Colorado College Athletics

Guide to NCAA Rules for Fans, Friends and Alumni of Colorado College Athletics 

Without the help of our many supporters, the Colorado College athletics tradition of success would not be what it is today. CC is proud to have your continued support and interest in our program.

Colorado College is committed to NCAA, NCHC, Mountain West and SCAC rules compliance. As a member of these associations, we are responsible for ensuring that everyone abides by conference and NCAA regulations. This sheet is a quick guide to the NCAA rules.

We appreciate your interest and support, but wish to remind you that any inappropriate or inadvertent action can jeopardize the eligibility of prospective and current student-athletes. A quick glance at the newspaper shows that even an innocent act may jeopardize a student-athlete or a program. NCAA rules dictate that Colorado College is responsible for the actions of our coaches, student-athletes and athletic department staff, as well as those of sponsors, donors, ticketholders, alumni and others who work with us. With that in mind, please will take a moment to familiarize yourself with this document. As we strive for excellence in athletics and academics, we also seek the highest standard of ethical conduct.


Definitions
Prospective Student-Athlete: A “prospective student-athlete” is any student who has begun 9th grade, but it is possible for a younger student-athlete to be a prospect. A person remains a prospect even after signing a National Letter of Intent with Colorado College. In general, it is best to treat all athletes as prospects until they are enrolled and start classes at CC. 

Extra Benefits: An “extra benefit” is any special arrangement by an institutional employee, booster, alumnus, donor, contractor, etc. to provide a student-athlete, prospect, or their relatives or friends a benefit not authorized by the NCAA. Examples of extra benefits not allowed by the rules include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Cash or loans, or signing or cosigning for a loan.
• Gifts of any kind, including birthday and holiday gifts.
• Free or reduced-cost services such as car repairs, haircuts, travel services, etc.
• Use of an automobile, or a ride on- or off-campus.
• Free- or reduced-rent room and/or board during the summer or the school year.
• Tickets to an athletic or community event.
• Course supplies, typing or duplicating costs.
• Employment of relatives or friends of a prospect as an inducement to enroll at Colorado College.
• Entertaining student-athletes, their friends or relatives (you may not even buy them a cup of coffee or a can of soda).
• Providing an award or gift based on his/her athletic performance.
• Purchasing complimentary tickets from a current student-athlete. (Student-athletes are not allowed to receive or sell game tickets).

Name, Image & Likeness (NIL): The NCAA’s NIL rules allow student-athletes to receive payment for the use of their image, their name and their reputation as a college student-athlete. Examples of this include student-athletes endorsing a product or making an appearance at an event. Colorado College’s NIL policies can be found in the “Name, Image & Likeness” section of the CC Athletics web site, under Inside Athletics.

Recruiting: “Recruiting” is any solicitation of the prospect or the prospect’s family or legal guardian by a Colorado College staff member or a booster for the purpose of securing the prospect’s enrollment and ultimate participation in the institution’s intercollegiate athletics program. NCAA rules restrict you from providing anything to a prospect or a prospect’s relatives or friends. Particularly, you are prohibited from providing:
• Any of the “extra benefits” listed previously to a prospect or a prospect’s parents, legal guardians, or friends.
• Tickets or transportation for high school, prep school, or club coaches to attend an athletic event.
• Entertaining a prospect or a prospect’s family or legal guardian on or off campus.
• Room and/or board or transportation to a prospect during the summer prior to enrollment for fall classes at Colorado College.
• Transportation for a prospect to visit the CC campus.
• Free tickets for a prospect or a prospect’s relatives or friends to an athletic event.


Contact With Prospective Student-Athletes
What you can’t do! 
There are strict NCAA guidelines prohibiting much of what you can do with prospects. In general, anyone not employed by CC is prohibited from contacting a prospect or prospect’s family to recruit him/her. Specifically, you are prohibited from:
• Contacting a prospect in person on or off our campus.
• Writing or phoning a prospect or member of the prospect’s family.
• Providing the prospect or prospect’s family with anything that could be defined as an extra benefit (see definition above).
• Providing a benefit to high school, prep school, or community college coaches of the prospect.
• Contacting an enrolled student-athlete at another institution to encourage a transfer to CC.
• Making arrangements for a prospect or the prospect’s relatives or friends to receive money or financial aid of any kind.

What you can do! As a friend of Tiger Athletics you are permitted to:
• Notify our coaches about prospects in your area that may be strong additions to our teams.
• Attend high school or club games where prospects may be competing. (However, you may not contact the prospect or the prospect’s parents or guardian.)

Division III Note: For Division III sports, representatives of Colorado College’s athletics interests (boosters) are permitted to make recruiting contact (mail, phone or in-person) with a Division III prospect. However, face-to-face contact with a prospect cannot be made until he/she has completed the sophomore year in high school. 


Contact With Current Student-Athletes 
In addition to regulating contact with prospects, the NCAA also regulates contact with current Colorado College student-athletes, as well as their friends and family. You may not provide an extra benefit (see above) for our student-athletes, their friends or family that is not available to the general student population.

Division III Note: The “extra benefits” rule applies to both Division I and Division III student-athletes. Boosters cannot provide extra benefits to any Colorado College athletes, regardless of their sport. 

Promotions
A charitable, educational or non-profit agency may use a student-athlete’s name, photo or appearance to support its charitable or educational activities in some cases, but only with the permission of the CC Department of Athletics. A business or other commercial entity cannot use the name, photo, image or appearance of a current student-athlete to advertise a commercial product or service unless it meets the guidelines of our Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) policies. (See the “Name, Image & Like” section of the web site for information about how you can compensate a CC student-athlete for employment, endorsement, appearance, etc.)

Employment of Prospective and Current Student-Athletes
It is permissible to employ prospects ONLY after they graduate from high school. The prospect may not begin the job until after his senior year is completed. If you employ current CC student-athletes, they can only be compensated for work actually performed. (See the “Name, Image & Likeness” section of web site.) Employers cannot provide any benefits to student-athletes (free transportation, for example) that are not provided to other employees working in a similar capacity.

Gambling Activities
NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes, coaches, and athletic department staff from gambling on collegiate or professional sports. Attempts by boosters to involve student-athletes in gambling activities, or to get them to provide information that might benefit a person gambling on intercollegiate athletics, is strictly prohibited.


FAQs 
Q- If a Tiger coach is talking to a recruit at an event can I approach the coach and prospect?  A- No. You cannot make any contact with a Division I prospect or the prospect’s family.
Q- What should I do if a Division I prospect contacts me?  A- Explain to the prospect that you are permitted to discuss the educational programs of the institution, but not the athletics department. Direct those questions to the athletics department or to a specific coach.
Q- If my neighbor happens to be a prospective Division I student-athlete with a lot of talent, and I want him/her to attend Colorado College, what should I do?   A- Continue your normal relationship and make sure the athletic department is aware of your neighbor so that an athletic department staff member can initiate the recruiting process. However, you should not make any kind of recruiting presentation to that prospect.
Q- What should I do if I become aware of a rules violation?   A- Contact the Colorado College Director of Athletics or the Senior Associate Director of Athletics to report the information pertinent to the violation. You may remain anonymous if you wish.

According to NCAA rules, Colorado College has the right to withhold any benefit or privilege associated with the athletics department (i.e. booster club membership, ticket privileges) from individuals who are involved in violating NCAA rules.

Additional Information
This brochure cannot answer every question. The relationship between CC Athletics and our fans, sponsors, season ticketholders, alumni and other constituents, is an important one. Issues can always come up. We want, and need, your continued support. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Please, ask before you act!


Greg Capell 
Senior Associate Director of Athletics 
Colorado College 
14 E. Cache La Poudre 
Colorado Springs, CO 80903 
Phone: 719/389-6493
E-mail: gcapell@coloradocollege.edu 

Lesley Irvine
Vice President / Director of Athletics 
Colorado College 
14 E. Cache La Poudre 
Colorado Springs, CO 80903 
 Phone: 719/389-6475 
E-mail: lirvine@coloradocollege.edu 

Or you can contact: 

Division I Sports 
Hockey Office: 719/389-7114
Women’s Soccer Office: 719/389-6492 

Division III Sports 
Men’s Basketball Office: 719/389-6482 
Women’s Basketball Office: 719/389-6478 
Cross Country/Track & Field Office: 719/389-6483 
Men’s Lacrosse Office: 719/389-6808 
Women’s Lacrosse Office: 719/389-6497 
Men’s Soccer Office: 719/389-6517 
Swimming Office: 719/389-6486 
Tennis Office: 719/389-6840 
Volleyball Office: 719/389-6485