The following is a summary of improper awards, benefits or expenses. Receipt of a non-permissible benefit by a student-athlete constitutes an institutional violation of NCAA rules and renders the student-athlete ineligible for competition. Since some of the actions addressed by these regulations can easily be construed as purely humanitarian behavior, especially by the uninformed, it is important for the student-athlete to recognize these situations and reject any participation therein.

Definition of Extra Benefits

16.02.3 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 the 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 determined on a basis unrelated to athletic ability.
Effect of a violation on the Student-Athlete's Eligibility

16.01.1 Receipt by a student-athlete of an award, benefit or expense allowance not authorized by NCAA legislation renders the student-athlete ineligible for athletics competition in the sport for which the improper award, benefit or expense was received. If the student-athlete receives an extra benefit not authorized by NCAA legislation or an improper award or expense allowance in conjunction with competition that involves the use of overall athletics skill (e.g., "superstars" competition), the individual is ineligible in all sports.

General Rule

16.12.2.1 The student-athlete shall not receive any extra benefit. The term "extra benefit" refers to any special arrangement by an institutional employee or representative of the institution's athletics interests to provide the student-athlete or his or her relatives or friends with a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation.

Non-Permissible Awards

16.1.3.1 An individual may not receive a cash award for athletics participation. An individual may not receive a cash-equivalent award (i.e., an item that is negotiable for cash or trade or other services, benefits or merchandise) for athletics participation.

16.1.3.2 Gift certificates shall be prohibited.

16.1.3.3 An award of a country club or sports-club membership is strictly prohibited, even if the cost of the membership is below the maximum award value permitted by NCAA legislation.

16.1.3.4 Cash or any other award that an individual could not receive under NCAA legislation may not be forwarded in the individual's name to a different individual or agency (e.g., a collegiate institution).

16.1.7.1 A member institution, its booster club or any other organization may not pay the expenses of any student-athlete returning home to receive an award for athletics accomplishments or for other personal purposes. The student-athlete may return home at his or her own expense to attend a recognition event and receive an award from any hometown group ( e.g., Alumni Club) that is not related to the institution and not the institution's local athletics' booster group.



Non-Permissible Tickets/Admissions

16.2.2.1 A student-athlete may not receive payment from any source for his or her complimentary admissions and may not exchange or assign them for any item of value.

16.2.2.2 Individuals designated by the student-athlete to receive complimentary admissions are not permitted to receive any type of payment for these admissions or to exchange or assign them for any item of value. Receipt of payment for complimentary admissions by such designated individuals is prohibited and considered an extra benefit not available to the general student body, which would render the student-athlete ineligible for participation in intercollegiate athletics.

16.2.2.3 An institution may not provide a special arrangement to sell a student-athlete ticket(s) to an athletics event. Tickets shall be available for purchase by student-athletes according to the same purchasing procedures used for other students.

16.2.2.4 A student-athlete may not purchase tickets for an athletics contest from the institution and then sell the tickets at a price greater than their face value.

16.2.2.5 An institution or any representative of its athletics interests may not purchase or otherwise obtain tickets to a professional sports contest and make these tickets available to student-athletes enrolled in an NCAA member institution. Such a gift of tickets would represent an unacceptable extra benefit.

Non-permissible Academic Support

16.3.3 Services that may not be financed by the institution include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) Typing costs, even if typed reports and other papers are a requirement of a
course in which a student-athlete is enrolled. Typing costs are not considered an
institutional fee under NCAA legislation, and payment would be considered an
extra benefit not available to the general student body;

(b) Course supplies (e.g., calculators, art supplies);

(c) Use of a copy machine only for student-athletes.

Non-permissible Medical Expense

16.4.2 Student-athlete medical expense benefits that may not be financed by the institution are:

(a) Student health insurance, if the insurance is provided or offered to the general
student body only on an optional basis. Only required fees may be paid as a part
of an institutional grant-in-aid for student-athletes;

(b) Surgical expenses to treat a student-athlete's illness or injury that was not a
result of practice for or participation in intercollegiate athletics at the institution and did not occur during voluntary physical activities that will prepare the student-
athlete for competition;

(c) Medical or hospital expenses incurred as the result of an injury while going to or
from class, or while participating in classroom requirements (e.g., physical
education), unless similar services are provided by the institution to all students or
by the terms and conditions of the institution's overall insurance program, and;

(d) Teeth cleaning, provisional filling of teeth or other dental work, unless the dental
work is directly related to injury to the teeth that occurred during practice or
competition.

(e) Weight gain and muscle/strength building supplements or products to student-athletes
at any time.

Non-permissible Housing

16.5.2.1 The institution may not provide an on-campus or off-campus housing benefit (e.g., individual television sets or stereo equipment, a recreation room or a centralized television room, room furnishings or apartments of extra quality or quantity) for student-athletes that is not available on the same basis to the general student body. The material benefits in question are permissible only if provided in approximately the same ratio to at least one-half of all other students utilizing on-campus housing facilities. Otherwise, dormitories with exclusive material housing benefits may not be utilized by student-athletes.

Non-permissible Expense for Friend or Relative

16.6.2.1 An institution or any of its athletics representatives may not provide payment of any expenses (e.g., room, board, transportation) for friends or relatives to visit a student-athlete at the institution where he or she is enrolled.

16.6.2.2 An institution or any of its athletics representatives may not provide the friends and relatives of student-athletes free admissions or meals in conjunction with the institution's or booster club's recognition banquet.

16.6.2.3 An institution or any of its athletics representatives may not provide payment of expenses for the student-athlete's spouse to accompany him or her to a post season all star game.

16.6.2.4 An institution may not provide any other expenses, than those expressly permitted by NCAA legislation, to a student-athlete's friends or relatives.
Non-permissible Travel

An institution may not provide the actual and necessary travel expenses to a competition for student-athletes who are ineligible for competition.

16.8.2.1 An institution may not provide to student-athletes team travel outfits, blazers, or other items of clothing that are not sports-related practice or competition apparel.

16.8.2.2 An institution may not provide transportation (e.g., shuttle, van) to on-campus practice sites for student-athletes traveling to and from their on or off-campus residences, except in unusual situations involving danger, inclement weather or other similar extenuating circumstances.

16.8.2.3 An institution may not reimburse a student-athlete if the individual provides his or her own transportation to attend practice at an on or off-campus site.

16.8.2.4 An institution may not reimburse a student-athlete for expenses incurred while driving to an institution's off-campus competition site if the parents (or other relatives or friends) accompany the student-athlete to the competition site.

16.10.2.1 An institution may not provide the student-athlete with an automobile, under any circumstances.

16.10.2.2 An institution may not pay the expenses of any student-athlete returning home to receive an award for athletics accomplishments or for other personal purposes.

16.10.2.3 An institution may not pay a student-athlete's transportation expenses to or from his or her summer job, unless such expenses are paid for all employees in that situation.

16.10.2.4 An institution may not pay transportation or other expenses for a student-athlete to attend any athletics event when he or she is not representing the institution, except for established national championships; Olympic, Pan American, World Cup and World University Games qualifying competition, and USOC basketball and volleyball tryouts.

16.10.2.5 An institution may not pay transportation or other expenses for a student-athlete to attend Fellowship of Christian Athletes encampments.

16.10.2.6 An institution may not pay transportation or other expenses for a student-athlete to attend special or single-game promotional media events that are not regularly established local media functions.

16.10.2.7 An institution or its staff member may not provide (recurring) transportation (e.g., a ride home with a coach) to an enrolled student-athlete even if the student-athlete reimburses the institution or its staff member for the appropriate amount of the gas expense.

Other Non-permissible Expenses, Gifts and Services

16.11.2.1 A student-athlete may not accept money for unspecified or unitemized expenses from any organization or individual.

16.11.2.2 A student-athlete may not accept money for expenses that are prohibited by the rules governing an amateur non-collegiate event in which the individual participates.

16.11.2.3 The receipt of compensation for a financial loss resulting from absence from employment (i.e., "broken-time" payments) during any period other than immediately prior to and including Olympic participation, or the receipt of such payments administered by a sports governing body independent of the USOC, is prohibited.

16.11.2.4 An individual (e.g., tennis player or golfer) who is not representing an educational institution during participation in athletics competition may not accept any expenses, or any other form of compensation, to participate in the competition from any sponsor other than an individual upon whom the athlete is naturally or legally dependent or the nonprofessional organization that is sponsoring the competition.

16.11.2.5 Receipt of expenses if prohibited when the amount received is based on the individual's place finish achieved in the competition (e.g., tennis, golf, track and field).

16.11.2.6 A student-athlete may not accept expenses from any athletically related organization to attend Fellowship of Christian Athletes encampments. Nationally recognized service organizations and church groups (including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes) may underwrite the actual and necessary expenses for such attendance.

16.12.2.2 A student-athlete may not receive a special discount, payment arrangement or credit on a purchase (e.g., airline ticket, clothing) or a service (e.g., laundry, dry cleaning) from an institutional employee or a representative of its athletics interests.

16.12.2.2.1 An athletics representative may not provide a student-athlete with
professional services (for which a fee normally would be charged) without charge
or at a reduced cost except as permitted elsewhere in this bylaw. Professional
services provided at less than the normal rate or at no expense to a student-
athlete are considered an extra benefit unless they are available on the same
basis to the general student body.

16.12.2.2.2 It is not permissible to allow a student-athlete to use a telephone
credit card for personal reasons without charge or at a reduced cost.
16.12.2.2.3 A student-athlete may not receive services (e.g., movie tickets,
dinners, use of car) from commercial agencies (e.g., movie theaters, restaurants,
car dealers) without charge or at reduced rates, or free or reduced-cost admission
to professional athletics contests from professional sports organizations unless
such services also are available to the student body in general.

16.12.2.3 An institutional employee or representative of the institution's athletics interests may not provide a student-athlete with extra benefits or services, including, but not limited to:

(a) A loan of money,

(b) A guarantee of bond,

(c) The use of an automobile, or

(d) Signing or cosigning a note with an outside agency to arrange a loan.

16.12.2.4 A student-athlete may not receive preferential treatment, benefits or services for his or her athletics reputation or skill or payback potential as a future professional athlete (see 16.12.1.2 for disabling-injury insurance exception).

16.12.2.5 It is not permissible for a member institution or a member of its athletics department staff conducting a sports camp to permit a student-athlete (enrolled in the institution) to operate, at the student-athlete's own expense, a concession selling items related to or associated with the camp to campers or others in attendance.

16.12.2.6 A student-athlete may not accept athletics equipment, supplies or clothing (e.g., tennis racquets, golf clubs, hockey sticks, balls, shirts) from a manufacturer or commercial enterprise. Such items may be provided to the student-athlete's institution, to be utilized by the institution's team in accordance with accepted practices for issuance and retrieval of athletics equipment.

16.12.2.7 A member institution shall not permit individuals outside the institution to serve as "sponsors" or "families" for student-athletes who are enrolled in the institution unless such a sponsorship program exists to provide the same benefits and support services to all students at the institution.

16.12.2.8 A member institution shall not permit a civic group to provide a student-athlete a trip to a postseason football game or to pay summer-camp expenses for a student-athlete.

16.12.2.9 A member institution is not permitted to administer a fund for a student-athlete (even if funds are provided by the student-athlete) in order to assist the student-athlete in making payments for various personal expenses (e.g., utility bills, rent, fees and entertainment expenses) unless the institution provides such a service to all students and formal accounting procedures are utilized. (Adopted: 1/10/92)