How Can I Help With Recruiting?
Recruiting is key in continuing BYU athletics' rich tradition of championship level play and academic achievement. Understandably, boosters and fans are passionate about the recruiting efforts of our teams and may want to provide assistance in these endeavors. However, boosters must comply with NCAA recruiting legislation. If not, their actions may hamper BYU coaching staff's recruiting efforts.
If you know of a prospect that you feel would make a positive addition to one of BYU’s athletic teams, please contact the coach of the respective sport and let them know. The only persons who can permissibly recruit a prospective student-athlete are BYU coaches. DO NOT RECRUIT THE PROSPECT YOURSELF!
Boosters may not call, text, email, or otherwise communicate with a prospective student-athlete. This includes a ban on any in-person meetings, whether on-campus or off-campus. Boosters are also not permitted to provide gifts (swag, cash, etc.) to prospects.
Who is a “Prospective Student-Athlete”?
A “prospect” is a student that has started classes for the ninth grade. A student that has not started classes for the ninth grade becomes a prospect if the student receives any benefits that the institution does not provide to all prospective students in general. Boosters should be cautious in their interactions with any prospect-aged students to ensure no impermissible recruiting occurs.
A booster may:
- Continue to maintain contact with a prospect and their family with whom the booster has had a pre-existing relationship and there is no attempt to recruit the student-athlete.
- Have incidental contact – not prearranged by the athletic department – with a prospect. No recruiting conversations are permitted in these scenarios.
- Talk to a prospect via telephone if the prospect initiates the conversation and the call is not for recruiting purposes.
- Watch a prospect's athletic contest on the booster's own initiative. However, boosters cannot be utilized as evaluators by BYU coaches or staff members and are strictly prohibited from communicating with prospects.
- Contact a BYU coach or athletic staff member to inform them about a prospect.
A booster may not:
- Have face-to-face contact with a prospect or their parents, legal guardian(s), or relatives to encourage them to enroll at BYU or have any face-to-face contact in excess of the exchange of a greeting.
- Send recruiting communications of any kind through any medium (email, social media, texts, online chat forums, etc.) to prospects or their family members.
- Mail anything to prospects, including newspapers, clippings, posters, programs, etc.
- Pick up videotapes or transcripts relating to a prospect at his/her high school or junior college.
- Contact a prospect's counselor, principal, or coach in an attempt to evaluate the prospect's academic or athletic abilities.
- Transport a prospect to his/her official or unofficial visit(s) to BYU.
- Pay for a prospect to participate in a BYU sports camp.
- Provide a prospective/enrolled student-athlete any benefit or special arrangement. Examples of "benefits" include but are not limited to: special discount payment arrangements; a loan of money in any amount; the use of a car; the purchase of meals or services at commercial establishments; selling or giving the prospect tickets to athletic, institution, or community events; the use of personal property; and providing holiday or birthday gifts.
Please enjoy our athletic events and be passionate about our recruiting efforts! However, leave the recruiting to our coaches!
