Booster Rules
Promotional Activities
Education Session
SJSU Athletics
Compliance Office
September 23 & 28, 2010
Booster Defined
NCAA Bylaw 13.02.14 defines a "representative of the
institution's athletics interests" (more commonly referred
to as a booster) as an individual, independent agency,
corporate entity (e.g., apparel or equipment
manufacturer) or other organization who is known (or
who should have been known) by the institution's
executive or athletics administration to:
(a) Have participated in or to be a member of an agency
or organization promoting the institution's intercollegiate
athletics program;
(b) Have made financial contributions to the athletics
department or to an athletics booster organization of that
institution;
Booster Defined, cont’d…
(c) Be assisting or to have been requested (by
the athletics department staff) to assist in the
recruitment of prospects;
(d) Be assisting or to have assisted in providing
benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their
families; or
(e) Have been involved otherwise in promoting
the institution's athletics program.
Indefinitely! Per Bylaw 13.02.14.1, once an
individual or organization is identified as a
booster, that identity is retained forever!
# 1: Bobby Bigman thanks Sammy
Spartan for allowing his parents to ride in
Sammy Spartan’s car.
• Impermissible
• NCAA Bylaw 16.11.2.3 prohibits an institution or a
booster from providing a student-athlete or the studentathlete's relatives or friends a benefit not expressly
authorized by NCAA legislation, including but not limited
to transportation.
• Per NCAA Bylaw 16.02.3, receipt of a benefit by studentathletes or their relatives or friends is not a violation of
NCAA legislation if it is demonstrated that the same
benefit is generally available to the institution's students
or their relatives or friends or to a particular segment of
the student body (e.g., international students, minority
students) determined on a basis unrelated to athletics
ability.
#2: Sammy Spartan’s offer to Bobby
to serve as an intern at one of his
businesses.
• Permissible
• There is no legislation that prohibits a booster
from employing student-athletes so long as the
employment is in accordance with Bylaw 15.2.7
(next slide!).
• NCAA Bylaws 13.2.3.3 & 13.2.3.3.1 allows an
institution to arrange for employment or employ
any prospect, provided the employment does not
begin prior to the completion of the prospect's
senior year in high school or prior to the prospect
has officially withdrawn from or has graduated
from a two-year college.
#3: Sammy Spartan tells Bobby he will pay him
a higher salary since more clients will use the
business because Bobby is the starting center
for SJSU’s basketball team.
• Impermissible
• NCAA Bylaw 15.2.7 requires a student-athlete's on- or offcampus employment to be conducted accordingly:
(a) The student-athlete's compensation does not include any
remuneration for value or utility that the student-athlete may
have for the employer because of the publicity, reputation,
fame or personal following that he or she has obtained
because of athletics ability;
(b) The student-athlete is compensated only for work
actually performed; and
(c) The student-athlete is compensated at a rate
commensurate with the going rate in that locality for similar
services.
• SJSU requires student-athletes to complete an Employment
Form for any on- or off-campus employment.
#4: Sammy Spartan invites Bobby
Bigman to his house for Sunday dinner.
• Permissible.
• NCAA Bylaw 16.11.1.5 allows a student-athlete to
receive an occasional family home meal from a booster
on infrequent and special occasions under the following
conditions:
(a) The meal must be provided in an individual's
home (as opposed to a restaurant), on campus or at
a facility that is regularly used for home competition
and may be catered; and
(b) A booster may provide reasonable local
transportation to student-athletes to attend the meal
function only if the meal function is at the
home of that booster.
• SJSU requires an Occasional Meal Form be completed
and submitted to the Compliance Office PRIOR to the
meal taking place.
#5: Parents of student-athletes are
always welcome to attend pre-game
booster club events as “honorary
members” of the booster club and eat at
the events for free.
• Impermissible
• This would be an extra benefit per NCAA
Bylaw 16.02.3.
• The parents of a current student-athlete
could attend this event and eat only if they
pay the value of the meal, or if they are
members of the booster club.
#6: Sammy Spartan wishes his neighbor
Ronnie Rebounder, a prospect, good luck.
• Permissible
• NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.2(d) allows for contacts to
be made with a prospect by a booster who is an
established family friend or neighbor, it being
understood that such contacts are not made for
recruiting purposes and are not initiated by a
member of an institution's coaching staff.
• NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.2(d) is an exception to the
permissible recruiter’s legislation.
#7: Sammy Spartan promises to attend
Ronnie Rebounder’s next game.
• Permissible
• NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.4(b) permits a booster
to view a prospect's athletics contest on
his or her own initiative, subject to the
understanding that the booster may not
contact the prospect on such occasions.
• In this case, Sammy Spartan could speak
to Ronnie after the game because of his
relationship with Ronnie as his neighbor.
#8: Sammy Spartan sends an e-mail to
SJSU’s basketball coaches to make sure
they are following the progress of the his
neighbor’s basketball career.
• Permissible
• There is no NCAA legislation that prohibits
a booster from pointing out a talented
prospect to coaches.
• NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.8 prohibits an
institution from paying any costs incurred
by a booster in studying or recruiting
prospects.
#9: Sammy Spartan sends Bobby Bigman a
gift certificate for free dry cleaning for he and
his family.
• Impermissible
• NCAA Bylaw 16.11.2.2.1 prohibits a booster
from providing a student-athlete with
professional services (for which a fee normally
would be charged) without charge or at a
reduced cost. Professional services provided at
less than the normal rate or at no expense to a
student-athlete are considered an extra benefit
unless they are available on the same basis to
the general student body.
#10 : Sammy Spartan arranges to pay the
dinner tab of two former SJSU hoops
players.
• Permissible
• It is permissible for a former student-athlete to
receive a benefit of nominal value (e.g., meal,
ride, overnight lodging) on an occasional basis
from a booster or institutional staff members,
provided the institution is not engaged in
recruiting any relative of the former studentathlete. [9/6/01, Official Interpretation]
#11: Bobby Bigman introduces Sammy
Spartan to the recruits who are on an official
visit.
• Impermissible
• Per NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.1, all in-person, on- and
off-campus recruiting contacts with a prospect or
the prospect's relatives or legal guardian(s) shall
be made only by authorized institutional staff
members. Such contact, as well as
correspondence and telephone calls, by
boosters is prohibited except as expressly
legislated.
#12: Sammy Spartan invites the
prospects to stop by the local bowling
alley where he is hosting a business
luncheon for area business leaders.
• Impermissible
• NCAA Bylaw 13.6.7.1 prohibits
entertainment and contact by boosters
during the official visit.
#13: Sammy Spartan realizes he has enough
paperweights to give one to each of the
recruits.
• Impermissible
• Per NCAA Bylaw 13.2.1, an institution's staff member or
booster may not be involved, directly or indirectly, in
making arrangements for or giving or offering to give any
financial aid or other benefits to a prospect or his/her
relatives/friends, other than expressly permitted by
NCAA regulations. Receipt of a benefit by a prospect or
his/her relatives/friends is not a violation of NCAA
legislation if it is determined that the same benefit is
generally available to the institution's prospective
students or their relatives or friends or to a particular
segment of the student body (e.g., international
students, minority students) determined on a basis
unrelated to athletics ability.
NCAA Bylaw 13.2.1.1 lists specifically
prohibited financial aid, benefits and
arrangements to include, but are not
limited to:
(a) An employment arrangement for a prospect's relatives;
(b) Gift of clothing or equipment;
(c) Cosigning of loans;
(d) Providing loans to a prospect's relatives or friends;
(e) Cash or like items;
(f) Any tangible items, including merchandise;
(g) Free or reduced-cost services, rentals or purchases of
any type;
(h) Free or reduced-cost housing;
NCAA Bylaw 13.2.1.1 specifically
prohibited financial aid, benefits and
arrangements, cont’d…..
(i) Use of an institution's athletics equipment (e.g.,
for a high school all-star game);
(j) Sponsorship of or arrangement for an awards
banquet for high school, preparatory school or twoyear-college athletes by an institution,
representatives of its athletics interests or its alumni
groups or booster clubs; and
(k) Expenses for academic services (e.g., tutoring,
test preparation) to assist in the completion of initialeligibility or transfer-eligibility requirements or
improvement of the prospect's academic profile in
conjunction with a waiver request.
#14: Gilbert Grump tells the recruits he will fly
them to San Jose in his private plane when it is
time for them to report to summer school if
they sign with SJSU.
• Impermissible
• NCAA Bylaw 13.2.1 prohibits an institution's staff
member or any booster from being involved,
directly or indirectly, in making arrangements for
or giving or offering to give any financial aid or
other benefits to a prospect or his or her
relatives or friends, other than those expressly
permitted by NCAA regulations.
#15: The servers bring out the lunch of
filet mignon and lobster for all of the
attendees.
• Impermissible
• NCAA Bylaw 13.6.7.1 prohibits
entertainment and contact by boosters
during an official visit.
• NCAA Bylaw 13.6.7.7 requires that meals
provided to prospects on an official visit be
comparable to those provided to studentathletes during the academic year.
#16: Gilbert tells the prospect he will pay
the admission fee for his brother to
attend SJSU’s basketball camp.
• Impermissible
• NCAA Bylaw 13.12.1.6.2 prohibits a
booster from paying a prospect’s
expenses to attend an institution’s
sports camp/clinic.
#17: Gilbert Grump tells the recruit he
can stay in his house for free during the
summer.
• Impermissible
• One of the specifically prohibited financial
aid, benefits and arrangements set forth in
NCAA Bylaw 13.2.1.1 is free or reducedcost housing.
#18: Gilbert Grump and Sammy Spartan
comment on the potential of the recruits to
the San Jose Mercury News Reporter.
• Permissible
• Although NCAA Bylaw 13.10.2 prohibits athletics
department staff members from evaluating a
prospect for news media, scouting services or
recruiting services prior to the prospect's signing,
boosters are not precluded from commenting on a
prospect’s ability, provided the institution has not
directed the booster's comments or been otherwise
instrumental in arranging such publicity. [12/9/88,
Staff Interpretation]
#19: Sammy Spartan calls the recruit’s
high school counselor to find out about
the recruit’s academic status.
• Impermissible
• Per NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.4(c), a
booster may not contact a prospect's
coach, principal or counselor in an
attempt to evaluate the prospect.
#20: Sammy Spartan arranges to pay
for a private tutor for the prospect.
• Impermissible
• One of the specifically prohibited financial aid,
benefits and arrangements set forth in NCAA
Bylaw 13.2.1.1 expenses for academic services
(e.g., tutoring, test preparation) to assist in the
completion of initial-eligibility or transfereligibility requirements or improvement of the
prospect's academic profile in conjunction with a
waiver request.
Promotional Activities
Permissible Community Service
Activities
Bylaw 12.5.1.1 Institutional, Charitable,
Educational or Nonprofit Promotions
• The provisions of Bylaw 12.5.1.1 governing
institutional, charitable, educational or nonprofit
promotions are applicable to athletics
department promotions and community service
activities that include participation by studentathletes. As a result, a student-athlete's
participation in such activities must meet the
following criteria set forth in Bylaw 12.5.1.1.
[7/7/03, Ed Column]
Bylaw 12.5.1.1 Institutional, Charitable,
Education or Nonprofit Promotions
• A member institution or recognized entity thereof
(e.g., fraternity, sorority or student government
organization), a member conference or a
noninstitutional charitable, educational or
nonprofit agency may use a student-athlete's
name, picture or appearance to support its
charitable or educational activities or to support
activities considered incidental to the studentathlete's participation in intercollegiate athletics,
provided the following conditions are met:
Bylaw 12.5.1.1 cont’d….
(a) The student-athlete receives written approval
to participate from the director of athletics (or his
or her designee who may not be a coaching staff
member), subject to the limitations on
participants in such activities as set forth in
Bylaw 17;
Bylaw 12.5.1.1 cont’d….
(b) The specific activity or project in which the
student-athlete participates does not involve cosponsorship, advertisement or promotion by a
commercial agency other than through the
reproduction of the sponsoring company's
officially registered regular trademark or logo on
printed materials such as pictures, posters or
calendars. The company's emblem, name,
address and telephone number may be included
with the trademark or logo. Personal names,
messages and slogans (other than an officially
registered trademark) are prohibited;
Bylaw 12.5.1.1 cont’d….
(c) The name or picture of a student-athlete with
remaining eligibility may not appear on an
institution's printed promotional item (e.g.,
poster, calendar) that includes a reproduction of
a product with which a commercial entity is
associated if the commercial entity's officially
registered regular trademark or logo also
appears on the item;
(d) The student-athlete does not miss class;
Bylaw 12.5.1.1 cont’d….
(e) All moneys derived from the activity or project go
directly to the member institution, member conference
or the charitable, educational or nonprofit agency;
(f) The student-athlete may accept actual and
necessary expenses from the member institution,
member conference or the charitable, educational or
nonprofit agency related to participation in such
activity;
(g) The student-athlete's name, picture or appearance
is not used to promote the commercial ventures of any
nonprofit agency;
Bylaw 12.5.1.1 cont’d….
(h) Any commercial items with names, likenesses or
pictures of multiple student-athletes (other than highlight
films or media guides per Bylaw 12.5.1.7) may be sold only
at the member institution at which the student-athletes are
enrolled, the institution's conference, institutionally
controlled (owned and operated) outlets or outlets
controlled by the charitable, educational or nonprofit
organization (e.g., location of the charitable or educational
organization, site of charitable event during the
event). Items that include an individual student-athlete's
name, picture or likeness (e.g., name on jersey, name or
likeness on a bobble-head doll), other than informational
items (e.g., media guide, schedule cards, institutional
publications), may not be sold; and
Bylaw 12.5.1.1 cont’d….
(i) The student-athlete and an authorized
representative of the charitable, educational or
nonprofit agency sign a release statement
ensuring that the student-athlete's name, image
or appearance is used in a manner consistent
with the requirements of this section.
SPARTAN CUP
Student-Athlete Affairs Competition
SPARTAN CUP
• Point Categories
▫ Teams for Teams
▫ Scholarly Success
▫ Community Outreach
▫ Personal Enhancement
▫ Professional Development
▫ SAAC Involvement
▫ Athletic Excellence
▫ Above and Beyond
SPARTAN CUP
• Submission of Points
▫ All Student-Athletes & Coaches are
eligible to earn and submit points.
▫ Points will be calculated at the end of the
month and point board (in Gadway) &
website will be updated monthly.
▫ Points are submitted on website
 Inside Athletics
 Champs Life Skills
SPARTAN CUP
• Prizes!
▫ Third Place
 $500 for STUDENT-ATHLETES to use at
their discretion (within SJSU/NCAA rules)
▫ Second Place
 $1,000
▫ First Place
 $2,000
 Traveling ‘SPARTAN CUP’ trophy for the
year
SPARTAN CUP
• Questions?
Please contact Whitney Rotrock!
Whitney.rotrock@sjsu.edu
924.1349