Awards and Extra Benefits
NCAA Bylaw 16 governs the provision of extra benefits and awards to student-athletes. Student-athletes, who receive an award, benefit or other allowance not authorized by NCAA legislation through the Compliance Office renders the student-athlete ineligible for athletics competition.
The Compliance Office has various procedures in place to maintain the eligibility of all student-athletes. Additional information and required forms that must be completed to document any award or benefit provided student-athletes may be found on the forms page of this web site.
Student-athletes may be provided occasional meals in accordance with NCAA regulations. Such meals must be approved in advance by the Compliance Office.
Extra Benefits Defined
An extra benefit is any special arrangement provided by coaches, staff, or boosters to a student-athlete or a prospective student-athlete that is not generally available to the general student body or prospective students who are not athletes at Indiana State University. Preferential treatment is any other special arrangement provided to a student-athlete or prospective student-athlete on the basis of his/her athletic ability or reputation. Both are violations of NCAA rules and both may render a student-athlete permanently ineligible.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of benefits that may not be provided to student-athletes or prospective student-athletes:
- Free or reduced-cost services of any kind (e.g., airline tickets, clothing, meals, nightclub admissions, Pacer tickets)
- Cash
- Providing or co-signing of loans
- Guarantee of bail/bond
- Use of an institutional or staff member’s vehicle
- Holiday or birthday presents
- Personal use of copy machines, fax machines, or long distance telephone calls
NCAA Bylaw 16 limits the types and values of awards that may be provided to student-athletes in recognition for outstanding academic or athletic achievement. An award may not be provided to a student-athlete unless the award receives pre-approval from the Compliance Office. Student-athletes receiving benefits not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation will have their eligibility adversely impacted.
Occasional Meals
An institutional staff member may provide a student-athlete or an entire team an occasional meal either in a restaurant in the locale of the institution or at the staff member’s home. Reasonable local transportation may be provided (by an institutional staff member and not a booster) to attend such meals.
Boosters ("representatives of athletics interests") may provide a student-athlete or an entire team with an occasional meal, provided:
- It is done only on an infrequent and special occasion,
- The meal (which can be catered) must be provided at the home of the booster, and
- Any local transportation provided to attend the meal (1) is reasonable (no helicopters or limousines) and (2) is provided only by the booster hosting the event.
Occasional meals may NOT be provided by Boosters to prospective student-athletes at any time.
