Information for Alumni, Boosters, and Representatives of Athletics Interests
We appreciate all of the support from our Alumni, Boosters and Friends of Sam Houston State University. Our teams cannot be successful without your dedication to Bearkat Athletics.

If at any time you have questions regarding NCAA rules, please do not hesitate to contact the Bearkat Athletics Compliance Coordinator at 936-294-4440 or email at ath_ccc@shsu.edu .

A Representative of Athletics Interests (Booster) is any individual who has:

• Made any type of financial contribution to the SHSU athletics department or booster organization.
• Assisted in recruiting a prospective student-athlete.
• Participated in/is a member of any agency or organization promoting the athletics program.
• Assisted in providing benefits directly to enrolled student-athletes or their families.
• Been involved otherwise in promoting the institution's athletics program.

Once booster status is established, individuals retain that identity indefinitely.

Do's and Don't's for Representatives of Athletics Interests

Do's

• Notify Athletics or coaching staff members about outstanding prospects.

• You may attend games where prospects/potential recruits are competing, as long as no contact is made with the prospect or prospect's parents.

• You may continue normal contact with prospects with whom you have pre-established relationships, as long as the contacts are not recruiting related.

• You may arrange employment for known prospects and current student athletes, as long as pay is the "going rate" and the employment begins after high school graduation.

• Accept a phone call from a prospect, as long as the prospect initiates the call. All questions regarding athletics recruitment should be directed back to the athletics department.

• Provide an occasional/infrequent meal for current student-athletes. It may be in your home or on the SHSU campus and the meal may be catered. You may also provide transportation for the athletes attending a meal.

Don'ts

• Provide a prospect, his/her parents, relatives, friends, or coaches with any material benefit. This includes, but is not limited to, free tickets to professional and collegiate athletics events, movie passes, gifts, loans of money, transportation, etc.

• Make recruiting presentations to individual prospects or groups of prospects/potential recruits.

• Make in person on or off-campus recruiting contact, telephone calls, or establish written correspondence with prospects/potential recruits.

• Contact prospects via social networking sites, such as twitter or facebook.

• Use your personal website or social networking site to blog about, comment about or interview prospects/potential recruits.

• Provide reduced rate or free housing to current student athletes.

• Provide any room, board or any other type of living expenses to an athlete during the summer prior to enrollment including free or reduced rent or "house sitting" opportunities.

• Entertain or provide awards or gifts directly to current student-athletes, or family or friends.

• Pay a student-athlete for a speaking engagement.

• Use a student-athlete's name, picture, or appearance to promote sales or advertise the use of a commercial product or service.

• Pay or offer to pay for registration fees for summer sports camps for a prospect.

OTHER IMPORTANT NCAA BOOSTER INFORMATION

Due to the increasing popularity of social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace), the Bearkat Athletics Compliance  has created this page as a quick reference for Bearkat fans.

Please remember that only coaches and Athletics Department
staff members may be involved in the recruiting process.

All boosters are prohibited from contacting prospects or members of a prospect's family by any means for the purpose of encouraging the prospect's participation in the Sam Houston State University athletics program.

Please know that although you may or may not consider yourself a booster of Bearkat Athletics, by engaging in any of the actions below the NCAA will consider you a booster.

OTHER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. May I email or post messages on a prospective student-athlete's MySpace, Facebook or similar website?
A. No, you may not. An athletics representative may not email or post messages on the webpage or website of any prospective student-athlete.

Q. May I create an online group dedicated to convincing or encouraging a prospect that we want them to attend Sam Houston State if the group members do not directly contact the prospect?
A. The NCAA would consider this as recruiting activity by boosters, so this would NOT be permissible.

Q. What if I do not urge a prospect to come to SHSU, may I contact them just to tell them about all the great things SHSU has to offer?
A. No. Once again, this is another form of recruiting and only coaches are permitted to recruit on behalf of the institution.

Q: Who is defined as a prospect?
A: Any individual that has begun classes for the ninth grade. This includes any individual who is currently enrolled in and/or attending courses at a junior college or prep school.

Please remember that individuals other than coaches should not be contacting prospects, directly or indirectly, in any manner or using any form of communication in an effort to persuade them to attend SHSU.

If you have questions about this information or about NCAA or Southland Conference rules, please contact the Athletics Compliance Department.  We appreciate your support and your help in ensuring we operate within NCAA rules and regulations.

NCAA Guidelines for Determining Whether Benefits Resulting from an Established Relationship are Within NCAA Legislation.

Official Interp Issued: Jun 06, 2000

• Did the relationship between the athlete (or the athlete's parents) and the individual providing the benefit(s) develop as a result of the athlete's participation in athletics or notoriety related thereto?
• Did the relationship between the athlete (or the athlete's parents) and the individual providing the benefit(s) predate the athlete's status as a prospective student-athlete?
• Did the relationship between the athlete (or the athlete's parents) and the individual providing the benefit(s) predate the athlete's status achieved as a result of his or her athletics ability or reputation?
• Was the pattern of benefits provided by the individual to the athlete (or the athlete's parents) prior to the athlete attaining notoriety as a skilled athlete similar in nature to those provided after attaining such stature?

The NCAA notes that the origin and duration of a relationship and the consistency of benefits provided during the relationship are key factors in determining whether the benefits provided are contrary to the spirit and intent of NCAA legislation.

The subcommittee determined that prior to initial full-time collegiate enrollment, a prospective student-athlete may receive normal and reasonable living expenses from an individual with whom the student-athlete has an established relationship (e.g., high-school coach, non-scholastic athletics team coach, family of a teammate), even if the relationship developed as a result of athletics participation, provided:

• The individual is not an agent,
• The individual is not an athletics representative of a particular institution involved in recruiting the prospect, and
• Such living expenses are consistent with the types of expenses provided by the individual as a part of normal living arrangements (e.g., housing, meals, occasional spending money, use of the family car).

The subcommittee noted that the above mentioned interpretation does not apply to individuals who have no logical ties to the prospect. It also noted that a current student-athlete who, prior to initial collegiate enrollment, has been receiving normal and reasonable living expenses from an individual with whom he or she has an established relationship may continue to receive occasional benefits (e.g., meals during campus visits, reasonable entertainment) from an individual or family with whom the student-athlete has an established relationship.