NCAA Rules for Academic-Athletic Fellows
Princeton University is a member of the Ivy Group and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is committed to maintaining a high degree of integrity in its athletic program. We need all of you to join us in meeting this expectation. Please read the summary below and if you ever have questions, contact Anthony Archbald (archbald@princeton.edu or 8-4948) or Kelly Widener (kw2@princeton.edu or 8-5312).
PERMISSIBLE
Occasional Meals: You may provide an occasional meal to a student-athlete or whole team on infrequent and special occasions at your home or in a local restaurant. You may provide reasonable local transportation to student-athletes to attend the meal function only if the meal is in your home.
Practice: You may attend practices, but may not participate in any coaching activities (offering strategic advice to the athletes, demonstrating any skill, being part of team drills or skill instruction, etc.)
Recruiting: You may meet with prospects and their parents/guardians when they are on campus. You may provide a meal at your home for a prospect and his/her parents or guardians on an official visit, provided the meal is on a scale comparable to that of normal life, is not excessive in nature and occurs only on one occasion during the visit.
Miscellaneous Permissible Activities:
1. Track academic performance;
2. Be present at on-campus recruiting events and meet with recruits;
3. Sit on the team bench, stand on the sideline or be in the team area during competition;
4. Be in a team meeting or game huddle provided you don’t instruct or coach the athletes;
5. Coordinate community service activities.
IMPERMISSIBLE
Extra Benefits: An extra benefit is any special arrangement to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete’s relative or friend, a benefit that is not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation. Extra benefits may include but are not limited to:
1. Transportation – You may not provide transportation to a student-athlete, even if the student-athlete reimburses you for the appropriate amount of gas or mileage. There are two exceptions. You may occasionally provide local transportation (within 50 miles of campus) and transportation for an occasional home meal as stated above.
2. Lodging – You may not provide free or reduced rent or housing during the academic year or the summer to a student-athlete. They must be charged a normal rent for the local area.
3. Money – You may not provide cash or loans in any amount to student-athletes.
4. Gifts – You may not provide gifts to student-athletes for any occasion unless you provide the same gifts to students at large (in your classes; members of clubs that you are affiliated with, etc.).
5. Cell Phones – Student-athletes may only use your cell phone in an emergency situation.
Instruction/Analysis: It is impermissible to do any of the following:
1. Analyze video involving your team or its opponents.
2. Scout Opponents.
3. Set up offenses/defense...offer competition strategy
4. Provide analysis of a practice session
5. Engage in any coaching activity during practice, skill instruction, competition, etc.
Recruiting: It is impermissible to do any of the following:
1. Participate in off-campus recruiting activities...have contact with recruits off-campus
2. Call recruits
3. Send recruits letters, material without confirming if permissible
