NCAA Compliance

Tulane Athletics is proud to have a loyal, generous and vocal fan base. However it is important that all supporters of Tulane Athletics are aware of NCAA rules that pertain to outside support of intercollegiate athletics. In this respect, it is important that Tulane and all of its boosters, friends, and fans abide by NCAA rules relating to contributions to Tulane Athletics.

The following information is provided as a resource to all supporters of Tulane Athletics so that they may better understand the rules and regulations of the NCAA, the American, and Tulane. However, this information is only a guide and the Compliance Office reminds all supporters of Tulane Athletics to “Ask before you act.” If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to call (504-314-7210), email lrobertson@tulane.edu, or visit the James W. Wilson, Jr. Center.

Booster Guide

Boosters play a role in providing student-athletes with a positive experience through their enthusiastic efforts. They can support teams and athletics departments through donations of time and financial resources, which help student-athletes succeed on and off the playing field. What is a “booster”? A “booster” is known in NCAA terms as a “representative of the institution’s athletics interests.”

You are a booster if:

  • You have ever been a member of any organization promoting Tulane Athletics,

  • You have ever made any type of donation to the Tulane Athletics (i.e. Green Wave Club) or any booster organization,

  • You have ever assisted in evaluating or recruiting prospective scholar-athletes,

  • You have ever arranged for or provided employment for student-athletes,

  • You have ever assisted in providing benefits to enrolled scholar-athletes or their families,

  • You have promoted Tulane Athletics in any other manner. 

Once an individual is identified as a “representative of the institution’s athletics interest,” the person retains that identity forever.

Students are still considered prospects even if they have a signed National Letter of Intent or any other financial aid agreement with a university.

Boosters may

  • Notify university coaching staff members about noteworthy prospects in the area.

  • Attend high school or two-year college athletic contests or other events where prospects may compete, provided no contact occurs.

  • Make contributions to university program and other gift-in-kind arrangements.

  • Continue to maintain contact with student-athletes and their families with whom the booster has verifiable pre-existing relationship.

  • Provide summer jobs to enrolled scholar-athletes (not recruits) at a rate commensurate with a wage for such employment in the locality and for work actually performed. You cannot give the athlete any benefit that is not given to other employees in general. Please also note that there are more restrictive rules regarding work for scholar-athletes during the academic year. Please do not employ a scholar-athlete without approval from Tulane Athletics.

Boosters may not:

  • Contact recruits, either in-person, by telephone, in writing or by any other methods in neither an on-campus or off-campus setting.

  • Provide gifts or free or reduced-cost services to a prospect or the prospect’s relative or guardian.

  • Employ relatives, guardians or friends of a prospect as an inducement for the prospect’s enrollment and athletics participation at a university.

  • Become directly or indirectly involved in making arrangements for a prospect or the prospect’s relatives or guardian to receive money or financial aid of any kind.

  • Provide transportation for a prospect or the prospect’s relatives or guardian.

  • Provide free or reduced-cost tickets for a prospect or the prospect’s relatives or guardian to attend an athletic event.

  • Provide any material benefit (e.g., meals, cash) to the coach of a prospect, including high school, two-year college, AAU and summer team coaches.

  • Provide any type of benefits (money, services, items) to recruits or scholar-athletes, unless same is readily available to the public in general, and such a claim can be easily demonstrated.

If a violation occurs, it may jeopardize a student-athlete’s eligibility for intercollegiate competition, jeopardize a school’s membership status with the NCAA or cause a booster to lose access to all booster benefits.

The following are definitions of terms that are frequently used by the Compliance Office. Boosters, fans, and friends of Tulane should familiarize themselves with these terms and be aware of the potential consequences of their actions.

Who is a “representative of the institution’s athletics interests”? (Bylaw 13.02.15)

A “representative of the institution’s athletics interests” is an individual, independent agency, corporate entitiy (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 (Revised 2/16/00)

(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 prospective student-athletes;

(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.

Who is a “prospective student-athlete”? (Bylaw 13.02.13)

A “prospective student-athlete” is a student who has started classes for the ninth grade. In addition, a student who has not started classes for the ninth grade becomes a prospective student-athlete if the institution provides such an individual (or the individual’s relatives or friends) any financial assistance or other benefits that the institution does not provide to prospective students generally. An individual remains a prospective student-athlete until one of the following occurs (whichever is earlier):

(a)  The individual officially registers and enrolls in a minimum full-time program of studies and attends classes in any term of a four-year collegiate institution’s regular academic year (including summer);

(b)  The individual participates in a regular squad practice or competition at a four-year collegiate institution that occurs before the beginning o of any term;

(c)  The individual officially registers, enrolls and attends classes during the certifying institution’s summer term prior to his or her initial full-time enrollment at the certifying institution; or

(d)  The individual reports to an institutional orientation session that is open to all incoming students within 14 calendar days prior to the opening day of classes of a regular academic year term.

What is a “contact”? (Bylaw 13.02.4)

A “contact” is any face-to-face encounter between a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete’s parents, relatives or legal guardians and an institutional staff member or athletics representative during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of a greeting. Any such face-to-face encounter that is prearranged (e.g., staff member positions himself or herself in a location where contact is possible) or that takes place on the ground of the prospective student-athletes educational institution or at the site of organized competition or practice involving the prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athletes high school, preparatory school, two-year college or all-star team shall be considered a contact, regardless of whether any conversation occurs. However, an institutional staff member or athletics representative who is approached by a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete’s parents, relatives, or legal guardians at any location shall not use a contact, provided the encounter was not prearranged and the staff member or athletics representative does not engage in any dialogue in excess of a greeting and takes appropriate steps to immediately terminate the encounter.

What is an “evaluation”? (Bylaw 13.02.7)

“Evaluation” is any off-campus activity designed to assess the academic qualifications or athletics ability of a prospective student-athlete, including any visit to a prospective student-athlete’s education institution (during which no contact occurs) or the observation of a prospective student-athlete participating in any practice or competition at any site.

What is a “quiet period”? (Bylaw 13.02.4)

A “quiet period” is a period of time when it is permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on the institution’s campus. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts or evaluations may be made during the quiet period.

What is a “dead period” (Bylaw 13.02.5.5)

A “dead period” is a period of time when it is not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on or off the institution’s campus or to permit official or unofficial visits by prospective student-athletes to the institution’s campus. It remains permissible, however, for an institutional staff member to write or telephone a prospective student-athlete during a dead period.

If you have any questions or comments, please call (504-314-7210), email lrobertson@tulane.edu, or visit the James W. Wilson, Jr. Center.