Hawaii Pacific University Athletics

Hawai‘i Pacific University is held accountable to ensure that our boosters, staff and student-athletes comply with the NCAA rules at all times.   The following information is intended to provide guidance specific to representatives of athletics interests known as boosters.  Boosters play an important role in providing student-athletes with a positive experience through their enthusiastic efforts. They can support teams and athletics departments through donations of time and financial resources which help student-athletes succeed on and off the playing field. 

Thank you for taking time to review this important information and of course, for your support of Hawai‘i Pacific University Athletics! Compliance with NCAA rules is vital to maintaining the integrity of the university and continuing to build a program of which we all can be proud! Violations of the NCAA rules can jeopardize the eligibility of a current or prospective student-athlete. As a member of the Hawai‘i Pacific University community, we need your commitment to following the NCAA rules, to asking questions when you are not sure if something is or isn’t a violation, and to reporting violations of which you are aware. If you have any questions or feel unclear whether a specific action is permissible per NCAA rules, please contact Hawai‘i Pacific University Compliance Office at (808) 356-5278.  We are here to assist you!
Hawai‘i Pacific University Athletics is committed to conduct of intercollegiate athletics programs in accordance with the principles defined in the NCAA Constitution, Article 2 (provided as an Appendix to this Guide).  

ARE YOU CONSIDERED A BOOSTER?
You are a Booster if:

• You have ever participated in Hawai‘i Pacific University College Athletics.
• You have made financial contributions to the HPU Athletics programs.
• You have been asked by HPU Athletics department staff to assist in recruiting.
• You have assisted or are providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes, or their families.
• You have otherwise been involved in promoting Hawaii Pacific University Athletics in any way.

*Once an individual, agency, corporation or other organization is identified as a “representative of athletics interest”, that person/entity retains that identity indefinitely.

KEY DEFINITIONS

Representative of Athletics Interest – A representative of athletics interests (booster) is someone who has 1) been a member of an organization which has promoted an institution’s athletics program, 2) made a financial contribution to the institution’s athletics department, 3) assisted or been asked to assist in recruiting prospects, 4) provided benefits to student-athletes or their families, or 5) have otherwise been involved with promoting an institution’s athletics department. 
 
 Prospective Student-Athlete – A prospective student-athlete is a student who has started classes for the night grade. A student may become a prospect prior to his or her ninth grade if a collegiate institution provides any financial assistance or other benefits that it would not normally provide to regular students. A prospect remains a prospect until he or she registers and enrolls in a degree program full time AND attends the first day of classes for any regular academic term OR the individual reports for regular-squad practice or competition at Hawai‘i Pacific University.

Recruiting – Recruiting is any solicitation of a prospective student-athlete or a prospective student-athlete’s relatives by institutional staff members or by a representative of the institution’s athletics interests for the purpose of securing the prospect’s enrollment and ultimate participation in the institution’s intercollegiate athletics program. 

Contact – A contact is any face-to-face encounter with a prospect or prospect’s relatives or legal guardians in which conversation in excess of a simple greeting occurs. If a simple greeting is prearranged or takes place at a prospect’s school or competition site, it is considered to be a contact regardless of whether any conversation occurs.  Generally, boosters are not allowed to contact prospects. If a prospect approaches you, the best action would be to acknowledge their greeting and then explain to him or her that you are unable to continue the conversation at the request of Hawai‘i Pacific University and the NCAA.

Evaluation - An evaluation is any off-campus activity designed to assess the academic or athletic ability of prospective student-athletes, including any visit to a prospect’s educational institution or the observation of any practice or competition at any site. 

Enrolled Student-Athlete – An enrolled student-athlete is an individual whose enrollment was solicited by a member of the athletics staff or other representatives of athletics interests with a view towards the prospect’s ultimate participation in athletics. Any other student becomes a student-athlete only when the student reports for an intercollegiate squad practice. 

Extra Benefit – An extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution’s athletics interests (booster) to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete’s relative or friend a benefit not expressly permitted by NCAA legislation.  Specifically prohibited financial aid benefits and arrangements include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Employment arrangements for prospect’s relatives.
• Gift(s)
• Co-signing of loans or providing loans to prospective relatives and friends
• Cash or similar items
• Any tangible items including merchandise
• Free or reduced-cost services, rentals or purchases of any type
• Free or reduced-cost housing

INVOLVEMENT IN RECRUITING

Only authorized university staff members are permitted to participate in recruitment activities on behalf of the institution. 
 
 
BOOSTERS AND PROSPECTS

As a Booster You MAY:

• Attend athletics events at your own initiative in which prospects compete, provided no contact occurs with the prospect or his/her relatives, coach, principal or counselor in an attempt to evaluate the academic or athletic abilities of the prospect.
• Receive a call from a prospect if the prospect initiates it and it is not for recruiting purposes.
• Notify our coaches about noteworthy prospects in the area. Continue to have contacts with a neighbor or a family friend who is prospect as long as no recruiting efforts are made.  Offer assistance to members of Hawai‘i Pacific University’s coaching staffs who are recruiting in your community. Our coaches welcome any referrals of prospective student-athletes and we appreciate your constant communication. 

As a Booster You MAY NOT:

• Recruit prospective student-athletes. Only Hawai‘i Pacific University coaches who successfully completed the NCAA Coaches Certification Exam are permitted to be involved in the recruiting process.  If a prospect approaches you at an off-campus location please let them know that the NCAA rules do not let you discuss Hawaii Pacific University’s College Athletics Program, but inform them that you will have the coach forward the proper athletic information. 
• Make any recruiting contacts with prospective student-athletes or his/her relatives and legal guardians. This includes telephone calls, letters, e-mails or facsimiles.
• Provide a prospect or his family and friends with any extra benefits including but not limited to reduced or free professional services, gifts of clothing or equipment, co-signing of loans, free or reduced-cost housing and material benefits.
• Provide transportation or arrange for payment of transportation costs for a prospect or his/her relatives to visit the campus. 
• Please do not provide ANYTHING to a prospect or his/her family without prior approval from Hawai‘i Pacific University’s Athletics Compliance Office.  

 

BOOSTERS AND CURRENTLY-ENROLLED STUDENT-ATHLETES

As a Booster You May:

• Invite a student-athlete or a team into your home for an occasional meal and it may be catered, but it must take place in your home.  If you wish to host a meal in your home, please inform the head coach in advance so that he can obtain an appropriate approval for the occasional meal. However, you cannot entertain a student-athlete’s family or friends.
• Employ a student-athlete with proper approval from Hawai‘i Pacific University’s Compliance Office.  Student-athletes may only be compensated for work actually performed in accordance with the market rate for the specific job in the local area. Student-athlete employees must not have been hired based on their athletic ability. 
• Make contributions to university programs and other gift-in-kind arrangements.   
• Attend university athletic events and show student athletes that you support their hard work and dedication to the university.

As a Booster You MAY NOT:

• Make any arrangements for student-athletes or their families and friends that are not available to the general student population, referred to as “extra benefits” by the NCAA.
• Provide a student-athlete with gifts of any kind, including birthday cards or holiday gifts.
• Provide a student-athlete with free or reduced-cost services of any kind (meals, drinks, housing, transportation, legal, laundry, repair, sports camps, etc.)
• Pay an honorarium to a student-athlete for a speaking engagement.

BOOSTERS AND HIGH SCHOOL AND JUNIOR COLLEGE COACHES

As a Booster You MAY:

• Attend high school, preparatory school or junior college athletic events provided no contact is made with a prospective student-athlete or his/her parents.

A Booster You MAY NOT:

• Contact the prospect’s coach, principal or counselor for the purpose of evaluating the prospect. Entertain or provide expenses to high school, preparatory school or junior college coaches at any location.
• Pick up game films or transcripts from the prospect’s educational institution.

GAMBLING

A student-athlete, coach, or employee of Hawai‘i Pacific University may not provide information to individuals involved in any type of organized gambling concerning sporting events. In addition, student-athletes, coaches and employees of Hawai‘i Pacific University are prohibited from soliciting or accepting any wager on any intercollegiate or professional athletic event. 


AGENTS AND AMATEURISM

A student-athlete will lose their amateur status and shall not be eligible to compete if:

• The student-athlete or family member negotiates, signs, or enters into any written or oral agreement with an agent.
• The student-athlete or family member accepts or receives any extra benefits from an athlete or anyone who wishes to represent the student-athletes.
• The student-athlete competes with a professional team (including amateur teams with individual professionals)
• The student-athlete uses his or her skills for pay or promise of pay.

 
Please assist us in identifying these situations if you are aware of them occurring.