Are you a Booster?
A representative of UML's athletics interest (Booster) is an individual who is known (or who should be known) by a member of UML's executive or athletic administration to:

• Have participated in or to be a member of an agency or organization promoting UML's intercollegiate athletics program.
• Have made financial contributions to the athletic department or to an athletic booster organization of UML.
• Be assisting or to have been requested (by the athletic department staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospects.
• Be assisting or to have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families, or
• Having been involved otherwise in promoting UML's athletic program.

NOTE: Once an individual is identified as a Booster, the person retains that identity indefinitely.

What Boosters Can and Can't Do
Anyone who has been identified as a UML Booster can unknowingly put a prospective student-athlete or a current student-athlete's eligibility in jeopardy by violating NCAA rules. Some basic regulations are outlined below. Please familiarize yourself with them to protect the eligibility status of our student-athletes.

Only coaches and athletic staff members are permitted to be involved in the recruiting process of a prospective student-athlete. (Prospective student-athletes are defined as those student-athletes in the ninth grade or above) Alumni, friends, and other "representatives of UML's athletic interest" who are not employed by UML are not permitted to contact a prospective student-athlete (or members of the PSA family) by letter, telephone, fax, electronic mail, or in-person (on or off UML's campus) for the purpose of soliciting their participation in our athletic program. UML faculty members are permitted to engage in in-person contact with the prospects only on the UML campus.

Boosters are not allowed to provide any "extra benefits" to any prospective or current student-athletes or their families. Additionally, Boosters are not allowed to:

• Use the name or picture of a student-athlete to directly or indirectly advertise, recommend or promote the sale or use of a commercial product or service.
• Provide an honorarium to a student-athlete who has been approved for a speaking engagement. Student-athletes may receive only necessary travel expenses for prior approved speaking engagements.
• Provide free or reduced rate housing for a student athlete or his/her family, even on weekend visits. Student-athletes are specifically not allowed to house-sit for boosters.
• Expend funds to entertain student-athletes, their friends or relatives. You are not permitted to even buy them a soda or cup of coffee.
• Allow a student-athlete, his/her friends or family to use your telephone to make free long distance calls.
• Provide awards or gifts to a student-athlete for his/her athletic performance. All awards must conform to NCAA regulations and are subject to approval of the institutions athletic department.

A Booster may however:

• Provide an occasional family home meal to a student-athlete or an entire team. The meal must take place in the home, NOT a restaurant, however the meal may be catered. Requests for these types of occasional meals should be made through the team.
• Employ a student-athlete under certain circumstances with prior approval from the UMass Lowell Athletic Department. Student-athletes who are not freshmen may receive employment income in certain situations. Both the student-athlete and the employer must sign a written statement PRIOR to beginning any employment during the academic year. Student-athletes may be compensated only for work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in the area for similar services. The general limit on employment earnings that do not count towards NCAA limits is $2000 annually.

DO NOT DO ANYTHING FOR PROSPECTIVE OR ENROLLED STUDENT-ATHLETES WITHOUT SPECIFIC AUTHORIZATION FROM THE UMASS LOWELL ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT.