Terms & Definitions

NCAA rules can be complex and very difficult to understand.  Below we have identified some of the most frequent questions and misinterpretations

Prospective Student-Athlete (Prospect/ PSA)

A prospective student-athlete is an individual who has either started classes in the ninth grade (seventh grade for men's basketball) or who has received any benefit from an institution or a booster.  The benefits can include:

• Providing an individual an expense-paid visit to a collegiate institution (official visit)
• Having an arranged, in-person contact
• Providing an individual any financial assistance or other benefits that the institution does not provide to prospective students at lard, not just student-athletes.

Student-Athlete

This is a student whose enrollment was solicited by a member of the athletics staff or other representative of Marist College athletics interests with a view toward the student's ultimate participation in the Marist College intercollegiate athletics program.  Any other student becomes a student-athlete only when the student reports for a Marist College athletic team.

Booster

A "booster" is an individual or business who is known by the Marist Athletic Department to have participated in any of the following:

• participated in or been a member of the Red Fox Athletics Club or any other groups, which support specific athletic teams;
• contributed to the Marist College athletics program;
• helped or assisted in providing permissible benefits to enrolled student-athletes or prospects;
• promoted the Marist College athletics program;
• been involved with the Marist College athletic program in any capacity; or
• assisted or have been requested by the athletics staff to assist with the recruitment of prospects

Once identified as a booster, an individual or business retains that identity for life.

Recruiting

Any solicitation of a prospect or the prospect's family by a University staff member or by a representative of Marist College's athletics interests for the purpose of securing the prospects' enrollment at Marist College and/or participation in the athletics program. All recruiting must be done by designated athletics department staff members.

Contact

Any face-to-face encounter between a prospect or the prospect's parent or legal guardian and a Marist College staff member or an athletics representative during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of a greeting.  Also, any face-to-face meeting that is prearranged or that occurs at the prospect's school or at any competition or practice site, involving the prospect or the prospect's team, regardless of the conversation that occurs, is a contact.

Evaluation

Any off-campus activity designed to assess the academic qualifications or athletics ability of a prospect, including any visit to a prospects' educational institution (during which no contact occurs) or the observation of a prospect participating in any practice or competition at any site.

Extra Benefits

An extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a booster to provide a student-athlete, or that athlete's friends or relatives, a benefit not authorized by the NCAA.  Examples of such benefits include, but are not limited to:

• financial aid in any form;
• making employment arrangements for relatives;
• offering or giving clothing or equipment;
• co-signing or providing loans;
• offering or giving any tangible items or merchandise
• offering or providing free or reduced-cost service, rentals or purchases;
• offering or providing free or reduced-cost housing;
• arranging for or sponsoring an awards banquet in honor of high school or junior college athletes;
• presenting awards for excellence in athletics;
• offering or providing free tickets for athletic or non-athletic events.