Amateurism
The NCAA’s Principle of Amateurism dictates that only amateur student-athletes are eligible for intercollegiate athletics participation in a particular sport. By contrast, any person that receives any kind of payment for athletics participation, except as specifically permitted by the NCAA, is a professional athlete and is not eligible for intercollegiate competition.
Below is a short list of possible activities that may jeopardize the amateur status of a prospective student-athlete. Please be aware that this is not an exhaustive list. If you have any questions regarding your status, please contact the applicable head coach.
The NCAA Eligibility Center certifies the amateur status of all first time enrollees at an NCAA institution. All first time enrollees at a NCAA institution must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, obtain an NCAA ID, and complete the amateurism questionnaire
Professional Teams
A prospective student-athlete is rendered permanently ineligible to participate in intercollegiate athletics by participating on a professional team. Under NCAA legislation, a professional team is any organized team that either:
A. Declares itself to be professional, or
B. Provides any of its players more than actual and necessary expenses for participation on the team, except as otherwise permitted by NCAA legislation. Actual and necessary expenses are limited to the following, provided the value of these items is commensurate with the fair market value in the locality of the player(s) and is not excessive in nature:
- Meals directly tied to competition and practice held in preparation for such competition;
- Lodging directly tied to competition and practice held in preparation for such competition;
- Apparel, equipment and supplies;
- Coaching and instruction;
- Health/medical insurance;
- Transportation (i.e., expenses to and from practice and competition, cost of transportation from home to training/practice site at the beginning of the season and from training/practice site to home at the end of season);
- Medical treatment and physical therapy;
- Facility usage;
- Entry fees; and
- Other reasonable expenses incidental to participation.
Additional Amateurism Issues
In addition, an individual jeopardizes his/her amateur status by:
Accepting direct or indirect salary, gratuity or comparable compensation for the individual's participation on a team;
Accepting prize money or payment based on the individual's performance in competition;
Receiving preferential treatment, benefits, or services because of the individual's athletics reputation or skill (other than expressly authorized by NCAA rules); or
Accepting expenses to participate in competition, except as expressly provided in NCAA amateurism legislation.
Agents
Under NCAA rules, an individual loses amateur status if he/she agrees (verbally or in writing) to be represented by an agent in the present or in the future for the purpose of marketing the student-athlete's athletics ability or reputation. In addition, an individual is not permitted to accept transportation or other benefits from an agent.
The term "agent" includes actual agents, runners (individuals who befriend student-athletes and frequently distribute impermissible benefits), and financial advisors.
It is not a violation of NCAA rules if an individual merely talks to an agent (as long as an agreement for agent representation is not reached) or socializes with an agent (as long as the individual receives no tangible benefits). For example, a football prospective student-athlete could go to dinner with an agent, provided the prospective student-athlete provides his own transportation and pays for his own meal.
