Guide to NCAA Rules
St. Edward’s University Athletics has put together a brief overview of NCAA booster rules for alumni, faculty and friends. Complete guidelines are available in the Athletics compliance manual. You may also want to review helpful definitions, as well as our guidelines for what boosters can do and the rules to keep in mind.
Booster Basics
What is a booster?
In NCAA terms, a "booster" is a "representative of the institution's athletics interests." You are considered a representative if:
- You have ever been a member of any organization promoting St. Edward’s
University Athletics. - Made any type of donation to the Hilltopper Club, Athletics or any other
university organizations - Assisted in evaluating or recruiting prospective student-athletes or in providing
benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families - Promoted St. Edward’s University Athletics in any other manner
How long will I be considered a booster?
NCAA Bylaw 13.02.12.1 mandates that when you become a booster, you retain that identity for the rest of your life. As a representative of the university’s athletics interests you are bound by NCAA rules, making St. Edward’s responsible for your actions.
What can’t boosters do?
The main activities boosters must avoid include:
- Contacting recruits, either in-person, by telephone, in writing or by any other methods
- Contacting the recruit's coach, principal or counselor in any manner. Please leave this to our coaches.
- Providing any type of benefit (money, services, items) to recruits or student-athletes, unless such a benefit is readily available to the public in general and such a claim can be easily demonstrated
Limited Exceptions for Faculty and Staff Members
The NCAA’s booster guidelines allow for faculty and staff members to:
- Have in-person contacts with recruits only at SEU
- Begin to write to recruits after Sept. 1 at the start of the recruit's junior year of high school with prior approval from the recruit’s coach
- Provide recruits information that is available to the public in general
How are conduct violations dealt with?
Per NCAA Bylaw 6.4.2.1 any individual who has engaged in conduct that is determined by the NCAA, the Heartland Conference or St. Edward’s University to be a violation of NCAA rules — regardless of whether such violation results in the imposition of sanctions — shall be subject to the revocation or withholding of any athletics-related benefit or privilege from St. Edward’s.
This may include, without limitation, the withholding of ticket privileges for the period of time that the NCAA, the Heartland Conference or the university deems appropriate. The revocation of ticket privileges may result in an individual being denied admittance to any type of athletics event hosted by St. Edward’s.
Because of the complexity of NCAA rules, we encourage all boosters to contact Athletics directly with questions about recruits or current student-athletes:
Thank you for your continued support of the Hilltoppers!