Athletics Veritas is a weekly series aimed at helping higher education executives, faculty, and other stakeholders stay tuned in on trending national issues impacting college athletics, especially NCAA Division I. Athletics Veritas is created by senior DI athletic administrators around the nation.
Term-in-Ology: Complimentary Admissions for Student-Athletes Competing at a Neutral Site
The start of the football season includes a steady diet of marquee, neutral-site competitions between non-conference opponents. Since neutral site games, by definition, are neither home nor away games for any of the involved teams, we examine how NCAA rules apply to student-athletes and their ability to receive complimentary admissions for neutral-site games.
The NCAA staff determined that each institution participating in a regular-season neutral-site single contest in team sports (e.g., one football game) or a regular-season neutral-site single event in individual sports (e.g., one track meet) may consider it as a home contest or event for purposes of providing complimentary admissions to prospective student-athletes, provided:
(a) The contest is not organized or administered by a participating institution (i.e., the event is organized and administered by a third party);
(b) The participating institutions do not compete against each other on an annual basis (e.g., members of same conference, traditional rivalry); and
Athletics Veritas is presented for information purposes only and should not be considered advice or counsel on NCAA compliance matters. For guidance on NCAA rules and processes, always consult your university’s athletics compliance office, conference office, and/or the NCAA.
