Information for EMU coaches and athletic administrators
(including forms)
Links: Athletically-related income,
prior approval and reporting
Coaching
limitations
Contacting
2-year college prospects during their first year
of college
Complimentary
admissions to home contests for prospects' coaches
and teachers
Extra-benefit
restrictions
Gambling/sports
wagering restrictions
Hardship
waivers
Occasional meals
for student-athletes
Office
of Compliance policies and procedures manual
Official
paid visit, limits and first permissible
opportunities
Permissible
recruiting materials
Permission
to contact 4-year college transfers
Promotional
activity restrictions
EMU
official visit policy
Waivers of NCAA legislation
Athletically Related Outside Income, Prior Approval and Reporting: NCAA rules and institutional policies require that all athletics department staff members receive prior approval from the Director of Athletics to earn outside income and annually report such earning to the President of the University. All forms of athletically-related income must be included in this process to comply with NCAA rules. NCAA Bylaw 11.2.2 outlines the types of income or benefits that must be reported in this report to the president.
• The Outside Income Disclosure form is here (PDF file)
Coaching Limitations: NCAA rules limit the number of paid and volunteer assistant and head coaches that can be utilized in each sport. Each August all head coaches are required to designate their coaching staff members and off-campus recruiters in writing to the Office of Compliance. Any changes to a coaching staff during the academic year will require documentation of this revision. Volunteer coaches may not receive any compensation from the Athletics Department, the institution or any group or individual affiliated with the institution for worked performed for the athletics department (excluding camps and clinics). Volunteer coaches must also sign a Volunteer Coach's Agreement indicating their understanding of NCAA restrictions regarding the permissible benefits and activities of volunteer coaches. This agreement must be on file in the Office of Compliance prior to participating in any coaching activities. Volunteer coaches are not permitted in the sports of Men's and Women's Basketball and Football.
• The Volunteer
Coaches form is here (PDF)
• The Staff
Declaration form - men's sports is
here (PDF)
• The Staff
Declaration form - women's sports is here (PDF)
Contacting Two-year College Prospects During their First Year of College: Coaches may not have in-person, off-campus contact with two-year college prospects in their first year of enrollment at a two-year college unless the prospect has been certified as a qualifier by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse.
Complimentary Admissions to Home Contests for Prospect's Coaches and Teachers: Complimentary admissions to Eastern Michigan University home athletic events may be provided to the coaches and teachers of prospective student-athletes. These individuals may receive no more than two complimentary admissions to a home event (issued only through a pass list on an individual game basis). These complimentary admissions are obtained by placing the individual’s name on a pass list created by EMU’s Ticket Office. Individuals receiving these complimentary admissions are required to present identification at the pass gate at the site of the contest.
• The Complimentary Ticket Request form is here (PDF)
Extra-Benefit Restrictions: NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes from receiving a benefit not available to all students enrolled at the institution or not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation. An impermissible extra-benefit refers to any special arrangement by an institutional employee or representative of the institution's athletics interests (booster) to provide the student-athlete, his family or friends with a benefit. Examples of impermissible extra-benefits for student-athletes, their families and friends include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Special discounts or credit on a purchase or a service.
- Free or reduced-cost services for professional services.
- Use of a telephone, fax machine, or credit card for personal reasons.
- A loan of money.
- A guarantee of bond.
- An automobile or use of an automobile.
- Signing or co-signing a note from an outside agency for a loan for the student-athlete, his or her family or friends.
- Providing transportation to a student-athlete even if the student-athlete reimburses the provider for the appropriate expense of the transportation.
- Gifts of any kind, including cash or any tangible item.
Gambling/Sports Wagering Restrictions: NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes and athletics department staff members (including part-time employees, volunteer employees, student managers, student trainers and student workers of any type) from participating in gambling activities on amateur, intercollegiate or professional sports. Such prohibited activities include:
- Providing information to individuals involved in organized gambling activities.
- Soliciting or accepting a bet on any intercollegiate or professional sports team or event.
- Participating in any wagering activities that involve risking money or any tangible items on the outcome of an athletic contest, event, tournament or season (i.e., NCAA basketball tournaments pools of any kind, Super Bowl bets, fantasy leagues that require an entry fee and provide winnings).
- Participating in any gambling activities that involve intercollegiate or professional athletics, through a bookmaker, a parlay card or any other method employed by organized gambling.
- Engaging in activities designed to influence the outcome of an intercollegiate athletics contest or affect the win-loss margin (i.e., "point shaving") of a contest.
Participation in these impermissible gambling activities is a serious violation of NCAA rules and can result in a permanent loss of eligibility for student-athletes and possible suspension or termination of employment for athletics department staff members.
Hardship Waivers: Hardship waivers (commonly referred to as "medical redshirts") may be granted to student-athletes that participate in limited amounts of competition during a season and suffer an incapacitating injury or illness that prevents the student-athlete from further participation in the sport during that season. In order to be granted a hardship waiver, student-athletes must have a documented incapacitating injury or illness and have participated in no more than two contests (or dates of competition) or twenty percent (whichever number is greater) of the sport's scheduled contests or dates of competition for the season in question. In addition, participation in any competition after the first half of the season will prevent a student-athlete from being granted a hardship waiver.
Head coaches may initiate a hardship waiver request by completing a Medical Hardship Application and submitting this to the Athletics Department at the conclusion of the season.
• The Medical Hardship Waiver Application form is here (PDF)
Occasional Meals for Student-Athletes: NCAA rules permit student-athletes to receive an occasional meal in the locale of the institution on infrequent and special occasions from an institutional staff member. Student-athletes may receive an occasional family home meal from a representative of athletics interests on special occasions as long as the meal is provided in an individual's home (catering is permitted). Parents of student-athletes can provide occasional meals to team members of their child at any location.
Reasonable local transportation may be provided to student-athletes to attend such meals. However, only the representative that is providing the meal in his or her home may provide the transportation to the meal.
Office of Compliance Policies and Procedures Manual: The Office of Compliance maintains an up-to-date online Compliance Manual for use by the Athletics Department, its coaches and administrators. This manual contains all the forms necessary for the monitoring of the athletics program, the documenting of activities related to our athletics programs and other issues related to institutional control initiatives.
• The EMU Compliance Manual can be accessed via EMU Online (password required)
Official Paid Visit, Limits and First Permissible Opportunities: NCAA rules strictly regulate the initial date that a prospect may be provided an official paid visit to an institution's campus. In all sports other than men's basketball, prospects may not be proved an official paid visit prior to the opening day of classes of the prospect's senior year of high school. Men's basketball prospects may be provided an official paid visit after January 1 of the prospect's junior year in high school, however, official visits of men's basketball prospects may not occur during the summer between the prospect's junior and senior year of high schools. A prospect that was not certified as a qualifier by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse and is enrolled at a two-year college may not be provided an official paid visit until he or she has completed an academic year at a two-year college.
Prospects are limited to five official paid visits and must submit an academic transcript (high school or college) and a score from a PSAT, SAT, PLAN or ACT test taken on a national testing date in order to be provided an official visit. Prospects may be provided only one official visit by an institution. Official paid visits must be completed within a 48-hour period. NCAA rules strictly limit the type of benefits and expenses that can be provided to prospects and their families during an official paid visit. For additional information, please contact the Office of Compliance.
• The Official Visit form is here (PDF)
Permissible Recruiting Materials: NCAA rules restrict the type of materials that staff members may send to prospective student-athletes based on a number of different issues. In sports other than men's basketball, recruiting materials may not be sent to a prospect until September 1 at the beginning of the prospect's junior year in high school. Men's basketball prospects may be sent recruiting materials only after the prospect has completed his sophomore year in high school. Printed recruiting materials are restricted by size, color, format and content. NCAA Bylaw 13.4.1 outlines permissible recruiting materials that may be sent to prospects and should be used as a reference by all coaching staff members. Please note that camp brochures and recruiting questionnaires may be provided to prospects prior to the restrictive dates described above.
Permission to Contact Four-year College Transfers: NCAA rules require that prior to having communication with a student-athlete at another four-year institution to discuss the possibility of transferring, a staff member must first receive prior written permission from the first institution's athletics director. Institutional policy requires that such permission be on file with the Office of Compliance prior to any contact being made with the student-athlete. In the event that a staff member is contacted by a student at another four-year institution without approval being granted, the conversation should be terminated and the student should be referred to the Office of Compliance in order for such approval to be requested. When approval is granted by the previous institution the Office of Compliance will provide the coaching staff with documentation of this approval.
Promotional activity restrictions: NCAA rules strictly prohibit a student-athlete from promoting or endorsing a business, commercial product or service and/or receiving any type of compensation for promoting or endorsing. This restriction includes the use of a student-athlete's name, photograph, likeness, spoken words or appearance in any type of promotion or advertisement of a business, product or service.
Student-athletes may participate in promotions for institutional, charitable, educational or nonprofit organizations but only after receiving prior written approval and verification that the promotion will meet certain criteria set forth by the NCAA. Prior written approval must be received through the Office of Compliance. Failure to receive such approval could impact the student-athlete's eligibility to participate in intercollegiate competition.
• The Promotional Activity form is here (PDF)
EMU Official Visit Policy: Eastern Michigan University is committed to providing prospective student-athletes with a positive recruiting experience that accurately reflects the manner in which our student-athletes traditionally live, socialize and interact with the community while enrolled as students at the institution. Like all NCAA Division I institutions, we have developed a visit policy that reflects our commitment to this process. Eastern Michigan University’s Official Visit Policy can be accessed by clicking here.
• The Official Visit Policy is here (PDF)
Waivers of NCAA legislation: Certain circumstances may warrant the pursuit of a waiver of the normal application of NCAA legislation. All such waivers are submitted to the NCAA and require the approval of the Director of Athletics and the Faculty Athletics Representative. The Office of Compliance coordinates, prepares and submits all waiver requests submitted to the NCAA. Any staff member wishing to explore a waiver of NCAA legislation should contact Melody Reifel Werner in the Office of Compliance.
• Contact Melody Reifel for further information.