inside.hokiesports.com 23 WHO IS A PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETE? Any student who has started class for the ninth grade (or seventh grade for men’s basketball student-athletes) is considered a prospective student-athlete or a prospect. Any student who has not started classes for the ninth grade becomes a prospect if Virginia Tech contacts the student for recruiting purposes or provides the student, student’s relatives, or friends any financial assistance or other benefit that the institution does not provide to prospective students generally. An individual remains a prospect until they enroll in a minimum fulltime program of studies and attend class at Virginia Tech, or when they participate in a team practice of competition for Virginia Tech that occurs before any term of the academic year. WHAT IS RECRUITING? Recruiting is defined by the NCAA as any solicitation of a prospective student-athlete, the prospect’s relatives, or guardians by an institutional staff member or booster for the purpose of securing the prospect’s enrollment and participation in any Virginia Tech Athletics program. Contact is defined by the NCAA as any faceto-face encounter between a prospect, the prospect’s relatives, or guardians and an institutional staff member or booster during which dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of a greeting. Any such face-to-face encounter that is prearranged or that takes place on the grounds of the prospect’s educational institution or at the site of organized competition or practice involving the prospect or the prospect’s high school, preparatory school, two-year college, or allstar team is considered a contact, regardless of the conversation that occurs. IMPORTANT RECRUITING DO’S AND DON’TS Only designated Virginia Tech Athletic staff members are permitted to recruit prospective student-athletes. Boosters may: • Notify Virginia Tech coaching staff members about noteworthy prospective student-athletes in their area. • Attend high school or two-year college athletics contests or other events where prospects may compete, provided no contact occurs. • Continue existing friendships, provided solicitation of a prospect’s enrollment or athletic participation at Virginia Tech does not occur. Boosters may NOT: • Contact prospects or the prospect’s relatives or guardian in person, via telephone, e-mail, text, social media or letter. • Provide gifts or free or reduced-cost services to a prospect or the prospect’s relatives or guardians. • Employ relatives, guardians, or friends of a prospect as an inducement for the prospect’s enrollment and athletics participation at Virginia Tech. • Become directly or indirectly involved in making arrangements for a prospect or the prospect’s relatives or guardians to receive money or financial aid of any kind. • Provide transportation for a prospect or the prospect’s relatives or guardians. • Provide free or reduced-cost tickets for a prospect or the prospect’s relatives or guardians to attend an athletics event. • Provide any material benefit (e.g., meals, cash) to the coach of a prospect, including high school, two-year college, AAU, and summer team coaches. Continued on page 25
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