Sun Devil Cheerleader
Sun Devil Compliance

What boosters can do

 

COURT-IMPOSED BOOSTER EXCEPTION RELATING TO PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETES:

In accordance with the preliminary injunction issued by the Eastern District of Tennessee (federal court), for the time being, the Two Booster Rules – i.e. no recruiting and no gifts – do not apply to boosters, NIL collectives, or other third (non-ASU) parties when it comes to contacting prospective student-athletes for the sole purpose of negotiating potential NIL deals.


A few things that have not changed about NIL negotiations with prospects:

  1. All potential agreements must be for actual services rendered (in other words, they must be quid pro quo agreements).
  2. Universities and their affiliates (e.g., alumni associations, institutional foundations, MMR partners whether or not they are departments of the university) are prohibited from negotiating or entering into NIL agreements with prospects.
  3. Boosters cannot enter into communications with potential transfers until they are in the transfer portal (and therefore become prospects again).

 

What boosters can do may depend on whether they are interacting with a prospective or enrolled student-athlete:

What boosters CAN do for or with ASU prospects:

  • Attend high school, community college, and public events in which prospects are participating so long as they do not attempt to contact or recruit prospects while they are there except for communications relating to NIL deals.
     
  • Continue established family relationships with prospects, their parents, and their relatives if the conversations are unrelated to Sun Devil Athletics and attendance at ASU.
     
  • Communicate with prospects for the purposes of entering into NIL deals with the prospects.

What boosters CAN do for or with ASU student-athletes:

  • Speak with student-athletes at games, events, banquets, etc.
     
  • Host an occasional home meal for a student-athlete or an entire team, but only if the booster receives prior approval by the Compliance Office and head coach (through completion of necessary paperwork available in ARMS).
     
  • Send a birthday, graduation, or holiday greeting so long as the greeting does not include any money, gift cards, or presents.
     
  • Accompany a student-athlete to a movie, play, sporting event, or other form of entertainment.  The student-athlete must, however, pay his/her own expenses, including the cost of transportation, admission, food, etc.
     
  • Employ a student-athlete so long as all of the steps outlined here are followed.
     
  • Enter into NIL deals with student-athletes so long as those deals follow ASU NIL policy (click here for the policy).