Buckeye Insider – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/20/2003 12:00:00 AM | General
May 20, 2003
At the end of every sport’s championship season, awards are presented to student-athletes who have excelled in competition and in the classroom. The NCAA sets specific guidelines that govern the types of awards that can be awarded to student-athletes and dollar value limitations for these awards. Awards that exceed the limitations imposed by the NCAA are considered impermissible extra-benefits. The following is a brief look at some of the NCAA guidelines on awards.
Awards must be limited in value and number and may only be provided to student-athletes eligible to participate in competition. Awards may not include cash, gift certificates, a cash-equivalent award or a country club or sports club membership. The value of awards is determined by the normal retail value; so for instance, if an institution receives a substantial discount in purchasing awards from a vendor, the discounted price is not what will be used in determining whether the award fits under the value limits. Annual participation awards and special attainment awards like the most valuable player award and most improved player award are subject to a $150 award value limit.
Types of awards that may be provided include most valuable player, most improved player, most inspirational player and scholar-athlete awards, among others. For example, institutions may provide two graduating senior scholar-athlete awards each year to graduating seniors. The award may consist of a $5,000 postgraduate scholarship and an item valued at no more than $150.
Awards for winning conference and national championships are also limited in number and value by the NCAA. The total value of any single award received for a conference or national championship may not exceed $300, and each permissible awarding body is subject to a separate $300 limit per award. Permissible awarding bodies for conference and national championship awards are the institution and the conference, so for example, the Buckeye Varsity Club could not award the women’s soccer student-athletes X-Boxes or any other award. However, the Big Ten Conference or The Ohio State University can award The Ohio State women’s soccer team championship rings valued at $300 or less for winning the Big Ten Conference Tournament.
In addition to tangible awards, institutions are allowed to hold award banquets for their student-athletes to commemorate their athletic or academic accomplishments. Booster clubs may also hold a student-athlete or team recognition banquet and finance an intercollegiate team’s transportation expenses to the banquet. There are several stipulations that apply for booster club sponsored team recognition banquets: the expenses must be paid through the institution’s athletic department, the location of the event is not to exceed more than 100 miles from campus, and no tangible award is to be provided to the members of the team.
Institutions and boosters must be careful when giving or proposing to give awards to student-athletes as an award that is considered an extra-benefit violates NCAA rules and compromises the student-athlete’s eligibility. Therefore, it is important for an institution and all of its supporters to be aware of the awards guidelines.
Please remember that the above information provides a brief overview of the compliance issues concerning awards and banquets and is not an exhaustive discussion. If you have questions or wish to receive more information, please contact Heather Lyke, Associate Athletics Director for Compliance at (614) 292-2681.
