Please wait while the ticker loads...
 

Amateurism

Current Student-Athletes

Many activities can place a student-athlete's eligibility in jeopardy. Some of these activities are covered in this section regarding amateurism. Please familiarize yourself with these rules to avoid any violations.

Competition with Professionals: An individual shall not be eligible for intercollegiate athletics if the individual ever competed on a professional team, regardless of whether the individual knew (or had reason to know) that the team was a professional team.

Draft: An individual loses amateur status in a particular sport when the individual asks to be placed on the draft list or supplemental draft list of a professional league in that sport, even though:

  1. The individual asks that his or her name be withdrawn from the draft list prior to the actual draft;
  2. The individual's name remains on the list but he or she is not drafted; or
  3. The individual is drafted but does not sign an agreement with any professional athletics team.

However, an enrolled student-athlete in the sport of basketball may enter a professional league's draft one time during his or her collegiate career without jeopardizing eligibility in that sport, provided the student-athlete is not drafted by any team in that league and the student-athlete declares his or her intention to resume intercollegiate participation within 30 days after the draft. The student-athlete's declaration of intent shall be in writing to the institution's director of athletics.

Agent: An individual is not permitted to retain an agent or receive any benefits from an agent.

Contract: An individual is not permitted to sign a contract with a professional team.

Prize Money Based on Place Finish: An individual, subsequent to initial, full-time collegiate enrollment, is not permitted to accept prize money based on place finish in an athletics event.

Employment: Fee-for-Lesson Compensation: A student-athlete is permitted to accept fee-for-lesson compensation, provided specified conditions are met. (Note: Student-athlete is still subject to NCAA Bylaw 15 requirements.)

Restrictions:

  1. Student-athlete cannot use institutional facilities;
  2. Student-athlete cannot just go out and play for the lesson;
  3. Institution has to have documentation of the individual receiving the lesson and the fee charged);
  4. Fee charged has to be the going rate; and
  5. Compensation has to be paid by the individual receiving the lesson (or that individual's family).

Salary:

An individual is not permitted to accept any direct or indirect salary, gratuity or comparable compensation.

Prospective Student-Athletes

All prospective student-athletes intending to enroll in an NCAA Division I institution for the first time on or after August 1, 2007 must complete the NCAA Amateurism Certification questionnaire. This questionnaire may be accessed when registering for the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. Answers to frequently asked questions regarding the questionnaire may be found at: http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/ach/FAQs.pdf.

There are many things that a prospective student-athlete needs to be aware of regarding amateurism. Failure to comply with the following rules may result in ineligibility.

Competition with Professionals: An individual shall not be eligible for intercollegiate athletics if the individual ever competed on a professional team, regardless of whether the individual knew (or had reason to know) that the team was a professional team.

Definition of a professional team: A professional team is an organized team that provides any of its players more than actual and necessary expenses, as specified, or declares itself to be professional. Actual and necessary expenses include:

  1. Meals directly tied to competition and practice held in preparation for such competition;
  2. Lodging directly tied to competition and practice held in preparation for such competition;
  3. Apparel, equipment and supplies;
  4. Coaching and instruction;
  5. Health/medical insurance;
  6. Transportation (i.e., expenses to and from practice and competition, cost of transportation from home to training/practice site at the beginning of the season and from training/practice site to home at the end of season);
  7. Medical treatment and physical therapy;
  8. Facility usage; and
  9. Entry fees
Draft:

An individual, prior to initial, full-time collegiate enrollment is permitted to enter a professional league's draft and/or be drafted without jeopardizing intercollegiate eligibility.

Agent: An individual is not permitted to retain an agent or receive any benefits from an agent.

Contract: An individual is not permitted to sign a contract with a professional team.

Prize Money Based on Place Finish: An individual, prior to initial, full-time collegiate enrollment, is permitted to accept prize money based on place finish in an open athletics event, not to exceed actual and necessary expenses, from the sponsor of the event. The calculation of actual and necessary expenses shall not include the expenses of fees of anyone other than the prospective student-athlete (e.g., coach's fees or expenses, parents, expenses).

Educational Expenses: An individual, prior to initial, full-time collegiate enrollment, is permitted to accept educational expenses (i.e., tuition and fees, room and board and books) from any individual or entity other than an agent, professional sports team/organization or representative of an institution's athletics interests, provided such expenses are disbursed directly through the recipients' educational institution (e.g., preparatory school, high school).

Salary: An individual is not permitted to accept any direct or indirect salary, gratuity or comparable compensation.