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:Providing Benefits to Former Student-Athletes Coming Back
NCAA rules sometimes reach into the post-participation timeframe. As it goes, if a former student-athlete comes back to campus to cheer on their team in competition and, in doing so, is invited to stay over at the house of a staff member— is this provision of lodging and meals creep into extra-benefit territory or is this simply a permissible benefit between a coach and a former player?
Long and short, NCAA rules hold that it is permissible for a former student-athlete to receive a benefit of nominal value (e.g., meal, ride, overnight lodging) on an occasional basis from an institutional athletics representative (booster) or institutional staff members, provided the institution is not engaged in recruiting any relative of the former student-athlete.
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.
