March 31, 2008
Question: If a prospective student-athlete signs a National Letter of Intent (NLI) in one sport during the early signing period is it permissible for the prospect to sign a second NLI is a different sport during the regular signing period?
Answer: NO.
A prospective student-athlete may only sign one valid NLI. There is an exception to this rule. If the original NLI becomes null and void it would be permissible for the prospect to sign a second NLI. For more information on the National Letter of Intent program visit the following website: www.national-letter.org.
March 24, 2008
Question: What is grayshirting?
Answer: Grayshirting is a term used in the recruiting process to describe a situation in which a student-athlete delays initial enrollment in a collegiate institution to the winter or spring term after the traditional academic year begins. Students who "grayshirt" often use the fall to take classes part time or choose not to enroll in college at all. “Grayshirting” is not a formal designation by the NCAA or the National Letter of Intent program. A student-athlete who "grayshirts" is still obligated to attend the institution with which he/she signed a National Letter of Intent.
March 10, 2008
Question: Is it permissible for a camp or clinic to use the name and/or picture of a current student-athlete to promote the camp/clinic?
Answer: An institution or privately owned camp may use a student-athlete's name, picture and institutional affiliation only in the camp counselor section in its camp brochure to identify the student-athlete as a staff member. A student-athlete's name or picture may not be used in any other way to directly advertise or promote the camp.
March 3, 2008
Question: Is it permissible for an institution to help a student-athlete's parent(s) reserve lodging in conjunction with postseason competition?
Answer: An institution may reserve or secure lodging at any postseason event, other than a conference event, at a reduced or special rate for the parents (or legal guardians) and immediate family of a student-athlete who is a participant. It is not permissible for an institution to cover any portion of the cost of lodging, including any cost associated with reserving or securing the lodging.
February 25, 2008
Question: Is it permissible to provide prospects with complimentary admissions to attend a postseason tournament (e.g., Conference, NCAA)?
Answer: NO. Prospects and prospects' coaches may not receive complimentary admissions to attend postseason competition (e.g., NCAA championships, conference tournaments, NIT championships).
February 18, 2008
Question: Is it permissible for a booster to contact a prospect who has signed a National Letter of Intent with MSU?
Answer: NO. A prospect remains a prospect even after he/she has signed an NLI with an institution. Boosters may not have on- or off-campus contact with a prospect. In addition, boosters may not contact a prospect via telephone, written or electronic correspondence.
February 11, 2008
Question: Is it permissible for prospects to perform during an institution's halftime show?
Answer: The general rule is that students in the 8th grade or below may participate in athletic activities during halftime of an institution's athletic contests. It would not be permissible for prospects to participate in athletic activities during an institution's halftime show as that would constitute an impermissible tryout.
February 4, 2008
Question: Once a prospect signs a National Letter of Intent with an institution, is it permissible for the prospect to participate in workouts with the coaching staff?
Answer: NO.
It is permissible for a prospect to participate in recreational activities on campus with current student-athletes (e.g., open gym). However, it is not permissible for a coach to workout with a prospect or for the coach to watch the prospect participate in recreational activities with current student-athletes.
January 28, 2008
Question: New legislation was recently adopted regarding electronic communication with prospective student-athletes. Is it permissible for coaches to communicate with a prospect via text message?
Answer: Yes, provided the communication occurs the day after the prospect signs a NLI with the institution. The new legislation (effective immediately) states that after the calendar day on which a prospect signs a NLI with an institution there is no limit on the forms of electronic communication a coach may send to a prospect.
January 21, 2008
Question: Is it permissible for the general student body to display signs about a prospective student-athlete during an MSU athletics contest?
Answer: NO. It is not permissible for students to display a sign about a recruit during an MSU home contest when the recruit is in attendance. MSU is required to take the necessary steps to remove the signs from the facility.
January 14, 2008
Question: Is it permissible for a current MSU student-athlete to answer questions from the public or media about prospective student-athletes who have verbally committed to MSU?
Answer: NO. It is not permissible for current student-athletes to discuss a prospect's athletics ability, the contribution he/she may make to the team or the likelihood that the prospect will sign a National Letter of Intent with MSU.
January 7, 2008
Question: Is it permissible to increase or decrease a student-athlete's scholarship during the middle of an academic year?
Answer: Yes. An athlete's scholarship can be increased during the academic year only if the increase is unrelated in any manner to an athletics reason (e.g., performance). An athlete's scholarship can be reduced or canceled during the academic year if the athlete renders himself/herself ineligible for intercollegiate competition; fraudulently misrepresents any information on an application, letter of intent or financial aid agreement; engages in serious misconduct warranting substantial disciplinary penalty; or voluntarily withdraws from a sport at any time for personal reasons.
December 17, 2007
Question: Is it permissible for MSU to provide complimentary admissions to a prospect for a home contest at a neutral site?
Answer: YES. If an institution schedules a regular-season home game at a site not designated as its regular home facility, the host institution may provide a maximum of three complimentary admissions to any game for the exclusive use of a prospect and those persons accompanying the prospect. Tournament and postseason games are excluded. The one exception to this rule is that prospects may NOT receive complimentary admissions during a dead period.
December 10, 2007
Question: Are there any practice restrictions surrounding exam week?
Answer: For those sports not in season (i.e., soccer, field hockey), student-athletes may not participate in any practice activities (e.g., film, meetings, practice, weight training and conditioning) the week prior to finals and the week of finals. For all other sports, daily and weekly practice limitations (i.e., 4 hours per day, 20 hours per week) apply to exam week. Daily and weekly practice limitations do not apply during vacation periods.
December 3, 2007
Question: Is it permissible for a midyear transfer in the sport of football to receive expenses to attend an institution's bowl game?
Answer: NO. An institution may not provide expenses (e.g., travel, room and board, entertainment, incidental expenses, etc.) to a student-athlete who is a midyear enrollee (freshman or transfer) for participation in a postseason bowl game that occurs before or during the student-athlete's initial term of full-time enrollment at the institution.
November 26, 2007
Question: Once a prospects signs a National Letter of Intent (NLI) with an institution, is it permissible for an institution's coach to send a text message to the prospect?
Answer: NO. Once a prospect signs an NLI with an institution, that institution may contact, evaluate and call the prospect an unlimited number of times. However, it remains impermissible to text message a prospect regardless of whether the prospect has signed an NLI.
November 12, 2007
Question: When can an institution announce a prospect's signing of a National Letter of Intent (NLI)?
Answer: An institution may release information concerning a prospective student-athlete's commitment to attend the institution only after the prospect has signed a National Letter of Intent and the institution has received a valid copy of the signed National Letter of Intent and financial aid agreement. In addition, an institution may announce a prospect's commitment to attend the institution after the prospect has accepted the institution's written offer of admission and/or financial aid. There is no limit on the number of occasions an institution may release information to the media once the prospect has signed an NLI. An institution is prohibited from purchasing or receiving commercial advertising (e.g,. print, media or billboard) to be used to identify a prospect by name or picture.
November 5, 2007
Question: Is it permissible for a coach to participate in a prospect's announcement of his/her signing of a National Letter of Intent?
Answer: NO. It is permissible for a prospect to arrange a press conference to announce his/her signing of a National Letter of Intent. However, it is NOT permissible for an institution, an institution's coach or booster to have any involvement whatsoever in the press conference. This means that a coach may not attend the prospect's press conference or be a part of any interview conducted in conjunction with the signing (e.g., newspaper, radio, television).
October 22, 2007
Question: Is it permissible for a prospective student-athlete to sign a National Letter of Intent as a walk-on?
Answer: NO. In order for an NLI to be valid, it must be accompanied by an offer of financial aid for one academic year. It is not permissible for a prospective student-athlete to sign an NLI that is not accompanied by an offer of financial aid.
October 15, 2007
Question: The National Letter of Intent (NLI) early signing period for basketball, baseball, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, rowing, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, volleyball and wrestling is November 14-21, 2007. Who is eligible to sign a National Letter of Intent?
Answer: As a general rule, the only prospective student-athletes who may sign an NLI are students who will be entering four-year institutions for the first time as full-time students (i.e., high school seniors, junior college graduates). It is not permissible for a junior to sign the NLI. This rule's one exception is that a 4-2-4 transfer student who is graduating from a junior college may also sign an NLI.
In general, midyear transfers may not sign an NLI. However, in football, junior college football transfers who graduate from the junior college at midyear may sign an NLI.
October 8, 2007
Question: Is it permissible for a high school coach to be interviewed during a radio show conducted by an institution's coach?
Answer: NO. Institutions may not permit a prospective student-athlete or a high school, preparatory school or two-year college coach to appear, be interviewed or otherwise be involved (in person or via film, audio tape or videotape) on:
- A radio or television program conducted by an institution's coach;
- A program in which an institution's coach is participating; or
- A program for which a member of the institution's athletics staff has been instrumental in arranging for the appearance of the prospective student-athlete or coach or related program material.
October 1, 2007
Question: As far as academic requirements are concerned, which rules are student-athletes required to meet - MSU, Big Ten, NCAA?
Answer: The answer is all three! The NCAA establishes the minimum academic requirements student-athletes must meet in order to maintain their eligibility to participate in intercollegiate athletics. In addition, student-athletes are required to follow Big Ten and MSU academic requirements. The Big Ten Conference and MSU can set higher academic standards than the NCAA. A student-athlete who does not meet Big Ten academic requirements will be ineligible for competition, regardless of whether he/she has met NCAA requirements.
September 24, 2007
Question: Is it permissible for a former student-athlete to practice with MSU?
Answer: Yes. It is permissible for a former student-athlete to participate in an occasional practice with his/her former team at MSU. The Big Ten has defined "occasional" as twice per month.
September 17, 2007
Question: Is it permissible for an institution to donate athletics equipment to a high school?
Answer: NO. An institution may not provide athletics equipment to a high school. It would be permissible to sell athletics equipment to a high school at a sale that is open to the general public. An institution may provide athletics equipment to a youth organization (e.g., YMCA, boy scout troop) that may consist of some prospects, provided the issuance of equipment is in accordance with the institution's regular policy regarding the discarding of equipment. In addition, only those organizations within a 30-mile radius of the campus may be provided equipment by the institution.
September 10, 2007
Question: Is it permissible to send a letter addressed to a freshman or sophomore in c/o a high school coach so that he/she may deliver it to a prospect?
Answer: NO. General correspondence (including letters and e-mails) may not be sent to prospects prior to September 1 at the beginning of the prospect's junior year in high school for all sports other than men's basketball and men's ice hockey or prior to June 15 after the prospect's sophomore year in high school in men's basketball and men's ice hockey. Coaches may not circumvent the legislation by sending correspondence to a prospect's coach with the intent of the prospect's coach giving it to the prospect.
September 4, 2007
Question: Is it permissible for a prospective student-athlete to observe an MSU athletics event from the sidelines?
Answer: NO. A prospective student-athlete may receive a maximum of three complimentary admissions to a home MSU athletics event. The complimentary admissions may provide seating only in the general seating area of the facility. Prospects may not observe an athletics event from the sidelines, bench area, press box, etc. during the conduct of the event (including intermission).
August 27, 2007
Question: What are the rules regarding student-athletes and complimentary admissions to MSU athletic events?
Answer: A student-athlete is eligible for a maximum of four complimentary admissions per home and away competition in his/her sport. A student-athlete may not receive payment from any source for his/her complimentary admissions. In addition, the student-athlete may not exchange or assign them for any item of value (e.g., clothes, dinner, entertainment). Individuals designated by the student-athlete to receive complimentary admissions are not permitted to receive any type of payment for these admissions or to exchange or assign them for any item of value. Receipt of payment for complimentary admissions is prohibited and considered an extra benefit. An institution may not provide a special arrangement to sell a student-athlete tickets to an athletics event. Student-athletes must purchase tickets according to the same procedure for the general student body. A student-athlete may not purchase tickets for an intercollegiate athletics event from the institution and then sell the tickets at a price greater than their face value.
August 20, 2007
Question: During a prospect's visit (official or unofficial) to campus, is it permissible for the Board of Trustees to have contact with the prospect?
Answer: NO. It is not permissible for the Board of Trustees to have on- or off-campus contact with a prospect or his/her parents during the prospect's visit to campus. It is permissible for a prospect to have contact with faculty on-campus or within a 30-mile radius of campus.
August 13, 2007
Question: What are the daily and weekly hour limitations for athletics activities that occur during preseason practice (prior to the start of the academic year)?
Answer: During preseason practice, there are no restrictions on the number of hours a team may participate in athletically related activities (e.g., practice, film, meetings, strength and conditioning). Teams may practice an unlimited number of hours and are not required to have a day off during preseason practice. Daily and weekly hour limitations go into effect on the first day of classes or the team's first scheduled contest, whichever is earlier.
August 6, 2007
Question: What is the NCAA Eligibility Center?
Answer: On October 29, 2007, the NCAA Eligibility Center will replace the NCAA Initial-Eligibilty Clearinghouse. The Eligibility Center will be under the control of the NCAA. The Eligibility Center will continue to provide initial-eligibility and amateurism certification for prospective student-athletes interested in participating in Division I and II intercollegiate athletics.
August 1, 2007
Question:
What is the new legislation regarding text messages?
Answer: Effective August 1, electronic communication between a coach and a prospect (and his/her parents) is limited to e-mail and facsimile. All other forms of electronic communication, including text and instant messages, are prohibited. If a prospect sends a text message to a coach, it will not be permissible for the coach to respond to the prospect via text. In addition, coaches may not use a service or software that converts e-mail into a text message when received by the prospect.
