Providence College Athletics

Boosters, Alumni & Fans

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 PC Representative of Athlete Interests & Boosters Brochure    
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General Information


Institutional Guidelines: Complying with NCAA rules and regulations is paramount for any Division I institution. Providence College is responsible for insuring that its coaches, student-athletes, faculty and staff, alumni, donors, and friends abide by NCAA regulations. Under these guidelines, alumni, donors, fans and friends are categorized as "representatives of athletics interests" of Providence College.

This is a quick reference to some of the most important NCAA rules which apply to our athletics representatives. However, all applicable situations cannot be covered in this guide. Please recognize that an uninformed or inappropriate interaction with a prospective or an enrolled student-athlete might jeopardize their eligibility, the sport they represent, or the institution itself.

Providence College greatly appreciates your loyal support and continued interest in its intercollegiate athletics programs. As we strive for continued excellence in athletics and academics, we must always seek the highest standard of ethical conduct. Your valued cooperation can be of assistance in accomplishing these common goals.


Representative of Athletics Interest: The NCAA recognizes you as a friend, booster, or representative of athletics interest if you have at any time:


Participated in or been a member of an agency or organization, including corporate entities (e.g., apparel & equipment companies), promoting Providence College's intercollegiate athletics program;
Made a donation to any of the Providence College intercollegiate athletics programs or the Friars Forever Athletic Fund;
Been requested by the athletics department staff to assist in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes;
Arranged for or provided summer employment for enrolled student-athletes;
Assisted in providing any benefit to enrolled student-athletes or their families;
Been involved in any way in promoting the Providence College intercollegiate athletics program.

Once an individual is identified as an athletics representative, the person retains that identity indefinitely, even if he/she no longer contributes to, or is involved with the Providence College intercollegiate athletics program. For more information regarding Representatives of Athletics Interest please see 'PC Representative of Athlete Interests/Boosters Brochure' located in the Links section of this page.


Prospective Student-Athlete (PSA): A prospective student-athlete (PSA) is defined as a student who has started classes for the 9th grade. A younger student may become a prospective student-athlete if the institution provides such an individual (or the individual's relatives or friends) any financial assistance or other benefits not provided to prospective students generally.

A student remains a prospective student-athlete until the individual enrolls in a full-time program of studies and attends classes in any term of a four-year collegiate institution's regular academic year (excluding summer); or participates in a regular-squad practice or competition at a four-year collegiate institution.

As a representative of athletics interest you are prohibited from:


Making an in-person contact on or off campus with prospective student-athletes;
Corresponding with a prospective student-athlete, their parents or legal guardians via written or telephone communication;
Contacting a prospective student-athlete's coach;
Visiting a prospective student-athlete's educational institution to pick up film or transcripts pertaining to the evaluation of the prospective student-athlete;
Providing transportation for a local high school or junior college prospective student-athlete to visit the Providence College campus;
Inviting select high school prospective student-athletes to alumni events;
Providing an offer or inducement to a prospective student-athlete or their parents, legal guardians, friends, or relatives.

As an athletics representative you are permitted to:


Employ prospective student-athletes in the summer after they have signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) and after they have graduated from high school;
Attend high school or 2-year college athletic contests (But you may not have contact with a prospective student-athlete);
Provide information to Providence College's coaching staff regarding prospective student-athletes in your area;
Provide funding to benefit a local high school athletics program if:
The representative acts independently of the institution;
The funds are distributed through channels established by the high school or the fundraising organization;
The funds are not earmarked directly for a specific prospective student-athlete.

Current Student-Athlete: An enrolled (current) student-athlete is a student whose enrollment was solicited by a member of the athletics staff or an athletics representative with a view toward the student's ultimate participation in the intercollegiate athletics program. Any other student becomes a student-athlete only when the student reports for an intercollegiate squad that is under the jurisdiction of the athletics department.

As a representative of athletics interest you are prohibited from:


Providing current student-athletes with benefits or services that are not generally available on the same basis to the entire student body (extra-benefits, as defined below);
Using the name or picture of a current student-athlete to advertise or promote the sale of a commercial product or service;
Purchasing or agreeing to purchase complimentary admissions from a current student-athlete for any item of value;
Employing a current student-athlete during the academic year;
Contributing funds to finance a scholarship for a particular student-athlete.

As an athletics representative you are permitted to:


Contribute funds to Providence College to finance a scholarship for a particular sport (however, the decision as to how such funds are to be allocated in the sport shall rest exclusively with the institution);
Provide summer employment to current student-athletes with compensation based on work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with other employees performing similar job duties;
Invite a current student-athlete or an entire team and provide local transportation to your home to receive an infrequent occasional meal (the meal may be catered);
Commit your effort to one of the booster organizations that work to support the intercollegiate athletics program at Providence College;
Attend all athletic contests, home or away.


Extra Benefit: An extra benefit is the receipt of any special arrangement by an institutional employee or an athletics representative to provide a student-athlete or prospective student-athlete, or their relatives or friends, with a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation. Examples of "extra-benefits" include, but are not limited to, the following:


Providing gifts or free or reduced-cost services;
Providing a loan or arranging or co-signing for a loan;
Providing the use of an automobile;
Providing rent free or reduced-rent housing;
Exchanging any item of value for complimentary admission;
Providing use of a phone credit card number to make phone calls;
Arranging discounts on travel;
Employing relatives or friends of a prospective student-athlete as an inducement for the enrollment of a prospective student-athlete;
Promising to provide any of the above.


Occasional meal: A student-athlete or an entire team may receive an occasional family home meal from an institutional staff member or representative of athletics interests under the following conditions:


The meal must be provided in an individual's home (as opposed to a restaurant) and may be catered;
Meals must be restricted to infrequent and special occasions; and
Institutional staff members may provide reasonable local transportation to student-athletes to attend such meals. A representative of the institution's athletics interests may provide reasonable local transportation to student-athletes to attend the meal function only if the meal function is at the home of that representative.


Offers and Inducements: Making an offer or inducement is being involved, directly or indirectly, in making arrangements for, giving, or offering to give any financial aid or other benefits to the prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's relatives or friends. Specifically prohibited financial aid, benefits, and arrangements include, but are not limited to, the following:


Arranging employment for a prospective student-athlete's relatives;
Giving the gift of clothing or equipment;
Cosigning of loans;
Providing loans to a prospective student-athlete's relatives or friends;
Giving cash or like items;
Giving any tangible items, including merchandise;
Providing free or reduced-cost services, rentals, or purchases of any type;
Providing free or reduced-cost housing;
Providing use of an institution's athletics equipment (e.g., for a high-school all-star game);
Sponsoring or arranging for an awards banquet for high-school, preparatory school, or two-year college athletes by an institution, representatives of its athletics interests, of its alumni groups, or of its fundraising organizations.

Six Key Rules to Remember

1. Only coaches and athletics department staff members are permitted to be involved in the recruiting process. Alumni, friends, and other athletics representatives who are not employed by Providence College are not permitted to contact a prospective student-athlete (or members of the prospective student athlete's family) by letter, telephone, or in-person (on or off-campus) for the purpose of soliciting their participation in the intercollegiate athletics program. For recruiting purposes, Providence College faculty members are permitted to engage in in-person contact with prospective student-athletes, but only on Providence College campus.

2. A prospective student-athlete remains a prospective student-athlete even after he or she signs a National Letter of Intent or financial aid agreement to attend Providence College. The prospective student-athlete does not lose his or her prospective student-athlete status until the start of classes at Providence College or the beginning of official team practice, whichever occurs first.

3. Do not do anything for a prospective student-athlete or a current student-athlete without specific authorization from the Providence College Athletic Department.

4. The prohibition of contact with a prospective student-athlete is not intended to relate to unavoidable incidental contacts with prospective student-athletes by athletics representatives. It is understood that athletics representatives may from time to time have contact with prospective student-athletes and/or their family members. Such contact is permissible so long as it is not made for the purpose of recruitment of the prospective student-athlete, and involves only normal courtesy. In other words, if you meet a junior or senior high school or junior college student-athlete during your normal course of business or social activity, there is no violation as long as you do not discuss Providence College athletics. If you are attending an alumni or athletics event and find yourself speaking with parents of a prospective student-athlete, do not discuss the athletics program and excuse yourself from the discussion in an appropriate manner.

5. If a student-athlete accepts any extra-benefits based on his or her status as an athlete or because of athletic skill, the student-athlete will lose all eligibility for intercollegiate athletics participation.

6. Athletics representatives are reminded that NCAA rules regarding student-athletes remain in effect throughout the entire year, including summer breaks.