Notice from Michigan Regarding Accidental Boosterism
I just received an email with this information from Michigan's compliance office (we have season tickets). I thought it would be useful for everyone here, and also interesting that they took this step.
Since I am new, I also fully expect to screw up the block quote. I apologize in advance. Here it is:
Dear Michigan Fans:
We thank you for being our most loyal fans, spectators, and supporters. As a University of Michigan season ticket holder, a UM alumnus or a member of any booster organization, you are by NCAA definition a representative of UM’s athletics interests. UM is held responsible for anything you do related to UM’s prospects and/or our current student-athletes.
The NCAA has strictly limited the role you, as a Michigan Fan, may take with regard to prospects and student-athletes. The penalties for breaking those rules, whether by accident or intentional, can be severe. Any infraction will jeopardize a prospect or student-athletes opportunity to attend and compete for UM no matter how minor it may seem. In addition, you might expose UM to NCAA sanctions, and you could be disassociated from the program.
University of Michigan’s athletics programs value your continued support. The best message you can take from this information is to ask someone who is knowledgeable about NCAA rules before taking any action with a recruit or a student-athlete. The rules are complicated, and there are far too many to mention in this e-mail. Therefore, if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact the Compliance Services Office at (734)-615-7341 or by e-mail at [email protected].
GO BLUE!!!
Elizabeth Heinrich, Interim Chief of Compliance
The Top 10 Things Fans & Friends of Michigan Athletics Should Know:
1. ALWAYS ASK BEFORE YOU ACT! Breaking NCAA rules can render prospects and student-athletes ineligible for competition at the University of Michigan. The NCAA holds the University of Michigan accountable for the actions of its fans and friends.
2. You MAY NOT make recruiting contacts with prospects, their relatives or legal guardians. A prospective student-athlete is a student who has started classes for the ninth grade (7th grade for Men’s Basketball) or above. This prohibition includes written and telephone communications.
3. You MAY NOT contact a prospect’s coach, principal, or counselor in an attempt to evaluate the prospect.
4. You MAY send newspaper clippings and other information about talented prospects to the Michigan coaching staff. Also, you MAY continue established relationships with friends and neighbors whose children are prospects or current student-athletes, provided the relationship pre-dates reaching prospect status and is not based on their status as an athlete.
5. You MAY attend high school or junior college competitions provided no contact occurs with the prospect or the prospect’s relatives.
6. You MAY NOT entertain any coach from a junior or senior high school, preparatory school, or junior college or provide them with tickets or any other type of benefit.
7. You MAY NOT become involved in arranging for a prospect, a Michigan student-athlete or their family to receive gifts, money or financial benefits of any kind.
8. You MAY NOT provide transportation to a prospect, student-athlete or their friends and family. Also, you MAY NOT spend funds to entertain prospects, student-athletes or their friends and family.
9. You MAY employ a student-athlete provided you are paying them only for the work they actually perform, paying the going rate for similar services, are not paying them or providing perks based on their status as a student-athlete and the employment has been approved by the Compliance Services Office.
10.You MAY NOT use a photo or name of a student-athlete for commercial purposes or sell student-athlete memorabilia.
Thank You For Your Support!
The University of Michigan Compliance Services Office (CSO)
1000 S. State St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
734-615-7341
[email protected]
They should make every fan repeat this before kickoff can commence. I really want to maintain the "moral highground" that I feel we have right now. Its easy now to convince the parents of a recruit that going to Ohio = greater chance of felonies or federal subpoena than going to Michigan. Thanks for the post, Brian front page this to protect our program!
Why do we have an 'interim' chief of compliance?
because our last one was fired for shitting the bed and pretty much allowing practicegate to happen
Haha well yes, I was just figuring that after this much time has passed they would have either hired someone new in or dropped the 'interim' tag
The Compliance Office was pretty much ignored and patronized by those who failed to listen to her.
Judy Van Horn was the previous compliance director, and she wasn't fired and she didn't "allow practicegate to happen." She left Michigan late last year for a similar job at the University of South Carolina. The final NCAA report largely exonerated U-M's compliance department of any wrongdoing.
If I remember correctly, they send this out every year. I recall getting one last year.
Someone recently posted a similar communication from another BCS school to their students. I'm too lazy to look for it but I'm pretty sure it contained basically that exact same information as well (not knocking the OP at all - thanks for the info - just sayin').
I don't remember this notice from earlier years. I suppose I might have forgotten about it if they did, but this stuck out to me as such a stark warning that I doubt they ever sent this message this clearly before.
They put something like this in the mailing with the season tickets (or was it the season tickets order form? I forget).
So my Kyle Kalis bobblehead idea is a no go, huh?
11. If you see a recruit drowning, you MAY NOT pull him to safety without express written consent from the NCAA.
12 If a recruit stops short to let you pull your car into traffic in front of him, you MAY give him the initial half-wave 'thanks,' but you MAY NOT give him the follow-up out-the-window full wave 'thanks.'
That's my move
Would allowing a player/recruit to proceed foward at a stop sign even though I have the right-of-way constitute as improper beneits then? I'm so confused...
You may point out to a recruit that drowning is strictly prohibited.
Especially not with that 70's porn mustache.
Probably not. But yes, if you have any useful information, in the event a violation occurs, you know who to tell. This is key.
You really should be saying those things w/ your avatar....creeper.
Edit: in the span of time it took me to reply 4 ppl posted in front of me...amazing...
For all you organ donors, please contact Blue in South Bend for a formal statement you must attach to your driver's license that precludes anyone who has ever met a recruit or current athlete from receiving your precious organs.
For all you Michigan Med grads, make sure to include a box on your practice's intake form asking about the patient's association with recruits. Remember not to treat them, regardless of the situation's urgency, until you receive formal approval from the NCAA (normally a 6-9 month process).
This is going to be such a target-rich environment for jokes, it's hard to even know where to begin.
"Nothing about tattoos?"
"Are Corvettes okay if they are lease-vehicles?"
"Does the NCAA distinguish between 24-carat and 14-carat gold pants?"
On an only slightly more serious note, yes, this kind of Booster-reminder warning goes out as a "Guide to NCAA Rules for Fans, Friends and Alumni" in everybody's season ticket mailer. (Woops! In addition to the identical email I just got about 10 minutes ago!)
We do it; everybody does it. Oh, wait; we've been warned not to say "Everybody does it," haven't we?
And, there's the email address:
(In case you see any of the football players stretching. In the summertime.)
I can easily imagine that I have forgotten about inserts with the ticket applications. I don't think I have received this notice via email before. For me, the email was much better at getting my attention.
I'm trying to remember if we got an email last year. Not like this one, I don't think. I think it's new.
A very similar email (literally "The Top 10 Things Fans & Friends of Michigan Athletics Should Know") was sent from The University of Michigan Compliance Services Office on April 14, 2010.
at the TSIO Booster FAQ.
that I too, am a booster now. So I guess it's time to stop messaging recruits on facebook and twitter, right?.... /s
But you can get all up in their grills at Blimpies!
And while you were kidding, we know of people on here who are doing just that. And breaking those rules. Which is why they need to grow up, stop have delusions of grandeur, and stop it.
TSIO's version of this letter is similar, but it's not emailed or mailed. It can be found inside a 30 pack of Milwaukee's Best.
I thought they kept them in their coolers.
I will stop tunneling money to pay for post game "old fashions" for equipment managers after wins.
Yes, this is something that UofM has been issuing for many years. Many other colleges also take this common procedure.
I love #6:
6. You MAY NOT entertain any coach from a junior or senior high school, preparatory school, or junior college or provide them with tickets or any other type of benefit.
Looks like my buddy who is a high school football coach has to always pick up the dinner and beer tab. I wouldn't want to break any NCAA rules!
Isn't Magnus a high school coach? If I up-vote one of his comments, is that considered a "type of benefit?"
I better uncuff Zach Banner and let him out of my basement.
You had better have someone else let Zach Banner go and be nowhere near your basement.
Please do, H2V, and no one gets hurt.
And since we just got a commitment from his son....
Stop stalking recruits and/or current athletes.
Unless they're in the eighth grade or younger. To that, the NCAA says stalk away.
The NCAA might be OK with it, but I'm concerned the police might have issues with me hanging out at the local jr. high school.
Where's the picture of that creepy "free candy" van when you need it.
Chris Hansen has his own problems now....
Question, how many of these rules has ohio broken?
....
In terms of not contacting recruits..... A ton of us Michigan fans contact recruits as do they at other schools. So wouldn't that mean we are breaking NCAA rules? If thats true then every school would get NCAA sanctions
I do high school recruiting fairs in the area for UofM and there's a fine line I walk when recruiting. I can talkk to any prospective student about the U and student life, but if they start asking about varsity sports teams, I have to either:
a) give them the contact information on the official U brochure for the athletic department
b) redirect them to only talk academics and admissions
Mike Shaw was one the guys who came to my table a number of years ago and I talked to him and his mom for about 20 minutes about the school in general. It was fun, and we didn't talk sports at all.