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Interpretations Committee minutes

Acting for the NCAA Council, the committee issued the following interpretations:

Nonathletically Related Promotional Activities/Advertisement/Endorsement

1. Continued Remuneration for the Use of a Student-Athlete's Name or Picture to Promote Commercial Product. A student-athlete with remaining eligibility who is a model or performer, and has accepted remuneration for or permitted the use of his or her name or picture to advertise or promote the sale of a commercial product or service prior to enrollment in a collegiate institution, may continue to be involved in or accept remuneration for general activities related to the student-athlete's profession, provided the conditions set forth in NCAA Bylaw 12.5.1.3 are satisfied. The committee noted that the student-athlete is not limited to being involved only in the specific activity in which the student-athlete was involved prior to enrollment; however, it is not permissible for the student-athlete's name and/or picture to be included on the commercial item. [References: 12.5.1.3 (continuation of modeling and other nonathletically related promotional activities after enrollment); IC 2/19/96, Item No. 2; and IC 09/13/90, Item No. 4]

Recruiting Materials/Student-Athlete Handbook/Preenrollment Information

2. Mailing Student-Athlete Handbook to Prospect (Divisions I and II). An institution may provide a student-athlete handbook to a prospect only during an official or unofficial recruiting visit. Such a handbook may not be mailed to a prospect, even if the prospect has signed a National Letter of Intent or has been officially accepted for enrollment at that institution. [References: 13.4.1-(e) (preenrollment information) and 13.4.1-(k) (student-athlete handbook)]

Contacts/Meetings/Banquets/Prospect's Educational Institution

3. Coaches Attending Banquets or Meetings at Prospect's Educational Institution During Contact Period (Divisions I and II). The committee reviewed the issue of coaches speaking at a banquet or meeting at a prospect's educational institution during the contact period and determined the following:

a. In Division I basketball, an institution's basketball coaching staff member who speaks at a meeting or banquet at a prospect's educational institution during the contact period uses the institution's once-per-week visit to a prospect's educational institution during a contact period and also uses an evaluation for all basketball prospects at that educational institution. The coach does not use a contact, provided he or she does not make a recruiting presentation in conjunction with the appearance and has no direct contact with any prospect (or the prospect's parents) in attendance.

b. In Division II football and basketball, an institution's coaching staff member who speaks at a meeting or banquet at a prospect's educational institution during the contact period uses an evaluation for each prospect in the coach's sport. The coach does not use a contact, provided he or she does not make a recruiting presentation in conjunction with the appearance and has no direct contact with any prospect (or the prospect's parents) in attendance.

c. In Divisions I and II sports other than football and basketball, a coach may speak at a meeting or banquet at a prospect's educational institution without using one of the institution's permissible contacts or evaluations, provided:

(1) The meeting or banquet is initiated and conducted by the educational institution;

(2) The coach does not make a recruiting presentation in conjunction with the appearance;

(3) The coach does not have any direct contact with any prospect (or the prospect's parents) in attendance; and

(4) The coach does not engage in any evaluation activities at the educational institution.

[References: 13.02.3 (contact); 13.02.6 (evaluation); 13.1.4.1 (banquets and meetings); 13.1.5.1 [visit to prospect's educational institution -- Division I (football and basketball)]; 13.1.7 (permissible number of contacts); 13.1.9.1 (visit without contact to prospect's educational institution); and IC 12/12/94, Item No. 20]