Prospects and Coaches of Prospects
Definitions
A prospective student-athlete (“prospect”) is any student that has started classes for the ninth grade. In addition, a student of any age will be considered a prospect if the institution provides benefits to the student that the institution does not provide to prospective students generally.
A recruiting contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospect (or the prospect’s parent/guardian) and an Indiana State staff member or booster during which any dialogue occurs in excess of a greeting.
A prospective student-athlete remains a prospect until the start of classes or official team practice at ISU. Signing a National Letter of Intent does not remove the status of “prospect.”
Involvement by Boosters
Only Indiana State University coaches and staff members can be involved in the recruiting process. There may be no communication of any kind (e.g. letter, phone calls, e-mails, or face-to-face contact) between boosters and prospects, or their families, for the purpose of encouraging the prospect to participate in the Indiana State University athletics program. In addition, boosters may not contact or otherwise communicate with the prospect’s coach, principal, or counselor for the purpose of evaluating the prospect, nor may they pick up films or transcripts from the prospect’s school.
A booster may continue to have contact with a prospect if an established relationship between the booster and the prospect already exists. He or she may not, however, take advantage of these relationships for recruiting purposes.
A booster may have a phone conversation with a prospect only if the prospect initiates the call. A University staff member may not prearrange the telephone call and the discussion should be limited to the University in general. All athletically related questions must be referred to the Athletics Department.
An impermissible contact or communication, even if unintentional, could subject Indiana State University to NCAA-imposed penalties. Prospects could lose eligibility for competition at Indiana State University because of a recruiting violation caused by a booster.
It is permissible for a booster to attend a prospect’s game on his or her own initiative as long as no contact with the prospect or the prospect’s parents/guardians occurs. You are encouraged to share information about promising student-athletes with ISU coaches.
