NCAA Compliance
NCAA Terms and Language
Institutional Control: Cornell University is responsible for the actions of all of our coaches and athletes as well as the athletic department staff, boosters, alumni and others that work with our student-athletes in anyway.
Representative of Athletics Interest: You are a Representative of Athletics Interest, if you have ever:
- Participated in or belonged to or been a member of an agency or organization promoting a Cornell University intercollegiate athletics program.
- Made financial contributions to Cornell University intercollegiate athletics or to an athletics booster organization of the university.
- Assisted or have been requested (by the athletics department staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospects.
- Assisted, or are assisting in providing benefits to enrolled student/athletes or their families.
- Been otherwise involved in promoting Cornell University intercollegiate athletics.
Prospective Student/Athlete: A prospective student/athlete is defined by the NCAA as any person who has begun ninth grade classes. A person remains a prospect even after signing with a college. It is a good idea to treat all athletes as prospects until they enroll in college.
Extra Benefits: An extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee, booster, alumni, donor, parent, contractor, etc. to provide a student-athlete, prospect or their relative or friends a benefit not expressly authorized by the NCAA. Examples of extra benefits not allowed by NCAA include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Cash or loans in any amount, or signing or cosigning for a loan.
- Gifts of any kind, including birthday and holiday gifts.
- Free or reduced-cost services such as car repair, haircuts, travel services, etc.
- The use of an automobile.
- A ride, on or off campus, except to "an occasional" home meal.
- Tickets to an athletic or community event.
- Entertaining a prospect or prospect's family on or off campus.
Occasional Meal: A student-athlete or the entire team may receive an occasional family home meal from a representative of athletics interests on infrequent and special occasions under the following conditions:
- The meal must be provided in an individual's home (as opposed to a restaurant) but it may be catered.
- A representative of athletics interests may provide reasonable local transportation to attend the meal.
Recruiting: Recruiting is any solicitation of a prospective student-athlete or the prospect's family by an institutional staff member for the purpose of securing the prospect's enrollment and ultimate participation in the institution's intercollegiate athletics program.
Contact: A contact is a face to face encounter between a prospect or a prospect's family and an institutional staff member during which the dialog is in excess of an exchange of greetings. Any encounter that is prearranged or that takes place on the grounds of the prospect's school or at a site of organized competition or practice is considered a contact regardless of the conversation.