Reminder regarding contact with recruits/parents

[kmax]

This post was prompted by a recent thread started by a self proclaimed parent of an MSU recruit here on BobcatNation. I have removed that particular thread, but I want to post this information as a reminder to everyone here about the NCAA rules regarding contact and communication between "boosters" and potential student athletes (recruits) or their families. Remember that the definition of a booster is very broad (below from http://www.msubobcats.com/sports/2013/1 ... spx?id=208 ):

A booster is a representative of our Athletic Interests. Many different people can be considered boosters. In general, a booster is anyone who has:

· Made a contribution to the athletic department or booster club
· Is a member of the Bobcat Club or any sport specific booster club
· Has provided benefits to an enrolled student-athlete or his/her family
· Has helped arrange employment for a student-athlete
· Purchased season tickets
· Has otherwise promoted the athletic program in any manner

Once an individual has been identified as a booster, he or she retains this classification indefinitely.

As you can see from this definition a large percentage of the people on this board in some way could classify. I encourage everyone to hit that link above and read through some of the other sections as well. There is a section about social media there that will be helpful as well. This board is in essence that, and please apply the same caution here as you should be exercising on Twitter, Facebook, etc.

I reached out to Cami Bechtold from MSU compliance and asked her for some further guidance and she asked if we would post the following statement. If anyone has any questions or concerns about anything compliance related she encourages you to reach out to her and the compliance department. Her contact information can be found at http://www.msubobcats.com/staff.aspx?staff=5 . Additionally if you see a thread or post here on BobcatNation that you feel could be problematic from this standpoint please let myself or the other moderators know directly through a PM or email so that we can take the appropriate action as well.

It is an NCAA violation for Boosters (the NCAA technical term is Representatives of Athletic Interest) to communicate directly with prospects and their family members. This includes on and off campus contact, general correspondence (tweets, Facebook posts, message boards, etc.), and telephone calls. This restriction remains in place until the student attends classes at MSU.

On behalf of Bobcat Athletics, we ask that you do not engage with prospects or their family members on Bobcat Nation as to avoid NCAA violations and possible consequences on the eligibility of the prospect.

Please leave the recruiting to Bobcat Coaches. We appreciate your continued support and enthusiastic dedication to Bobcat Athletics. We encourage you to continue to support our programs through permissible means (such as attending events, giving to the Bobcat Club, etc.) and ask that you seek guidance from our Compliance Office if you have questions.

Thanks for everyone's help and understanding with regards to this issue.

[wbtfg]

This is always an interesting, slippery slope, especially in Montana where the odds of knowing or being related to a potential recruit is relatively high.

But yeah, use good judgement and let the coaches do their jobs. I know I'd feel really bad if I did something to hurt the program.

[kmax]

This is always an interesting, slippery slope, especially in Montana where the odds of knowing or being related to a potential recruit is relatively high.

But yeah, use good judgement and let the coaches do their jobs. I know I'd feel really bad if I did something to hurt the program.

Agreed, it is a small community and it is very easy to know someone. However, truly do get in contact with them and just ask. I've done that myself and they are happy to talk with you and go over your situation and just help you make sure everything is handled in the appropriate manner.

[msu_agfan]

For clarification, can a fan follow a player on twitter, if they have been offered a scholarship, but have not committed to that school yet?

[kmax]

Follow? Yes. Please do not interact with or communicate with them though.

[msu_agfan]

Thanks, I was wondering if that was the difference. Just don't communicate. Not even a "like" or whatever I would assume; to be safe.

[kmax]

Probably a gray area there, but yes better to be safe and just stay away from anything like that.

[GoCats18]

What is their definition of a Booster? At what point can you comment to them?

[RickRund]

So I see a Twitter feed for a recruit and say GOOOOOO BOBCATS...

[ND0479]

What is their definition of a Booster? At what point can you comment to them?

With all the NIL changes, I’m not sure any of these rules apply anymore.

[BelligerentBobcat]

Just be a normal adult and don’t tweet at HS athletes.

[ND0479]

Just be a normal adult and don’t tweet at athletes.

FIFY…but yeah especially HS

[rivercat]

Then there's Texas A&M. Jimbo Fisher identified the recruits he wanted this year and the boosters contacted them and promised a rumored $30M, yes million, in NIL payments to the class over the course of their college careers.

It is the highest rated recruiting class ever. Go figure.

The system is broken.

[RickRund]

Then there's Texas A&M. Jimbo Fisher identified the recruits he wanted this year and the boosters contacted them and promised a rumored $30M, yes million, in NIL payments to the class over the course of their college careers.

It is the highest rated recruiting class ever. Go figure.

The system is broken.

That looks like bribery to me, WOW...

[BelligerentBobcat]

Then there's Texas A&M. Jimbo Fisher identified the recruits he wanted this year and the boosters contacted them and promised a rumored $30M, yes million, in NIL payments to the class over the course of their college careers.

It is the highest rated recruiting class ever. Go figure.

The system is broken.

There’s a reason everywhere Jimbo has been has had great recruiting. Like Jimbo said, it’s just all out in the open now when before it wasn’t. Not that much has changed.

[BelligerentBobcat]

Then there's Texas A&M. Jimbo Fisher identified the recruits he wanted this year and the boosters contacted them and promised a rumored $30M, yes million, in NIL payments to the class over the course of their college careers.

It is the highest rated recruiting class ever. Go figure.

The system is broken.

That looks like bribery to me, WOW...

Do you view most job offers as bribery?

[RickRund]

Then there's Texas A&M. Jimbo Fisher identified the recruits he wanted this year and the boosters contacted them and promised a rumored $30M, yes million, in NIL payments to the class over the course of their college careers.

It is the highest rated recruiting class ever. Go figure.

The system is broken.

That looks like bribery to me, WOW...

Do you view most job offers as bribery?

Just going off what the ncaa is supposed to not permit, that it may not be acceptable for us to comment to a recruit, that me posting GOOOOOO BOBCATS may be unacceptable and then having boosters what looks like offers of money... Just doesn't pass the smell test.

But it is the ncaa and big time football.

[rivercat]

Then there's Texas A&M. Jimbo Fisher identified the recruits he wanted this year and the boosters contacted them and promised a rumored $30M, yes million, in NIL payments to the class over the course of their college careers.

It is the highest rated recruiting class ever. Go figure.

The system is broken.

That looks like bribery to me, WOW...

Do you view most job offers as bribery?

Just going off what the ncaa is supposed to not permit, that it may not be acceptable for us to comment to a recruit, that me posting GOOOOOO BOBCATS may be unacceptable and then having boosters what looks like offers of money... Just doesn't pass the smell test.

But it is the ncaa and big time football.

NIL has changed everything. It was approved with very little framework and we are seeing the results now. NIL at it's core concept is great for students athletes and fair. What it has become is a legal loophole that allows exactly what the NCAA tried to eliminate years ago. The money offered to recruit is not actually commensurate with the value of their name, image, and likeness; it is a simply money to come play for a team.

Maybe the NCAA was too chicken **** to actually come up with a framework and rules that allowed college athletes to profit from their actual market value. Or maybe they knew that the only way to see the way this would be bastardized was to allow it to happen and then try to address the problems.

The weirdest thing is that the paying of the athletes that is now occuring is not based on economic forces where the "employer" pays an "employee" based on an expected return. It is driven solely by ego of winning.

[BelligerentBobcat]

Then there's Texas A&M. Jimbo Fisher identified the recruits he wanted this year and the boosters contacted them and promised a rumored $30M, yes million, in NIL payments to the class over the course of their college careers.

It is the highest rated recruiting class ever. Go figure.

The system is broken.

That looks like bribery to me, WOW...

Do you view most job offers as bribery?

Just going off what the ncaa is supposed to not permit, that it may not be acceptable for us to comment to a recruit, that me posting GOOOOOO BOBCATS may be unacceptable and then having boosters what looks like offers of money... Just doesn't pass the smell test.

But it is the ncaa and big time football.

NIL has changed everything. It was approved with very little framework and we are seeing the results now. NIL at it's core concept is great for students athletes and fair. What it has become is a legal loophole that allows exactly what the NCAA tried to eliminate years ago. The money offered to recruit is not actually commensurate with the value of their name, image, and likeness; it is a simply money to come play for a team.

Maybe the NCAA was too chicken **** to actually come up with a framework and rules that allowed college athletes to profit from their actual market value. Or maybe they knew that the only way to see the way this would be bastardized was to allow it to happen and then try to address the problems.

The weirdest thing is that the paying of the athletes that is now occuring is not based on economic forces where the "employer" pays an "employee" based on an expected return. It is driven solely by ego of winning.

This only works if you think players weren’t being paid before the NIL, which I think we all know isn’t true. College football is big, big, business. The ROI is still quite high.

[rivercat]

Then there's Texas A&M. Jimbo Fisher identified the recruits he wanted this year and the boosters contacted them and promised a rumored $30M, yes million, in NIL payments to the class over the course of their college careers.

It is the highest rated recruiting class ever. Go figure.

The system is broken.

That looks like bribery to me, WOW...

Do you view most job offers as bribery?

Just going off what the ncaa is supposed to not permit, that it may not be acceptable for us to comment to a recruit, that me posting GOOOOOO BOBCATS may be unacceptable and then having boosters what looks like offers of money... Just doesn't pass the smell test.

But it is the ncaa and big time football.

NIL has changed everything. It was approved with very little framework and we are seeing the results now. NIL at it's core concept is great for students athletes and fair. What it has become is a legal loophole that allows exactly what the NCAA tried to eliminate years ago. The money offered to recruit is not actually commensurate with the value of their name, image, and likeness; it is a simply money to come play for a team.

Maybe the NCAA was too chicken **** to actually come up with a framework and rules that allowed college athletes to profit from their actual market value. Or maybe they knew that the only way to see the way this would be bastardized was to allow it to happen and then try to address the problems.

The weirdest thing is that the paying of the athletes that is now occuring is not based on economic forces where the "employer" pays an "employee" based on an expected return. It is driven solely by ego of winning.

This only works if you think players weren’t being paid before the NIL, which I think we all know isn’t true. College football is big, big, business. The ROI is still quite high.

The ROI to the donors/boosters isn't anywhere proportional to the investment. It is ego driven, not based on ROI.