Oklahoma State University Athletics
Website Definitions
June 28, 2007 | General
Website Definitions
Contact
A contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's parents, relatives or legal guardian(s) and an institutional staff member or athletics representative during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of a greeting. Any such face-to-face encounter that is prearranged (e.g., positions himself/herself in a location where contact is possible) or that takes place on the grounds of the prospective student-athlete's educational institution or at the site of organized competition or practice involving the prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's high school, preparatory school, two-year college or all-star team shall be considered a contact, regardless of whether any conversation occurs.
Contact Period
A contact period is that period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations.
Dead Period
A dead period is that period of time when it is not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on or off the member institution's campus or to permit official or unofficial visits by prospective student-athletes to the institution's campus.
Disassociation of Athletics Representative
The disassociation of relations with a representative of an institution's athletics interests may be imposed on a permanent basis, for the duration of the applicable probationary period or for another specified period of time. When an institution is required to show cause why a representative of the institution's athletics interests should not be disassociated from its athletics program, such disassociation shall require that the institution:
(a) Refrain from accepting any assistance from the individual that would aid in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes or the support of enrolled student-athletes;
(b) Not accept financial assistance for the institution's athletics program from the individual;
(c) Ensure that no athletics benefit or privilege be provided to the individual that is not generally available to the public at large; and
(d) Take such other actions against the individual that the institution determines to be within its authority to eliminate the involvement of the individual in the institution's athletics program.
Evaluation
Evaluation is any off-campus activity designed to assess the academic qualifications or athletics ability of a prospective student-athlete, including any visit to a prospective student-athlete's educational institution (during which no contact occurs) or the observation of a prospective student-athlete participating in any practice or competition at any site.
Evaluation Period
An evaluation period is that period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to be involved in off-campus activities designed to assess the academic qualifications and playing ability of prospective student-athletes. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts shall be made with the prospective student-athlete during an evaluation period.
Extra Benefit
An extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution's athletics interests to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete's relative or friend a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation. Receipt of a benefit by student-athletes or their relatives or friends is not a violation of NCAA legislation if it is demonstrated that the same benefit is generally available to the institution's students or their relatives or friends or to a particular segment of the student body (e.g., foreign students, minority students) determined on a basis unrelated to athletics ability.
National Letter of Intent
The National Letter of Intent referred to in this bylaw is the official document administered by the Collegiate Commissioners Association and used by subscribing member institutions to establish the commitment of a prospective student-athlete to attend a particular institution. Additional information about the national Letter of Intent program can be found at .
Non-Qualifier
A non-qualifier is a student who has not graduated from high school or who, at the time specified in the regulation (see Bylaw 14.3), presented neither the core-curriculum grade-point average and SAT/ACT score required for a qualifier.
Official Visit
An official visit to a member institution by a prospective student-athlete is a visit financed in whole or in part by the member institution.
Prospective Student-Athlete (Prospect)
A prospective student-athlete is a student who has started classes for the ninth grade. In addition, a student who has not started classes for the ninth grade becomes a prospective student-athlete if the institution provides such an individual (or the individual's relatives or friends) any financial assistance or other benefits that the institution does not provide to prospective students generally. An individual remains a prospective student-athlete until one of the following occurs (whichever is earlier):
(a) The individual officially registers and enrolls in a minimum full-time program of studies and attends classes in any term of a four-year collegiate institution's regular academic year (excluding summer); or
(b) The individual participates in a regular squad practice or competition at a four-year collegiate institution that occurs before the beginning of any term; or
(c) The individual officially registers and enrolls and attends classes during the summer prior to initial enrollment and receives institutional athletics aid.
Qualifier
A qualifier is a student who, for purposes of determining eligibility for financial aid, practice and competition, has met all of the following requirements (see Bylaw 14.3):
(a) Graduation from high school;
(b) Successful completion of a required core curriculum consisting of a minimum number of courses in specified subjects;
(c) Specified minimum grade-point average in the core curriculum; and
(d) Specified minimum SAT or ACT score.
Quiet Period
A quiet period is that period of time when it is permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on the member institution's campus. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts or evaluations may be made during the quiet period.
Recruiting
Recruiting is any solicitation of a prospective student-athlete or a prospective student-athlete's relatives [or legal guardian(s)] by an institutional staff member or by a representative of the institution's athletics interests for the purpose of securing the prospective student-athlete's enrollment and ultimate participation in the institution's intercollegiate athletics program.
Representative of Athletics Interests (Booster)
A "representative of the institution's athletics interests" is an individual, independent agency, corporate entity (e.g., apparel or equipment manufacturer) or other organization who is known (or who should have been known) by a member of the institution's executive or athletics administration to:
(a) Have participated in or to be a member of an agency or organization promoting the institution's intercollegiate athletics program;
(b) Have made financial contributions to the athletics department or to an athletics booster organization of that institution;
(c) Be assisting or to have been requested (by the athletics department staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes;
(d) Be assisting or to have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families;
or
(e) Have been involved otherwise in promoting the institution's athletics program.
Unofficial Visit
An unofficial visit to a member institution by a prospective student-athlete is a visit made at the prospective student-athlete's own expense. The provision of any expenses or entertainment by the institution or representatives of its athletics interests shall require the visit to become an official visit, except as permitted in Bylaws 13.5 and 13.7.
