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As the parent of a student-athlete it is important that you understand NCAA rules and regulations that apply both to your child and yourself. Below are some guidelines that you should be aware of throughout the recruitment process of your child and while your child is a student-athlete at Loyola:
• Student-athletes have a pre-existing relationship with their parents. This means that parents that also serve as an athletic booster, or representative of Loyola's athletics interests, are recognized by the university as a parent first and a booster second.
• Student-athletes and their parents may not agree to enter into an agreement with an agent during anytime that their son or daughter is a member of a Loyola athletics team.
• Student-athletes, parents and relatives may not receive any extra benefits from an agent or anyone associated with an agent. Doing so could jeopardize the student-athlete's eligibility.
• Student-athletes and their parents may not receive any extra benefits due to the student-athlete's participation in athletics at Loyola.
Please explore this website to learn more about NCAA rules and regulations that effect you as the parent of a student-athlete.
If you have questions about your son or daughter's participation in intercollegiate athletics, please feel free to contact the Office of Compliance at 773-508-2894.
Extra Benefits
Per NCAA rules and regulations, it is impermissible for your son or daughter to accept anything that is not generally available to the Loyola student body. In addition, please remember the following regarding your role as the parent of a student-athlete:
• Do not accept anything from a sports agent, scout, runner or outside equipment vendor.
• Do not accept any complimentary or discounted items, such as merchandise or lodging, offered because of your status as the parent of a student-athlete.
• Loyola cannot reserve a block of discounted rooms at a hotel for the use by parents or family members of student-athletes except during postseason events. Loyola may not pay for the expense of such lodging.
• Loyola cannot arrange for the purchase of additional tickets for athletic events. Additional tickets beyond the complimentary tickets provided to your son or daughter must be purchased in the same manner as the general public.
• All travel expenses, including personal transportation, meals and lodging may not be paid for by the university of a representative of athletics interests (booster). The receipt of a meal, without payment, by the parent or family member of a student-athlete at an institutional tailgate would constitute an extra benefit.
• You may provide a meal to your son or daughter's teammates at any location on an occasional basis.
• You cannot provide off-campus housing free of charge or at a reduced rate to other student-athletes. For example, if you own a home in the area, you must charge your son or daughter's teammates a fair market rate if they wish to reside there.
• It is impermissible for student-athletes, their friends and relatives to sell any item received incidental to the student-athlete's participation on a Loyola athletics team. This includes clothes, gear, uniforms and other items provided by the institution to your son or daughter.
Who Is A Booster?
A booster is an individual that:
• Promotes Loyola athletics program.
• Makes a financial contribution to Loyola athletics or its booster organizations.
• Assists in the recruitment of prospects for Loyola.
• Provides benefits (e.g., jobs, occasional meals) to enrolled student-athletes.
• Has purchased season tickets for any Loyola athletics program.
Once a booster.....Always a booster. It is important to remember that once an individual has been identified as a booster, he or she retains that status forever.
Agents
NCAA rules forbid student-athletes to agree, orally or in writing, to be represented by an agent or organization in the marketing of his or her athletic ability or reputation until after the completion of his or her last intercollegiate contest, including postseason games. This prohibition extends to parents of student-athletes entering into agreements to have their son or daughter represented by an agent.
Further, a student-athlete and his parents may not accept transportation or other benefits from an athlete agent. The term "agent" includes actual agents, runners (individuals who befriend student-athletes and frequently distribute impermissible benefits) and financial advisors.
It is not a violation of NCAA rules if a student-athlete merely talks to an agent (as long as an agreement for agent representation is not established) or socializes with an agent. For example, a student-athlete and his or her parents may go to dinner with an agent and no NCAA violations would result as long as the student-athlete provides his or her own transportation and pays for his or her own meal.
Academic Eligibility Standards
A student-athlete is allowed 4 seasons of eligibility within 5 calendar years from the time he or she first enrolls full-time at a collegiate institution. In general, when a student-athlete competes in any competition (including scrimmages with outside competition), whether it is for one minute or the entire contest, he or she has used a season of competition and one of his or her 4 years of eligibility.
Student-athletes must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits per term to practice, receive financial aid and compete in intercollegiate athletics (exception if enrolled in final semester). If a student-athlete drops below 12 credit hours, he or she is immediately ineligible to practice or compete with the team.
Any student-athlete with a GPA under 2.0 is subject to an institutional review. If a student-athlete is a transfer student from a two-year or four-year college, he or she is not eligible during his or her first academic year in residence at Loyola unless he or she meets the provisions of one of the NCAA's transfer exceptions.
Financial Aid
Loyola University Chicago Financial Aid Office
The NCAA permits a student-athlete to receive financial aid from anyone upon whom he or she is naturally or legally dependent. A student-athlete may also receive financial aid not to exceed the cost of tuition, room, board, books and fees from:
Sources Distributed by the University:
• A student-athlete may receive institutional need-based aid based on information from his or her FAFSA. Such aid may include scholarships, grants, work-study, SEOG and PELL.
• A student-athlete may receive scholarships based on academic standing and/or athletic ability.
• The possibility of student employment either as work-study (need-based) or non work-study may be available to a student-athlete.
Sources Distributed Outside the University:
• A student-athlete may receive financial aid that is awarded on basis unrelated to athletic; or
• The aid is awarded through an established and continuing program aid to students, if the following conditions are met:
• The student-athlete's choice of institution is not restricted by the donor; and
• There is no direct connection between the donor and Loyola.
• A student-athlete MUST report all outside financial aid awards that he or she receives towards his or her college expenses.
Reduction/Cancellation of Institutional Financial Aid
If a student-athlete is receiving institutional financial aid based in any degree on athletics ability, that financial aid MAY be reduced or canceled during the period of the award (e.g., during that academic year or term) only if the student-athlete:
• Renders himself or herself ineligible for intercollegiate competition, or
• Fraudulently misrepresents any information on an application, letter of intent or financial aid agreement, or
• Commits serious misconduct which warrants a substantial disciplinary penalty (the misconduct determination must be made by the university's regular student disciplinary authority), or
• Voluntarily quits the sport for personal reasons. In this case, the student-athlete's financial aid may not be given to another student-athlete during the term in which the aid was reduced or canceled.
• Violates any written condition on Schedule A of the student-athlete's athletics aid agreement.
Institutional financial aid based in any degree on athletics ability MAY NOT be reduced, canceled or increased during the period of the award:
• Based on a student-athlete's ability, performance or contribution to a team's success, or
• Because injury prevents the student-athlete from participating, or
• For any other athletics reason.
Gambling
NCAA rules prohibit all student-athletes, coaches, and staff from wagering on any intercollegiate and professional sport, at any level, that is sponsored by the NCAA. This ban also applies to pools or fantasy leagues in which an entry fee is required and there is an opportunity to win a prize or money.
The NCAA strictly prohibits student-athletes, coaches and staff from engaging in the following activities:
• Soliciting a bet on any intercollegiate or professional team.
• Accepting a bet on any team representing the institution.
• Soliciting or accepting a bet on any intercollegiate or professional competition for any item (e.g., cash, shirt, dinner) that has tangible value.
• Participating in any gambling activity that involves intercollegiate athletics or professional athletics, through a bookmaker, a parlay card or any other method employed by organized gambling, including pools, auctions and fantasy leagues.
• Knowingly providing information to individuals involved in any type of organized gambling activities concerning intercollegiate athletics competition.
