NCAA Key Definitions:

Amateurism:
A student shall not be eligible for intercollegiate competition in a particular sport if the student-athlete (or parents/relatives):

• negotiates, signs or enters into any written or oral agreement with an agent;
• accepts or receives any extra benefits from an agent or anyone who wishes to represent the student-athlete;
• uses their athletic skill for pay, or for the promise of pay;
• competes with a professional sports team or receives any compensation from a professional sports team; or
• receives an extra benefit that is not available to the general student population.

Representative of Athletics Interests:
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.

NOTE: Once an individual, independent agency, corporate entity or other organization is identified as such a representative, the person, independent agency, corporate entity or other organization retains that identity indefinitely.

Prospective Student-Athlete - Who is a Prospective Student-Athlete?
A prospective student-athlete ("prospect") 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 (excluding summer); or

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

(c) The individual officially registers and enrolls and attends classes during the summer prior to initial enrollment and receives institutional athletics aid.

Recruiting - Do's and Don'ts (Representatives & Prospects):

Permissible Contacts: As a Representative of Athletics Interests, you are permitted to:
1. Notify coaches about prospects in your area that may be strong additions to the Saint Mary's team;
2. Attend high school or two-year college athletic contests or events where prospects may compete, but you may not contact the prospect or their relatives or guardians;
3. Continue existing friendships with families of prospects, but you may not attempt to recruit the prospect.
4. Engage in permissible pre-enrollment activities with a prospect, such as summer employment, provided the prospect has already signed a National Letter of Intent and the institution is aware and informed these contacts are made.
5. Have a phone conversation with a prospect only if the prospect initiates the call. Such a call may not be pre-arranged by any institutional staff member or another representative of athletics interests. All questions regarding the athletic department must be referred to the proper Athletic Department staff member.

As a Representative of Athletics Interests, you MAY NOT provide a prospect with improper recruiting inducements, including but not limited to:
1. Contact a prospect's coach, principal or counselor in an effort to evaluate a prospect;
2. Visit a prospect's educational institution to pick up film or transcripts pertaining to the evaluation of the prospect's academic eligibility or athletic ability;
3. Contact a prospect, his/her relatives, or legal guardians by telephone;
4. Write a prospect, his/her relatives or legal guardians; or
5. Make special arrangements for entertaining a prospect on an official visit (e.g. By providing donations, goods, services or discounts).

The following financial aid or other benefits MAY NOT be offered to a prospect or to the prospect's relatives of friends:
1. Cash or like items;
2. Any tangible items, including merchandise;
3. Gift of clothing or equipment;
4. Payment of any fees (e.g. camps, special tutoring);
5. Free or reduced cost services; rentals or purchases of any type;
6. Free or reduced cost housing;
7. An employment arrangement for a prospect's relatives; or
8. Providing loans to a prospect's relatives or friends.

Enrolled Student-Athlete - Who is an Enrolled Student-Athlete?
An individual becomes an enrolled student-athlete, and no longer a prospect, upon his or her first participation in official practice activities or attendance at the first day of classes at Saint Mary's College during the regular academic year, whichever occurs first. The individual retains the status of enrolled student-athlete for so long as he or she remains a member of a team while attending Saint Mary's College as a full-time student.

Do's and Don'ts (Representatives & Enrolled Student-Athletes):

As a representative of Saint Mary's College's athletics interests, you MAY NOT:
1. Provide a student-athlete with extra benefits or services, including, but not limited to:

2. Make services available to a student-athlete (e.g., movie tickets, dinners, use of car) from commercial agencies (e.g., movie theaters, restaurants, car dealers) without charge or at a reduced cost);
3. Provide a student-athlete with a special discount payment arrangement, or credit on a purchase or service;
4. Provide a student-athlete with professional services without charge or at a reduced cost;
5. Allow a student-athlete to use a telephone or credit card without charge or at a reduced cost; or
6. Serve as a "sponsor" or a "family" for enrolled student-athletes;
7. Promise of employment after college graduation;
8. Invitations to your summer home for water skiing, sailing, fishing, etc.
9. Involve student-athletes in commercial advertising.

NOTE: An extra benefit is ... any special gift or arrangement provided to an enrolled student-athlete or a student athlete's relative or friend which is not available to the general student body of that institution. Extra benefit legislation also may apply to gifts or arrangements (other than legitimate jobs) following the student-athlete's graduation.

Rules to Remember
1. Representatives of Athletics Interests cannot provide an "extra benefit" or special arrangements to an enrolled student-athlete that is not available to all other students at the Institution.
2. If a student-athlete accepts any benefit based on his/her athletic ability, that athlete will lose all eligibility for intercollegiate athletic participation. If the student-athlete has completed eligibility, the institution is still responsible and may receive penalties applied to the sport program. Additionally, the booster or representative involved may be told to disassociate from the Institution's athletics program.

As a representative of Saint Mary's College's athletics interest, you MAY:
1. Provide an occasional family home meal. The meal must be provided in an individual's home and must be restricted to infrequent and special occasions (e.g., Thanksgiving, Christmas). Please contact the Director of Compliance before inviting the student-athlete to your home.
2. Provide employment for enrolled student-athletes during the academic year and during the summer vacation period. A student-athlete's compensation: