• “Representative of Athletics Interest” defined
• Employment of JU Student-Athletes
• Recruiting
• Extra Benefits
• Gambling
• Occasional meal
• Student-Athlete Appearances

Representative of Athletics Interests

(a.k.a. boosters)
A "representative of the institution's athletics interests" is 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 a member of 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;
(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.
Some examples of representative of athletics interests are: fans, undergraduate students, graduate students, all university faculty, staff and other employees and alumni. (This is not an exhaustive list.) Once identified as a booster, the individual or business retains that identity for life.

Employment of JU Student-Athletes

If you are going to employ a JU student-athlete please know the following:
• Student-athletes must have prior approval from the Compliance office before they begin any job, regardless of the type of employment (See approval forms below);
• Student-athletes should go through the same hiring process as all other employees;
• Student-athletes should be paid only for work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality for similar services;
• Student-athletes should be provided only those benefits, like free uniforms or meals during work hours, that are provided to all employees;
• Student-athletes should be treated as the employer would any employee doing similar work when it comes to things like, time off, breaks, scheduling, etc.
• Student-athletes should not be paid based on the value he or she may have for their employer's business due to their athletics reputation or ability;
• Student-athletes' names or images may not be used to promote their employer's business or any commercial product or service;
• Student-athletes may not be paid for endorsing a commercial product or service or using that product or service; and
• Student-athletes may not receive transportation from their employers (for work or otherwise) unless the employer provides it for all of their employees.
Link to employment form

Recruiting

Representatives of athletics interest are prohibited from recruiting prospective student-athletes on behalf of the University. A few helpful notes have been listed below:

• NO on- or off-campus in-person contact with a prospect or his/her parents;
• NO written or telephone correspondence may be made with a prospect or his/her parents;
• NO contact with a coach or any individual associated with the prospect to assist in the recruitment of a prospect;
• NO contact at the prospect's high school or junior college is permitted;
• Boosters may NOT pick up videos or transcripts of prospects for coaches;
• Boosters may NOT provide/pay a prospect's transportation/camp expenses to attend a JU athletic camp or clinic.

Extra Benefits

An extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a booster to provide a student-athlete, or his/her friends or relatives, a benefit not authorized by the NCAA. The benefits a student-athlete may NOT receive include, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
• money;
• special discounts;
• payment arrangement or credit on a purchase (airline ticket, clothes) or service (laundry, typing);
• free or reduced-cost professional services not available on the same basis to the general student body;
• use of a telephone, pager or credit card for personal reasons without charge or at a reduced rate;
• entertainment services (movie tickets, dinners, use of car) from commercial agencies (theaters, restaurants, car dealers) without charge or at reduced rates, or free or reduced-cost admission to professional athletics contests from professional sports organizations, unless such services are available to the student body in general;
• guarantee of bond;
• signing or cosigning a note with an outside agency to arrange a loan;
• preferential treatment, benefits or services based on his/her athletics reputation or skill or pay-back potential as a future professional;
• free or reduced-cost athletics equipment, supplies or clothing directly from a manufacturer or commercial enterprise;
• free or reduced cost room and/or board;
• payment or other compensation for work not performed or at unreasonable levels for the work performed;
• employment arrangements for a student-athlete or prospect's relatives or friends;
• payment of registration fees or other expenses to attend UF sports camp or clinic;
• use of personal property (boats, summer homes, cars, computers, stereos);
• holiday or birthday presents;
• promise of employment after college graduation;
• purchase of items or services from a prospect/student-athlete or their relatives at inflated prices; and
• payment or arrangements for payment of transportation costs incurred by a student-athlete or prospect's relatives or friends; or
• anything given because an individual is a student-athlete.

Gambling

NCAA rules prohibit all student-athletes, coaches and staff (including those outside of the athletics departments who have oversight over athletics) from wagering on any practice or competition, at any level, involving a sport sponsored by the NCAA. This includes wagering on the NCAA basketball tournament and professional football, since both football and basketball are sports sponsored by the NCAA.
What does the NCAA considered wagering?
Any time you put something at risk -- an entry fee, an amount of money, dinner, even a t-shirt - with the opportunity to win something in return, it is considered a wager under NCAA rules.
The NCAA definition of gambling includes any pools or bracket contests that involve an entry fee and have a prize for the winner OR any fantasy leagues that involve an entry fee and a prize for the winner.
NCAA rules also prohibit student-athletes, coaches and staff from sharing information about injuries, disciplinary actions or similar issues involving athletics teams with anyone known to be involved in gambling.
Sports wagering is an issue which affects not only the integrity of sports, but also the well being of our student-athletes. Gambling is damaging to an individual's financial and emotional well being, as well as being illegal in most states. The athletics departments have made educating our student-athletes about the dangers of gambling a point of emphasis.
Given the seriousness of this issue, the NCAA's penalties for gambling are severe. For example, NCAA rules state that student-athletes who are found to have engaged in activities such as point shaving or having bet on contests at their own institutions can be ruled permanently ineligible to compete in collegiate athletics.

Occasional Meals

NCAA rules permit the institution, and in some cases boosters, to provide student-athletes meals over and above what we are normally permitted to provide on an occasional basis. These "occasional meals" are subject to certain restrictions and must be approved by the Compliance office in advance of the meal. A team might use an occasional meal to have a holiday party or to go out to celebrate a team member's birthday.

Student-Athlete Appearances

JU student-athletes are extremely active in the community and utilize their role as a student-athlete to make a positive impact. The institution's role is to ensure that the activities our student-athletes participate in are appropriate and permissible.
Under NCAA rules, a student-athlete's name, picture or appearance may be used to support the university, the Atlantic Sun Conference, or a charitable, educational or nonprofit agency subject to certain conditions including the following:
• The appearance or use of the student-athlete's name or image MUST be approved by the athletics department by completing and submitting the Student-Athlete Appearance Form (form provided below);
• The appearance meets the NCAA's restrictions regarding the promotion of commercial products or entities. The Compliance office can provide more detail regarding these restrictions;
• The student-athlete does not miss class;
• Any funds raised go directly to the member institution, member conference or the charitable, educational or nonprofit agency.
• The institution or agency on whose behalf the student-athlete is appearing does not provide any benefits in excess of actual and necessary expenses to the student-athlete.
• The appearance or activity does not involve the sale of any item with an individual student-athlete's name, picture or likeness.
Submission of a Student-Athlete Appearance Form is required but does not guarantee that the request will be fulfilled. For more information, or to request the appearance of JU student-athletes, contact Stephanie Metz, Director of Student-Athlete Development.
Click here to view the Student-Athlete appearance form