Boosters and Prospects
WHO IS A PROSPECT?
A prospective student-athlete ("prospect") is any individual who has started classes in the ninth (9th) grade of high school. In the sport of men’s basketball, a prospect is any individual who started classes in the seventh (7th) grade. In addition, a prospect is any individual who has not yet started classes in the ninth (9th) grade of high school (seventh grade for men’s basketball), but has received financial assistance or any other benefit from an institution. (e.g., provided free admissions to attend a camp/clinic.)
A prospect remains a prospect even after committing to or signing a National Letter of Intent (NLI) with Montana State University (MSU) or any institution. Further, both the institution and the prospect continue to be governed by NCAA recruiting legislation regarding prospects until that prospect reports for regular squad practice or attends his/her first day of classes in any regular term.
BOOSTERS & PROSPECTS
Boosters are strictly banned from engaging with prospects unless it can be shown that they have a pre-existing relationship with the prospect (e.g., family, neighbor, etc.). It is impermissible for a booster to attempt to influence a prospect’s decision to attend a university. It is permissible for a booster to bring prospects from the booster’s area to the attention of the MSU coaching staff. However, that booster may not be involved in the actual evaluation (e.g., may not contact the prospect’s coach, principal, counselor, etc.), and may not visit the prospect’s educational institution to pick up film or transcripts) of that prospect. A booster may never contact the prospect for the purposes of soliciting enrollment to MSU.
A booster may not contact a prospect or his/her parents in person, by telephone, or in writing. Contact may not be made with a prospect or his/her parents on or off MSU's campus. Boosters may also not contact, for the purpose of recruiting, any student-athlete who has enrolled at another institution.
A booster may have a telephone conversation with a prospect only if the prospect initiates the call; even when the prospect initiates the call, the conversation may not be recruiting-related. An MSU Athletics staff member may not prearrange such calls. The booster must always refer any questions about the athletic program to the Athletic Department.
Unavoidable incidental contact with a prospect is not automatically an NCAA violation, provided the contact is not prearranged by the Athletic Department or the booster, does not take place on the grounds of the prospect’s educational institution or at the sites of organized competition and practice involving the prospect or their team, is not made for the purpose of recruitment, and involves only normal civility.
Boosters may not call prospects even after they have signed an NLI with MSU because they remain prospects until they report for class or practice at MSU. Do not contact a prospect for any reason without first checking with Bobcat Compliance, unless the prospect is one of your relatives.
Boosters may employ prospects only after the prospect has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend MSU. They may not be employed until the completion of their senior year in high school. Any such contact must receive prior approval from the compliance office. When a prospect is employed, he or she must be paid the going rate in that locality, and only for work actually performed.
During recruitment or prior to an individual’s enrollment, a booster may not be involved, directly or indirectly, in making arrangements for a prospect, the prospect’s relatives, or friends to receive money, financial aid, or equivalent inducements, regardless of whether similar financial aid, benefits or arrangements are available to prospect's in general, their relatives, or their friends.
Other prohibited inducements include, but are not limited to: cash or loans; promise of employment after college; special discounts or payment arrangements on loans; employment of relatives or friends of a prospect; involvement in arrangement for free or reduced charges for professional or personal services, purchases, or charges; use of an automobile, providing transportation to or from a summer job or to any other site; signing or co-signing a note for a loan; the loan or gift of money or other tangible items (e.g., clothes, cars, jewelry, electronics, etc.); gifts of any kind; guarantees of bond; purchase of items or services from a prospect or the prospect’s family at inflated prices; providing directly or indirectly transportation to enroll in classes; any financial aid other than that administered by MSU; the promise of financial aid for postgraduate education; free or reduced cost housing arrangements; arrangement for or payment of transportation costs incurred by relatives or friends of a prospect; entertainment of a prospect or their family on- or off-campus; benefits connected with on- or off-campus housing (e.g., television sets, stereos, recreational facilities, etc); tickets or admission to an athletic, institutional or community event; educational expenses (e.g., typing costs, course supplies, use of a copy machine, etc); or registration fees for summer sports camps.
It is not permissible for a booster to entertain high school, prep school, or junior college coaches at any location. A booster may not reimburse the coach of a prospect for expenses incurred while transporting a prospect to visit MSU. A booster may not provide transportation to or from campus or free admission to MSU Athletics events on- or off-campus to prospects, their friends, or their relatives.
Boosters are reminded to leave the recruitment of prospects to MSU coaches and to always ask before they act!
A prospective student-athlete ("prospect") is any individual who has started classes in the ninth (9th) grade of high school. In the sport of men’s basketball, a prospect is any individual who started classes in the seventh (7th) grade. In addition, a prospect is any individual who has not yet started classes in the ninth (9th) grade of high school (seventh grade for men’s basketball), but has received financial assistance or any other benefit from an institution. (e.g., provided free admissions to attend a camp/clinic.)
A prospect remains a prospect even after committing to or signing a National Letter of Intent (NLI) with Montana State University (MSU) or any institution. Further, both the institution and the prospect continue to be governed by NCAA recruiting legislation regarding prospects until that prospect reports for regular squad practice or attends his/her first day of classes in any regular term.
BOOSTERS & PROSPECTS
Boosters are strictly banned from engaging with prospects unless it can be shown that they have a pre-existing relationship with the prospect (e.g., family, neighbor, etc.). It is impermissible for a booster to attempt to influence a prospect’s decision to attend a university. It is permissible for a booster to bring prospects from the booster’s area to the attention of the MSU coaching staff. However, that booster may not be involved in the actual evaluation (e.g., may not contact the prospect’s coach, principal, counselor, etc.), and may not visit the prospect’s educational institution to pick up film or transcripts) of that prospect. A booster may never contact the prospect for the purposes of soliciting enrollment to MSU.
A booster may not contact a prospect or his/her parents in person, by telephone, or in writing. Contact may not be made with a prospect or his/her parents on or off MSU's campus. Boosters may also not contact, for the purpose of recruiting, any student-athlete who has enrolled at another institution.
A booster may have a telephone conversation with a prospect only if the prospect initiates the call; even when the prospect initiates the call, the conversation may not be recruiting-related. An MSU Athletics staff member may not prearrange such calls. The booster must always refer any questions about the athletic program to the Athletic Department.
Unavoidable incidental contact with a prospect is not automatically an NCAA violation, provided the contact is not prearranged by the Athletic Department or the booster, does not take place on the grounds of the prospect’s educational institution or at the sites of organized competition and practice involving the prospect or their team, is not made for the purpose of recruitment, and involves only normal civility.
Boosters may not call prospects even after they have signed an NLI with MSU because they remain prospects until they report for class or practice at MSU. Do not contact a prospect for any reason without first checking with Bobcat Compliance, unless the prospect is one of your relatives.
Boosters may employ prospects only after the prospect has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend MSU. They may not be employed until the completion of their senior year in high school. Any such contact must receive prior approval from the compliance office. When a prospect is employed, he or she must be paid the going rate in that locality, and only for work actually performed.
During recruitment or prior to an individual’s enrollment, a booster may not be involved, directly or indirectly, in making arrangements for a prospect, the prospect’s relatives, or friends to receive money, financial aid, or equivalent inducements, regardless of whether similar financial aid, benefits or arrangements are available to prospect's in general, their relatives, or their friends.
Other prohibited inducements include, but are not limited to: cash or loans; promise of employment after college; special discounts or payment arrangements on loans; employment of relatives or friends of a prospect; involvement in arrangement for free or reduced charges for professional or personal services, purchases, or charges; use of an automobile, providing transportation to or from a summer job or to any other site; signing or co-signing a note for a loan; the loan or gift of money or other tangible items (e.g., clothes, cars, jewelry, electronics, etc.); gifts of any kind; guarantees of bond; purchase of items or services from a prospect or the prospect’s family at inflated prices; providing directly or indirectly transportation to enroll in classes; any financial aid other than that administered by MSU; the promise of financial aid for postgraduate education; free or reduced cost housing arrangements; arrangement for or payment of transportation costs incurred by relatives or friends of a prospect; entertainment of a prospect or their family on- or off-campus; benefits connected with on- or off-campus housing (e.g., television sets, stereos, recreational facilities, etc); tickets or admission to an athletic, institutional or community event; educational expenses (e.g., typing costs, course supplies, use of a copy machine, etc); or registration fees for summer sports camps.
It is not permissible for a booster to entertain high school, prep school, or junior college coaches at any location. A booster may not reimburse the coach of a prospect for expenses incurred while transporting a prospect to visit MSU. A booster may not provide transportation to or from campus or free admission to MSU Athletics events on- or off-campus to prospects, their friends, or their relatives.
Boosters are reminded to leave the recruitment of prospects to MSU coaches and to always ask before they act!
