BUCKEYE BEAT – Ohio State Buckeyes
6/19/2000 12:00:00 AM | General
June 19, 2000
With the recent influx of technology over the past few years, the way in which coaches and prospective student-athletes are able to communicate with each other has drastically changed. The mediums of electronic mail, the internet, and videoconferencing have forced the National Collegiate Athletic Association to re-evaluate several of the regulations regarding the contact and recruitment of prospective student-athletes. The following information contains many of the technological questions that the NCAA has recently addressed.
Q. Is it permissible for an institution’s athletics department to have a website? If so, what information can the website include?
A. Yes, an institution’s athletics department is permitted to have its own website. The website may contain information related to its athletics program so long as it is available to the general public and is not specifically for recruiting purposes. However, the website may not have hyperlinks to non-institutional publications or recruiting services.
Q. Is it permissible for an institution’s coaching staff member to engage in face-to-face contact with a prospective student-athlete via a videoconference?
A. No, it is not permissible for an institution’s coaching staff member to conduct a videoconference with a prospective student-athlete because such activity is considered the equivalent of a recruiting video.
Q. Is a coach permitted to contact a prospective student-athlete via electronic mail?
A. Yes, a coach is permitted to contact a prospective student-athlete via electronic mail. E-mail is considered general correspondence and therefore can be sent to a prospect beginning September 1 of the prospect’s junior year in high school. Contacts via e-mail are not restricted in number, however, they may not include color attachments (inasmuch as attachments to general correspondence may include only plain white paper with black ink).
Q. Is it permissible for a representative of athletics interests to contact a prospective student-athlete via electronic mail?
A. No. In Division I, representatives of athletics interests are prohibited from making in-person, on-or off-campus recruiting contacts, or written or telephone communications with a prospect or the prospect’s relatives or legal guardians. Since e-mail is considered written communication, it would not be permissible for a representative of athletics interest to e-mail a prospect for recruiting purposes.
Q. Is it permissible for a coach and/or representatives of athletics interests to send an electronic greeting card?
A. No, electronic greeting cards are not a permissible form of correspondence for coaches per NCAA regulations. Additionally, representatives of athletics interests would not be permitted to send an electronic greeting card because they are prohibited from making any written communications with the prospect.
Q. Is a coach permitted to pre-arrange an electronic correspondence with a prospect (e.g., chat room session, instant messenger)?
A. Yes, a coach is permitted to pre-arrange an electronic correspondence with a prospect, however, such correspondence is considered a telephone call and will count against the limited number of calls a coach can place to a prospect (one call permitted per week).
Please remember that the above information addresses only the key issues of the extensive NCAA Bylaws concerning recruiting mediums and is not an exhaustive discussion. For questions or to receive more information, please contact Heather Lyke, Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance at (614) 292-2681.
