When In Doubt - Ask!
Contact: Dixie Cirillo
Associate Athletic Director
dcirillo@mines.edu
303-273-3206
NCAA regulations require each member NCAA institution to exercise “institutional control.” This responsibility extends outside the athletics area to the university community and beyond. The university is held accountable for the acts of all individuals identified as “representatives of the university’s athletics interests.” The NCAA definition of this term is very broad and includes all alumni and Silver and Blue/Oredigger Club members, as well as the vast majority of the family and fans who attend our sporting events.
Please remember that your actions involving prospective student-athletes and current student-athletes can affect their eligibility to compete for Mines Athletics.
Definitions
"Prospect" — any person who has begun classes in the ninth grade
"Contact" — any face to face encounter between a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete’s relatives or legal guardian(s) and an institutional staff member or athletics representative (booster) during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of a greeting.
You are a Representative of MinesAthletics Interest (booster) if you:
- Make or have ever made contributions to the Department of Athletics or its booster organizations (e.g., Silver and Blue, Oredigger Club, etc.)
- Participate in or have ever been a member of a sport support group of CSM
- Hold, or have ever held season tickets for CSM athletics
- Are the parent or legal guardian of a student-athlete at CSM
- Provide or helped to arrange allowable benefits (e.g., summer jobs) to enrolled student-athletes at CSM
- Promote or have ever promoted CSM Athletics in any way
- Participated as a varsity athlete at CSM
Remember, once you are identified as a booster, you retain that identity forever and you are bound by NCAA, RMAC and CSM rules. As a result, boosters are responsible for notifying the Athletic Compliance Office of any potential rules violations.
As a Mines booster “What CAN I Do?”
The following are allowable activities:
- Viewing a prospect’s game on your own initiative
- Receive a call from a prospect only if the prospect initiates the call and it is not for a recruiting purpose
- Continue to have contact with an established family friend or neighbor who is a prospect
- Notify the Mines coaching staff of outstanding prospects
- Invite a current Mines student-athlete into your home for an “occasional” meal, but this must be coordinated through the Athletic Department and the respective Head Coach.
As a Mines booster “What Can I NOT Do?”
The following are all non-allowable activities:
- Contact or call a Mines prospect, which includes texting, social media, or other forms of electronic communication
- Contact or call a Mines prospect’s parent, coach, principal or counselor
- Assist with the actual evaluation of talent
- Purchase a ticket (complimentary admission) from a current Mines student-athlete.
- Provide cash or loans in any amount
- Give gifts of any kind including on special occasions such as birthdays, holidays, etc.
- Provide free or reduced cost services, rentals or purchases of any type (e.g., clothing, airline tickets, car repairs, meals, etc)
- Provide use of an automobile or transportation
- Provide tickets to an athletic or other event
FAQ
Q: Can a booster be involved in any way when a prospect is on an official or unofficial visit?
A: Yes. However, the booster may have contact only on campus during the student-athletes official or unofficial visit. Off campus contact is prohibited.
Q: Is it permissible for a booster to provide summer employment for student-athletes?
A: Yes. Compensation must be paid commensurate with the going rate in that locality for services of like character.
Q: Is it permissible for a booster to provide enrolled student-athletes a home cooked meal?
A: Yes. Provided it is on an “occasional” basis and is not at a restaurant and has been approved through the Mines Athletic Department, Compliance Office, and Head Coach before meal occurs.
