Compliance

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The following information is provided by the Missouri Western State University Athletics Department for representatives of athletic interests (boosters).

Information for Boosters in printable format
 

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) declares that each institution (Missouri Western State University) is responsible for the control of its intercollegiate athletics program and compliance with the rules and regulations of the NCAA. This control includes the conduct and actions of all staff members and other individuals or agencies that promote the athletic interests of Missouri Western State University.

Representatives of Missouri Western State University's athletics interests are strictly prohibited from off-campus recruiting activities involving personal contact with potential student athletes.

Prospective Student-Athlete:

A student who has started classes for the ninth grade, including students in prep schools and junior colleges, and individuals who have officially withdrawn from four-year schools. Any student not yet in the ninth grade becomes a prospect if an institution provides the student with any financial assistance or other benefits that are generally not provided to prospective students.

Contact:
A contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospect or the prospect's parents, relatives or legal guardian(s) and a Missouri Western State University staff member or athletics representative during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of a greeting.

Recruiting:
Any solicitation of a prospect or a prospect's relatives (or legal guardian) by a Missouri Western State University staff member or representative of the institution's athletics interests for the purpose of securing the prospect's enrollment and ultimate participation in the Missouri Western State University intercollegiate athletics program.

Extra Benefit:
An extra benefit is any special arrangement by a Missouri Western State University employee or a representative of athletics interest to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete's relative or friend with a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation.

National Letter of Intent (NLI):
An official document administered used to establish the commitment of a prospective student-athlete to attend a particular institution.

NCAA Eligibility Center:
The NCAA Eligibility Center certifies athletics eligibility for Division I and II student-athletes. The Eligibility Center uses high school courses and test scores (ACT/SAT) to determine freshman athletics eligibility.

A "representative of the institution's athletics interests" or booster is an individual 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, including corporate entities (e.g., apparel and equipment companies), 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.

Once an individual is identified as a booster, that person retains the distinction indefinitely.

An extra benefit is a special arrangement or gift which would include the provision of any transportation, meals, discounts, clothes, gifts of any kind, entertainment, any financial aid other than that issued through Missouri Western, preferential loan terms, or other benefits offered to a student-athlete but which are unavailable to the general student population.  The NCAA strictly prohibits representatives of athletic interests from providing “extra benefits” to prospects or enrolled student-athletes.

·         You MAY NOT become involved in making arrangements to provide money or financial aid of any kind

·         You MAY NOT arrange or provide for the co-signing of a loan of money

·         You MAY NOT provide the use of a car

·         You MAY NOT provide any benefits, gifts, or special arrangements.  This prohibition includes free or reduced cost lodging and tickets

·         You MAY NOT provide room, board, or transportation costs for family and friends to visit campus or attend home or away athletic contests

·         You MAY provide an occasional family home meal to a student-athlete or an entire team provided the meal is in your home (as opposed to a restaurant) and may be catered.  If you wish to host an occasional meal, please contact the Missouri Western Compliance Office at (816) 271-4258 prior to this meal.

·         You MAY provide reasonable local transportation to student-athlete(s) to attend such meals

According to the NCAA, recruiting is defined as any solicitation of a prospect or prospect’s relatives by an institutional staff member or by a representative of athletic interests for the purpose of securing the prospect’s enrollment and ultimate participation in the institution’s intercollegiate athletics program. 

Representatives of Missouri Western’s athletics interests MAY NOT make ANY recruiting contacts.  This includes letters, e-mails, telephone calls, communication through “facebook” or “MySpace” websites, text/instant messages, and face-to-face contact.

Things to Remember:

·         You MAY forward information about prospects to the appropriate member of the Missouri Western coaching staff (i.e. newspaper articles)

·         You MAY view a prospect’s athletic contest at your own initiative provided you do not contact the prospect or his/her parents.  In addition you may not contact a prospect’s coach, principal, or counselor in an attempt to evaluate the prospect.

·         You MAY continue pre-established relationships with prospects, family friends, and neighbors of prospects.  These normal contacts are permitted as long as they are not made for recruiting purposes or initiated by Missouri Western coaches.

All charitable, educational and nonprofit promotional activities involving student-athletes must have prior approval from the Missouri Western Athletic Department.  Student-athletes are not permitted to be involved in the direct or indirect advertisement, recommendation, or promotion of sales, use of a commercial product, or service of any kind.

Under NCAA rules, Missouri Western may not provide or donate any athletic memorabilia (e.g. balls, jerseys, hates, tickets, photos, etc.) directly or indirectly, that could benefit a high school athletics program or prospects.  All individuals or organizations (including charitable, educational, and non-profit) requesting donations or personal items to be autographed, must contact the Missouri Western Athletic Department to receive approval for the use of these items.

Institutions are required by the NCAA to notify athletics representatives of consequences regarding rules violations.  Athletics representatives found in violation of NCAA rules are subject to losing benefits and privileges, including season tickets.

The NCAA Committee on Infractions has processed cases in which penalties have included both disassociation of athletics representatives from the institution and the loss of season ticket privileges.

1.       Please contact the Missouri Western Athletic Compliance Office if you have any questions regarding your involvement with MWSU current or prospective student-athletes.  You can contact the Compliance Coordinator, Eric Kramer, at (816) 271-4258 or ekramer@missouriwestern.edu.

2.       Remember that in most cases, any form of contact with prospects is prohibited!

3.       Compliance with NCAA rules is EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY.