
What is the earliest date a prospect may take an official visit to a school?
Answer: A prospect may make not make an official visit earlier than the opening day of classes of the prospect's senior year of high school. Further, a prospect may not make more than five total official visits with not more than one permitted to any single institution.
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August 23, 2010 Question
What must a prospect do with the NCAA Eligibility Center prior to an institution providing a scholarship agreement?
Answer: Effective August 1, 2010, prior to an institution providing a prospect with a scholarship agreement the prospect must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be placed on the institution's institutional request list with the Eligibility Center and complete the amateur certification questionnaire administered by the Eligibility Center.
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August 16, 2010 Question
May an institution donate used athletics equipment to a high school?
Answer: An institution may not provide athletics equipment to a high school. It would be permissible to sell athletics equipment to a high school at a sale that is open to the general public. An institution may provide athletics equipment to a youth organization (e.g., YMCA, Boy Scout troop) that may consist of some prospects, provided the issuance of equipment is in accordance with the institution's regular policy regarding the discarding of equipment. In addition, only those organizations within a 30-mile radius of the campus may be provided equipment by the institution.
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August 2, 2010 Question
Beginning with the 2010-11 academic year, what are the requirements for a student to serve as a student assistant coach?
Answer: A student may serve as an undergraduate student assistant coach if they are a student-athlete that has exhausted his/her eligibility or has become injured to the point that he or she is unable to practice or compete ever again. Student-athletes in graduate school are no longer eligible for such positions. Further, they must meet these additional criteria:
• Is enrolled at the institution at which he or she most recently participated in intercollegiate athletics;
• Is enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student in his or her first baccalaureate degree program except that during his or her final semester or quarter of the baccalaureate degree program, he or she may be enrolled in less than a full-time degree program of studies, provided he or she is carrying (for credit) the courses necessary to complete the degree requirements;
• Is receiving no compensation or remuneration from the institution other than the financial aid that could be received as a student-athlete and expenses incurred on road trips that are received by individual team members;
• Is not involved in contacting and evaluating prospective student-athletes off campus or scouting opponents off campus and does not perform recruiting coordination functions.
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July 13, 2010 Question
What is the earliest date that institutional coaches may accept collect or toll-free telephone calls from prospects or their parents/legal guardians?
Answer: Collect or toll-free calls from a prospect (or a prospect's parent/legal guardian) may not be accepted by sport staffs prior to July 1st between a prospect's junior and senior years in high school.
In Men's Basketball such calls may be accepted after a prospect has concluded his sophomore year in high school, and in Women's Basketball such calls may be accepted from a prospect beginning with her junior year in high school on the Thursday after the NCAA Division I Women's Final Four has concluded.
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June 7, 2010 Question
When may an institution indicate in writing to a prospect that they will be offering them an athletics scholarship?
Answer: Presently, such an offer may be made once it becomes permissible to correspond with the prospect in writing (September 1st at the beginning of his/her junior year in high school).
As of August 1, 2010, an institution may not provide a prospect with a written offer of an athletics scholarship until August 1st of the prospect's senior year in high school. Verbal offers may still be made to a prospect prior to August 1st of his/her senior year.
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May 24, 2010 Question
Is it permissible to provide a prospective student-athlete with a printed media guide?
Answer: Yes, but only until July 31, 2010. Beginning August 1, 2010, it is no longer permissible to provide a prospect, a prospect's parents/legal guardians, a prospect's educational institution or any individual involved in coaching prospects with a printed media guide. Prospects may still be provided an electronic version of the media guide after August 1, 2010.
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May 17, 2010 Question
May student-athletes work at sports camps?
Answer: Yes, it is permissible for a student-athlete to work at a sports camp or clinic. Under NCAA Bylaw 13.12.2.1, to be employed in a camp a student-athlete must perform duties that are of general supervisory capacity, in addition to coaching and officiating. Student-athletes may NOT be paid for only lecturing and/or serving in demonstrations for the camp.
Student-athletes are permitted to be compensated for employment so long as they are only paid for work actually performed and at the rate commensurate with the going rate for similar services in the locale and paid to others with similar experience. Student-athletes may not be paid based on athletic reputation, fame, or "value" that the student-athlete may add to the camp because of his/her status as a student-athlete.
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May 10, 2010 Question
May a landlord offer a discount on housing for student-athletes who will be staying in Norman over the summer?
Answer: A student-athlete is not permitted to receive a discount on products or services (rent, meals, etc.) unless such a discount is generally available to the rest of the student population at the University of Oklahoma, and is provided on a basis unrelated to athletics. If the reduced rate is offered to all students at OU, it would be fine for a student-athlete to accept the offer. If the summer discount is not offered to all OU students and instead is just for student-athletes, a student-athlete accepting such an offer would violate NCAA extra benefit rules regarding impermissible discounts.
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May 3, 2010 Question
May noncoaching staff members with sports-specific responsibilities attend athletics events involving prospective student-athletes?
Answer: No, unless that noncoaching staff member is an immediate family member or legal guardian of a participant in the activity they may not attend an athletics event regardless of the sport. Additionally, the NCAA clarified this restriction does not apply to noncoaching staff members that perform only clerical duties for a sport program.
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April 26, 2010 Question
Can a student-athlete hire a private instructor to come to campus and provide private instruction while using an OU facility?
Answer: It is not permissible for a student-athlete to hire an outside instructor to come and give private instruction while using an OU facility without counting the private instructor as one of Oklahoma's countable coaches. Sooner teams are currently at maximum coaching limitations, thus a violation of NCAA coaching limitations would occur.
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April 19, 2010 Question
An institution wants to purchase a season's worth of game film on a prospect from a high school. The high school is charging $150 which would go towards the cost of the DVD's, postage and a fee for the service of providing the film. Is this permissible?
Answer: No. It is not permissible to purchase film or video from a prospective student-athlete's educational institution at a cost that exceeds the value of blank video/DVD (or other medium) and the cost of postage.
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April 12, 2010 Question
Is it permissible to provide prospects with complimentary admissions to attend a postseason tournament (e.g., Conference, NCAA)?
Answer: No. Prospects and prospects' coaches may not receive complimentary admissions to attend postseason competition (e.g., NCAA championships, conference tournaments, NIT championships).
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April 5, 2010 Question
May a coach serve as an announcer or be interviewed during an athletics contest involving prospective student-athletes?
Answer: No, it is not permissible for any athletics department staff member to serve as an announcer or commentator for any athletics competition in which a prospective student-athlete is participating. This includes appearing in-person or by means of film, audiotape or videotape on a radio or television broadcast of such a contest for any reason (e.g. interview).
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March 29, 2010 Question
Can OU provide a student-athlete's relatives with refreshments at institutional events?
Answer: An institution may provide the family (e.g., parents or legal guardians, relatives) of a student-athlete with reasonable refreshments (e.g., soft drink, snacks) in conjunction with educational meetings or celebratory events (e.g., senior night) and on an occasional basis for other reasons.
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March 22, 2010 Question
What are the new requirements for non-traditional courses (courses taught via the Internet, independent study, correspondence, etc.) that prospects take to satisfy NCAA core-course requirements?
Answer: For students first entering college as a full-time student this fall the course taken must be one in which the instructor and the student have ongoing access to one another and regular interaction with one another for purposes of teaching, evaluating, and providing assistance to the student throughout the duration of the course; the student's work is available for review or validation; and a defined time period for completion of the course is included.
Additionally the previous requirements for nontraditional courses are still applicable: the course must meet all requirements for a core course, evaluation of the class work is conducted by the appropriate academic authorities in accordance with the high school's established policies and the course is acceptable for any student and placed on the high school transcript.
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March 15, 2010 Question
Is it permissible for a student-athlete to participate in the University's alumni game, fundraising activity or celebrity sports activity?
Answer: Yes, provided that the student-athlete only participates in one such activity during a season and the activity is exempted from the institution's maximum number of contests or dates of competition as permitted in the particular sport. This rule is effective August 1, 2010.
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March 8, 2010 Question
Can OU institutional camps or clinics be conducted in states other than Oklahoma?
Answer: No. A camp or clinic is considered "institutional" if it is either owned or operated by an institution or an Athletics Department staff member. Under new NCAA legislation, an institution's sports camps or clinics, in sports other than football, must be conducted on campus or within a 100-mile radius of campus. Football camps must be conducted on campus, within the state, or, if outside the state, within a 50-mile radius of campus.
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March 1, 2010 Question
Is it permissible for a team manager to practice with the team?
Answer: No, it is impermissible under NCAA rules for a manager to participate in countable athletically related activities (e.g., practice player). However, a manager may participate in limited on-court or on-field activities during practice (e.g., assist with drills, throw batting practice) or competition (e.g., assist with warm-up activities) as long as they do not provided direction or instruction.
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February 22, 2010 Question
Within a sport's declared playing season they must provide all student-athletes with one day off each week. May a travel day related to athletics participation be used to satisfy the one day off per week requirement?
Answer: Yes, provided no countable athletically related activities occur on that day.
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February 15, 2010 Question
An individual who has entered ninth grade is a prospective student-athlete until what occurs?
Answer: Per NCAA definition, an individual remains a prospective student-athlete until he/she: (1) registers and enrolls as a full-time student and attends class in any term of a four-year colleges regular academic year (excluding summers); (2) participates in practice or competition at a four-year college that occurs before the beginning of any term; or (3) registers and enrolls and attends class during the summer prior to initial enrollment.
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February 8, 2010 Question
Is it permissible for a booster to contact a prospect who has signed a National Letter of Intent with OU?
Answer: No. A prospect remains a prospect even after he/she has signed an NLI with an institution. Boosters may not have on- or off-campus contact with a prospect. In addition, boosters may not contact a prospect via telephone, written or electronic correspondence.
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February 1, 2010 Question
What does a prospect agree to when he/she signs a National Letter of Intent?
Answer: When a prospect signs a National Letter of Intent with an institution, he/she agrees to attend that institution for one academic year in exchange for athletically related financial aid for one academic year.
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January 25, 2010 Question
Are coaches permitted to conduct interviews with individual media outlets in addition to the "one-time press conference announcing all signees?"
Answer: Yes, it is permissible for coaches to conduct interviews with media outlets, provided: (1) All prospective student-athletes discussed have signed a National Letter of Intent that has been received and (2) The prospects do not appear either with the coach or during the same program segment as the coach.
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January 18, 2010 Question
Is it permissible for a spectator at an OU sporting event take a picture of a student-athlete and provide that photograph to the student or their parent?
Answer: This type of arrangement is not permissible under NCAA rules as it would be considered an extra benefit.
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January 11, 2010 Question
May the athletic department donate memorabilia to an organization to auction off to help raise money for a general college scholarship fund?
Answer: No. Pursuant to NCAA Division I Bylaw 13.15.1, an institution or a representative of its athletics interests shall not offer, provide or arrange financial assistance, directly or indirectly, to pay (in whole or in part) the costs of a prospective student-athlete's educational or other expenses for any period prior to his or her enrollment or so the prospect can obtain a postgraduate education. This prohibition applies to all prospects, including those who have signed a National Letter of Intent or an institutional offer of admission or financial aid. An institution may not donate institutional memorabilia (e.g., jerseys, hats, T-shirts) to any organization for the purpose of being auctioned to raise funds to provide financial assistance to high school students to attend collegiate institutions.
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January 4, 2010 Question
May student-athletes appear at an institutional promotional appearance/event if the event is being held at a commercial location?
Answer: Yes, as long the student-athlete does not promote the sale of a commercial product in conjunction with the event and commercial establishment is not a cosponsor of the event. The commercial establishment would become a cosponsor of the event if they advertise the presence of the student-athletes or are involved in directly or indirectly promoting the activity.
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