New NCAA Division I Interpretation: Transportation to Off-Campus Competition Site on Unofficial Visit

On August 29, 2011, the academic and membership affairs staff issued an interpretation concerning the transportation of a prospective student-athlete to an off-campus competition site on an unofficial visit. The staff determined that “an institution may provide a prospective student-athlete on an unofficial visit transportation to a home competition site used only once during the previous season (e.g., a facility regularly used by a professional team), provided the institution has used the facility more than once per season during previous seasons and has a reasonable belief that it will continue to use the facility more than once per season in future seasons.” The interpretation references NCAA Division I Bylaw 13.5.3 (transportation on unofficial visit); and a staff interpretation (6/9/89, Item No. i), which has been archived.

NCAA Bylaw 13.5.3 states that “during any unofficial recruiting visit, the institution may provide the prospective student-athlete with transportation to view practice and competition sites in the prospective student-athlete’s sport and other institutional facilities and to attend a home athletics contest at any local facility.  An institutional staff member must accompany the prospective student-athlete during such a trip.  Payment of any other transportation expenses, shall be considered a violation.”