University of Oklahoma Athletics
Compliance Corner: May 2012
May 22, 2012 | Athletics
May 22, 2012
In an effort to keep you apprised of NCAA regulations as the apply to you, the Compliance Department is providing you with the most recent decision by the NCAA Committee on Infractions as it relates to South Carolina's major infractions case.
The infractions case is centered on two separate issues:
1. From May 2009 through October 2010, a local hotel (which was determined to be a booster) provided preferential treatment and extra benefits with an estimated value of $50,886.80 to 12 student-athletes in the form of reduced rent that generally was not available to the regular student population for off-campus housing. Additionally, the local hotel made special arrangements with nine of the student-athletes to pay their rent at later dates, thereby providing an impermissible loan to the student-athletes.
2. From the spring of 2009 through February 2011, two representatives of the institution's athletics interests made impermissible recruiting contact with, and provided impermissible recruiting inducements to prospects and provided extra benefits to student-athletes through a foundation which those representatives had previously established. Representatives 1 and 2, through the auspices of their foundation, financed unofficial visits for prospects 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, along with 30 other, "non-elite," prospects. The inducements and benefits totaled over $8,000.
This case emphasizes two issues for NCAA Compliance.
1. It is important to underscore the importance of our monitoring to review student-athlete housing, including off-campus monthly rent expenses, roommates and market value to ensure that preferential treatment and extra benefits are not being provided. As a representative of athletics interest (booster) it is essential that you do not provide extra benefits or preferential treatment to student-athletes. The NCAA expressly states that free or reduced-cost housing is an extra benefit.
2. The committee noted a trend in recent years whereby unofficial visits have taken on increased importance in recruiting, particularly in football and men's basketball. By using unofficial visits, institutions avoid the costs associated with official visits, and prospects are not required to provide academic transcripts or SAT/ACT scores or to be placed on the IRL with the Eligibility Center. Frequently, unofficial visits are financed not by the prospect and his or her family, but by a third party. As an OU Athletics booster you may not finance an unofficial visit to the OU campus which includes transportation, lodging, meals or game tickets. In addition, it is impermissible for a booster to be involved in the recruiting process of a prospective student-athlete.
As always, your cooperation and understanding is essential to the success of our programs. We hope you find this information helpful, and as always, please contact the Athletics Compliance Department at (405) 325-7004 with any questions. We appreciate your support of OU Athletics and your help in ensuring we operate within NCAA rules and regulations.
Related Links: OU Compliance Online
