Compliance

The National Letter of Intent (NLI), NCAA Regulations and Recruiting

In November, February and April, the hard work of the coaches and staff of the respective programs is evidenced by the signing of worthy prospective student-athletes who announce their intentions to pursue their academic and athletic endeavors at UCF and commit to the University by signing a National Letter of Intent (NLI). The NLI is a document that binds the student to attend the University provided they are officially admitted and meet the NCAA's initial academic eligibility requirements.

As fans and supporters of the athletics program, you may wish to provide the prospect and/or the prospect's family or friends with a show of support in an effort to congratulate the student for his or her decision to attend the UCF and to indicate your commitment and pride in the University and, in particular, the athletics programs. However, please be aware that with respect to you, as a friend of the program, the NCAA still considers a student to be a prospect even after signing a National Letter of Intent to attend an institution, and both the institution and the prospect continue to be governed by the NCAA's recruiting regulations.

In this regard, please be reminded that specific NCAA recruiting regulations remain in effect subsequent to a prospective student-athlete's signing of an NLI. These regulations include, but are not limited to:

1. Contacting Prospects.
Only coaching staff members can make recruiting contact with a prospective student-athlete. No on- or off-campus contact (including correspondence and telephone calls) may be made by a representative of the UCF's athletics interests with the exception of making arrangements for summer employment.

2. Summer Employment.
NCAA rules permit UCF to arrange employment for a prospective student-athlete that begins after the prospect's senior year in high school. Subsequent to a prospect signing an NLI, it is permissible for a booster to contact (telephone, write, face-to-face) the signed prospect concerning summer employment arrangements. However, keep in mind that UCF's arrangement of employment for a prospect is permitted, provided that the employment does not begin prior to the completion of the prospect's senior year in high school.

3. Loans to prospects.
Please be aware that NCAA rules prohibit representatives of UCF's athletics interests from arranging or co-signing loans for prospects or their parents.

4. Summer housing for prospects.
NCAA rules do not allow representatives of UCF's athletics interests to make special housing arrangements for prospects.

5. Pre-college expenses.
UCF or representatives of its athletics interests shall not offer, provide or arrange financial assistance, directly or indirectly, to pay (in whole or in part) the cost of the prospect's educational or other expenses for any period prior to his or her enrollment, even for those prospects who have signed a NLI, or an institutional offer of admission or written tender of financial assistance.

6. Extra Benefits.
As a reminder, UCF athletics representatives cannot provide an "extra benefit" or special arrangement to a prospect. The same prohibitions that exist for currently enrolled student-athletes apply to all prospects regarding extra benefits.

Pre-Existing Relationship with a Current or Prospective Student-Athlete

Boosters are prohibited from contacting a prospective student-athlete, or providing any type of benefit to a current or prospective student-athlete. The only exception to this rule is if there is a clear preexisting relationship between the booster and the student-athlete. The UCF Athletics Compliance Office will only approve such benefits if the booster providing the benefits or making the contact had established a close relationship with the individual receiving the benefits. That relationship could not have developed as a result of the student-athlete's participation in athletics or the status the student-athlete has achieved due to his/her athletics ability or reputation. The following questions will determine whether a prospect or enrolled student-athlete can receive any type of benefits:

1. Did the relationship between the student-athlete (or the student-athlete's parents) and the individual providing the benefits predate the athletes status achieved due to his or her athletics ability or reputations, and develop on a basis completely unrelated to athletics or notoriety related to athletics?

2. Did the relationship between the athlete and the individual providing the benefits initiate prior to the student-athlete beginning the ninth grade?

3. Is the pattern of benefits provided by the individual to the athlete (or the athlete's family) prior to the athlete's attainment of status as an athlete similar in nature to those provided after attaining such stature? If the answer to any one of the above three questions is "no," then benefits may not be provided. If you answer "yes" to all three questions, please note that any benefit you provide must not be related to the student-athlete's athletics ability, must have been a benefit that you would have provided regardless of the student-athlete's recruitment or attendance at UCF, and must be consistent with those provided prior to the individual becoming a prospective student-athlete of UCF. Please contact the UCF Athletics Compliance Office prior to providing a benefit of any kind to a current or prospective student-athlete.

NCAA Rules Governing Agents and Amateurism

A student-athlete shall lose their amateur status and shall not be eligible for intercollegiate competition in a particular sport if:

• The student-athlete or family member negotiates, signs or enters into any written or oral agreement with an agent.
• The student-athlete signs a contract or commitment of any kind to play professional athletics, regardless of its legal enforceability.
• The student-athlete or family member accepts or receives any extra benefits from an agent or anyone who wishes to represent the student-athlete.
• The student-athlete competes with a professional sports team or competes as a professional in an individual sport and receives any compensation for participation.
• The student-athlete uses his or her athletic skills for pay or promise of pay.