Jun 27 2011
The explosion of social media has brought every day fans closer to the college basketball recruiting process than ever before. But with access comes responsibility -- the line between "fan" and "booster" is very blurry, and boosters can get their favorite teams in a lot of trouble if they aren't careful.What is a Booster?
A booster is one who "represents the athletic interests" of a specific program. In the eyes of the NCAA, that can mean a one who:- Joins a "booster club" that promotes a given team or athletic program
- Makes a financial contribution to a program's athletic department -- no matter the amount
- Buys season tickets in any sport
- Provides any benefit (a summer job for a player, for example) to a student-athlete
Who is a prospective student-athlete?
Any individual that has started high-school classes, or is in prep school or a junior college, is considered a prospective student athlete -- a "prospect" -- in the eyes of the NCAA, until he or she enrolls at a four-year college.NCAA Rules regarding Boosters and Prospects
If you're a booster, your interactions with prospective student-athletes is strictly limited. Here's a quick rundown of what you can and cannot do:Boosters CANNOT
- ... have any "recruiting" contact with prospects or their families. That includes phone calls, letters, emails and face-to-face meetings.
- ... provide financial aid of any kind or in any amount (clothing, discounts, gifts, transportation, loans, etc.) to prospects or their relatives.
- ... have any contact with a prospect or his/her parents during an official or unofficial recruiting visit
- ... contact any recruit to offer congratulations on the signing of a National Letter of Intent
- ... employ or arrange for the employment of any prospect before the completion of his/her senior year
- ... provide anything to a prospect or prospect's family or friends without approval from the school compliance office
- ... forward information about prospects to a member of the coaching staff
- ... attend a prospect's games, provided the booster does so on their own initiative and pays his/her own way
- ... speak to prospects via telephone -- but only if the prospect initiates the call. Even in such a case, boosters may not discuss recruiting, and must refer any recruiting questions to the team staff
Recruiting, Boosters and the Internet
NCAA regulations treat Internet and social media contact the same way they treat email... an email saying "please attend Big State" would be a major no-no, as would sending the same message to a prospect via Twitter, or creating a "Jim Smith should attend Big State" group on Facebook.When in doubt, avoid any contact -- electronic or otherwise -- with prospects. You could do your favorite team more harm than good.
This article was adapted from a set of guidelines created by the staff of Redmen.com - a St. John's University fan forum - for members of that community, with the permission of the authors.
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