Information for Alumni, Boosters, and Representatives of Athletics Interests

 We appreciate all of the support from our Alumni, Boosters and Friends of the University! Our teams cannot be successful without your dedication to UB Athletics.

Let's win the right way...within NCAA rules.  If at any time you have questions regarding NCAA rules and how they pertain to you, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Compliance at 716-645-3146 or email us at kc29@buffalo.edu.

Do's and Don'ts for Representatives of Athletics Interests

• Do's
• If desired, provide an occasional family meal for student-athletes. The meal can be in the home of the representative of athletics interests, on campus here at UB, or at a local restaurant, and the meal can be catered. You may also provide transportation for the athletes attending this meal.
• Attend games where prospects are competing, as long as no contact is made with the prospect or prospect's parents.
• Continue normal contact with prospects with whom you have pre-established relationships, as longs as the contacts are not recruiting related.
• If desired, arrange employment for prospective student-athletes, as long as the employment begins after high school graduation, and pay is commensurate with the "going rate".
• Accept a phone call from a prospect, as long as the prospect initiates the call. All questions regarding the institution's athletics department should be directed back to the athletics department.
• Check with the Office of Compliance at 716-645-3146 before you do anything that may jeopardize a current or prospective student-athlete's eligibility. Better safe than sorry!
• Notify the Division of Athletics or coaching staff members about outstanding prospects.

• Don'ts
• Provide a prospective student athlete, his/her parents, relatives, friends, or coaches with any material benefit. This includes, but is not limited to, free tickets to professional and collegiate athletics events, movie passes, gifts, loans of money, transportation, etc.
• Make recruiting presentations to groups of prospective student-athletes.
• Make in person on or off-campus recruiting contact, telephone calls, or establish written correspondence with prospective student-athletes.
• Contact prospective student-athletes via social networking sites, such as myspace or facebook.
• Use your personal website or social networking site to blog about, comment about or interview prospective student-athletes.
• Entertain or provide awards or gifts for a current student-athlete, or his/her family and friends.
• Pay a student-athlete for a speaking engagement.
• Use a student-athlete's name, picture, or appearance to promote sales or advertise the use of a commercial product or service.
• Pay or offer to pay for registration fees for summer sports camps for a prospect.
• Don't provide a currently enrolled student-athlete with complimentary tickets to a professional sporting event, concerts, movies, etc. This applies even if you obtained the tickets free of charge. Providing student-athletes with free tickets to professional sporting and other events is considered an extra benefit.

Due to the increasing popularity of social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace), the University at Buffalo Athletics Compliance Department has created this page as a quick reference for Bulls fans.

Please remember that only coaches and Athletics Department
staff members may be involved in the recruiting process.

All boosters are prohibited from contacting prospects or members of a prospect's family by any means for the purpose of encouraging the prospect's participation in the University at Buffalo athletics program. Please know that although you may or may not consider yourself a booster of UB Athletics, by engaging in any of the actions below the NCAA will consider you a booster.

Q. May I email or post messages on a prospective student-athlete's MySpace, Facebook or similar website?
A. No, you may not. An athletics representative may not email or post messages on the webpage or website of any prospective student-athlete.

Q. May I create an online group dedicated to convincing or encouraging a prospect that we want them to attend UB if the group members do not directly contact the prospect?
A. The NCAA would consider this as recruiting activity by boosters, so this would NOT be permissible.

Q. What if I do not urge a prospect to come to UB, may I contact them just to tell them about all the great things UB has to offer?
A. No. Once again, this is another form of recruiting and only UB coaches are permitted to recruit on behalf of the institution.

Q: Who is defined as a prospect?
A: Any individual that has begun classes for the ninth grade. This includes any individual who is currently enrolled in and/or attending courses at a junior college or prep school.

Please remember that individuals other than UB coaches should not be contacting prospects, directly or indirectly, in any manner or using any form of communication in an effort to persuade them to attend UB.

If you have questions about this information or about NCAA or Mid American Conference rules, please contact the UB Athletics Compliance Department at (716) 645-7978.  We appreciate your support of UB Athletics and your help in ensuring we operate within NCAA rules and regulations.