NCAA Definitions

NCAA DEFINITIONS
Understanding the terms


Prospective Student-Athlete
An individual in ninth grade or above is considered a prospective student-athlete by NCAA definition Exception - In Men's Basketball, a prospect is anyone in the seventh grade or above Status is retained until full-time enrollment at a four-year institution

Recruited Prospective Student-Athlete

Actions by staff members or representatives of athletics interests (boosters, fans, alumni) that cause a prospective student-athletes to become "recruited" are:
- providing the prospective student-athlete with an official visit;
- having an arranged, in-person, off-campus encounter with the prospect or his/her parents, relatives or legal guardians; or
- issuing a National Letter of Intent (NLI) or written offer of athletically-related financial aid

Representative of Athletics Interests (a.k.a. "Booster")
Any individual, independent agency, corporate entity or other organization who is known (or should have been known) by a member of the institution's executive or athletics administration to: have participated in or to be a member of an agency or organization promoting the institution's NCAA athletics program; have made financial contributions to the athletics department (i.e., Phoenix Club); be assisting or have been requested (by the athletics department staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes; be assisting or to have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families; or have been involved otherwise in promoting the institution's athletics program Once an individual becomes a booster, he or she retains that status forever

Representative of Athletics Interests (a.k.a. "Booster")

Official Visit
Any visit to campus in which the institution covers any portion of expenses incurred by the prospective student-athlete Official visits are limited to 48 hours in duration Each prospective student-athlete is entitled to five official visits, with not more than one to any institution Exception: In Men's Basketball, a prospect is afforded five official visits during each of his junior and senior years in high school Up to six complimentary tickets are permitted for any home contest within 30 miles of campus

Official Visit

Any visit to campus in which the institution covers any portion of expenses incurred by the prospective student-athlete
Official visits are limited to 48 hours in duration
Each prospective student-athlete is entitled to five official visits, with not more than one to any institution
- Exception: In Men's Basketball, a prospect is afforded five official visits during each of his junior and senior years in high school
Up to six complimentary tickets are permitted for any home contest within 30 miles of campus

Unofficial Visit
Any visit to campus in which all expenses are incurred by the prospective student-athlete No limit on number or duration Up to three complimentary tickets are permitted (five for a nontraditional family) for any home contest within 30 miles of campus In sports other than Football and Basketball, may not occur with athletics involvement prior to September 1 of high school junior year In Men's Basketball, may not occur with athletics involvement prior to September 1 of high school sophomore year

Unofficial Visit

Any visit to campus in which all expenses are incurred by the prospective student-athlete
No limit on number or duration
Up to three complimentary tickets are permitted (five for a nontraditional family) for any home contest within 30 miles of campus
In sports other than Football and Basketball, may not occur with athletics involvement prior to September 1 of high school junior year
- In Men's Basketball, may not occur with athletics involvement prior to September 1 of high school sophomore year

National Letter of Intent (NLI)
An official document administered by the Collegiate Commissioners Association and used by institutions to establish a prospective student-athlete's commitment to attend a particular college or university Once signed, no other institutions may recruit the prospective student-athlete Many recruiting restrictions, including frequency of contact and communications, are lifted following a signed NLI

Recruiting Contact
Any face-to-face, off-campus encounter between a prospective student-athlete (or family) and a college staff employee or booster; if the conversation extends beyond a greeting Contact restrictions apply on a sport-by-sport basis, regarding frequency, age of prospect, and recruiting calendars

Recruiting Evaluation
Any off-campus activity designed to assess a prospective student-athlete's academic qualification or athletic ability Evaluations are limited in number on a sport-by-sport basis No recruiting contact may occur during an evaluation An evaluation may be academic (e.g., visit to the guidance counselor) or athletics (e.g., visit to practice or competition)