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Athletics Compliance Office > Coaches & Staff > Camps & Clinics

Camps & Clinics

Institutional Camps
Employment
Advertisement & Brochures
Frequently Asked Questions
Non-Institutional Camps
Fundamental Skills Camp

Institutional Camps

An institutional sports camp or clinic is owned or operated by a member institution or an employee of the member institution’s athletics department, either on or off its campus in which prospects participate. In order to be considered an owner of an institution’s sports camp or instructional clinic, the individual must be at least a majority owner (i.e. 51 percent of the camp or clinic). In order to be considered an operator of an institution’s sports camp or instructional clinic, an individual must be personally and directly responsible for the management and operation of the camp or clinic. [NCAA Official Interp 2/1/90]

• An institution's sports camp or clinic shall be open to any and all entrants (limited only by number, age, grade level and/or gender).

• The interaction during sports camps and clinics between prospects and those coaches employed by the camp or clinic is not subject to the recruiting calendar restrictions. However, a staff member employed at the camp or clinic is prohibited from recruiting any prospects during the time period that the camp or clinic is conducted. This includes extending verbal or written offers of financial aid during attendance at a camp or clinic.

• Coaches not employed by a camp or clinic wishing to observe prospects must adhere with the appropriate recruiting contact and evaluation periods.

• Institutional camps or clinics may not be conducted during a dead period.

Employment

The employment of current student-athletes and individuals associated with prospects at institutional camps or clinics is permissible provided all of the following provisions are met:

For Student-Athletes:

• The student-athletes must perform duties that are of a general supervisory character in addition to any coaching or officiating assignments.

• Compensation provided to the student-athlete shall be commensurate with the going rate for camp or clinic counselors of like teaching ability and camp or clinic experience and may not be paid on the basis of the value that they might have for the employer because of athletics reputation. It is not permissible to establish varying levels of compensation for a student-athletes employed by a sports camp or clinic based on the level of athletics skill.

• A student-athlete who only lectures or demonstrates at a camp or clinic may not receive compensation for his or her appearance.

An individual associated with a prospect includes any high school, preparatory school or two-year-college coach or any other individual responsible for teaching or directing an activity in which a prospect is involved.

For Individuals associated with prospects:

• The individual receives compensation that is commensurate with the going rate for camp counselors of like teaching ability and camp experience.

• The individual is not paid on the basis of the value he or she may have for the employer because of his or her reputation or contact with prospective student-athletes.

In all sports, A member institution may not compensate or reimburse a high school, preparatory school or two-year-college coach based on the number of campers the coach sends to a camp. In the sport of basketball, an institution cannot employ (salaried or volunteer basis) a speaker at a camp or clinic who is involved in coaching prospects or who is associated with a prospect. Such an individual may be employed as a camp counselor, but may not perform speaking duties other than those normally associated with counselor duties [13.12.2.2.2].

Prospects may NOT be employed at an institutional camp or clinic (it is permissible to have an institutional policy allowing the children of staff members to be employed).

Camp Advertisement

Coaches and/or camp directors may not place any advertisements in recruiting publications or on websites until the Compliance Office reviews and approves the layout plan prior to publication, airing or posting, to ensure that the advertisement meets the NCAA specifications.

Camp or clinic advertisements may appear in Notre Dame athletics publications such as ND game programs. However, advertisements may not appear in high-school or two-year college game programs. Generally, recruiting publications or newsletters may contain advertisements, provided the publication includes a camp directory and if the advertisement meets the following requirements:

• The size and format of all the camp/clinic advertisements must be identical and the size may not exceed one-half page.

• The camp directory must include multiple listings of summer camps on each page (i.e., at least two summer-camp advertisements of the same size must appear on each page).

Camp/clinic advertisements may appear on a recruiting publication website provided the website’s camp directory includes multiple listings of summer camps/clinics and the size and format of all the advertisements are identical. The half-page size restriction applicable to advertisements in print publications is not applicable to website advertisements.

Brochures

Camp brochures are not restricted by content or design but must indicate that the camp or clinic is open to any and all entrants (limited only by number, age, grade level and gender). Brochures are restricted to a single 2-sided sheet, not to exceed 17”x 22” in size when opened in full. It is not permissible to create a brochure that folds out into a poster. Camp or clinic brochures may be mailed to a prospective student-athlete at any time.

It is permissible to use a current student-athlete’s name, picture and institutional affiliation ONLY IN A CAMP COUNSELOR SECTION of a brochure to identify the student-athlete as a camp staff member. A student-athlete’s name or picture may not be used in any other way to directly advertise or promote the camp. [NCAA 12.5.1.7] The picture can be an action shot, provided that other student-athletes with eligibility remaining are out of the frame.

Frequently Asked Questions

Brochures

Question: Can I use a current student-athlete's picture in my camp brochure if the general public would be unable to identify them as such?
Answer: No. If a staff member has knowledge that a picture includes a current student-athlete (even just a hand, shoulder...), the picture cannot be used.

Question: Can I use a current student-athlete's picture in the camp counselor section of my camp brochure if they were previously employed as a camp counselor but will not be employed during this particular camp?
Answer: No, only current/active camp counselors may be featured in the camp counselor section of a camp brochure.

Question: May I include pictures of former student-athletes, who will be working the camp, in areas of the camp brochure other than the camp counselor section?
Answer: It is permissible to use pictures of former student-athletes in sections other than the camp counselor section provided they are no longer eligible for intercollegiate competition. The rules regarding photographs and names of counselors are restricted to current student-athletes with remaining eligibility.

Question: May I include next season's schedule in my camp brochure?
Answer: Yes, It is permissible to list the institution’s upcoming season’s schedule in a camp brochure.

Question: Can I announce any team accolades in my camp brochure (Big East/NCAA Champions...)?
Answer: Yes, team accolades may be included in a camp brochure.

Prospects

Question: May a coach invite particular prospects to a camp?
Answer: Yes, provided the institution legitimately advertises the camp, making it open to all entrants limited only by number and age. [NCAA Staff Interp 8/19/1988]

Question: May one of the institution’s coaching staff members employed at the camp work exclusively with certain prospects (e.g., prospects invited to camp, high profile prospects participating in camp)?
Answer: No, it is not permissible for an institution’s coach to work exclusively with certain prospective student-athletes, inasmuch as such selective tutelage would constitute a special arrangement for the prospective student-athletes. [NCAA Staff Interp 8/19/1988]

Question: May prospects, who are CHILDREN OF STAFF MEMBERS be employed at an institutional camp or clinic?
Answer: It is permissible for an institution to have an institutional policy or athletics department policy that permits the children of institutional staff members or athletics department staff members to be employed or receive free or reduced admission to the institution’s camps or clinics, regardless of whether the staff member’s child is a high-school, preparatory-school or two-year college athletics award winner.

Awards

Question: May AWARDS and MERCHANDISE be provided to prospects during institutional sports camps and clinics?
Answer: Prospective student-athletes may receive awards from an institution’s sports camp or clinic, with the understanding that the cost of such awards is included in the admissions fees charged for participants in the camp or clinic. It is not permissible to provide free mementos to prospective student-athletes and high school coaches for participating in an institution’s sports camp or clinic, unless the value of the memento is included as part of the admission price of the camp or clinic, and it is provided to all participants in the camp or clinic.

Media

Question: May the media interview prospects who are attending our summer camps (which are open to the general public)?
Answer: Per NCAA Bylaw 13.10.4 an institution shall not publicize (or arrange for publicity of) a prospect's visit to the institution's campus; therefore, it is not permissible for you to arrange interviews between the prospects attending the camps and any member of the media.

Question: May we invite members of the media to attend a sports camp or clinic held on ND’s campus?
Answer: Per NCAA Bylaw 13.10.5, institutions shall not publicize, or arrange for publicity of, a prospective student-athlete’s visit to the institution's campus. This prohibition includes publicizing, or arranging for publicity of, a prospective student-athlete's attendance at any camp or clinic held on the institution's campus. Therefore, it is not permissible for an institution to invite members of the media to attend a sports camp or clinic held on the institution’s campus. It also is not permissible for an institution to provide members of the media special access (e.g., access to areas of the camp not accessible to the general public) to view or meet with the prospective student-athletes in attendance at a camp or clinic.

Non-Institutional Camps

A non-institutional sports camp or clinic is owned or operated by an individual or organization not affiliated with the member institution's athletics department. In sports other than basketball and football, an employee of the Athletics Department is permitted to be involved with a non-institutional camp or clinic, with exceptions.

Non-institutional camps and clinics must be operated in accordance with restrictions applicable to an institutional camp (open to any/all entrants, no free or reduced admission to or employment of athletics award winners). Employment must be reported to Compliance for prior approval on the Non-Institutional Camp Employment Form.

No Athletics Department staff member may be employed (salaried or volunteer) in any capacity by a camp or clinic established, sponsored or conducted by an individual or organization that provides recruiting or scouting services concerning prospects. Staff members can serve as officials at such camps.

In basketball, an institution's coach or noncoaching staff member with sport specific responsibilities may be employed only at institutional basketball camps or clinics and only during the months of June, July and August or any calendar week within these three months.

In football, participation in non-institutional, privately owned camps and clinics involving prospective student-athletes is limited to two DESIGNATED periods of 15-consecutive days in the months of June and July.

In volleyball, a coach or noncoaching staff member may be employed at a non-institutional camp or clinic provided it is operated in accordance with restrictions applicable to institutional camps, however, it is not permissible for a volleyball coach or noncoaching staff member with sport specific responsibilities to be employed at a non-institutional, privately owned camp or clinic that is conducted off the institution's campus during a quiet period.

A noncoaching staff member with department-wide responsibilities may present an education session at a non-institutional, privately owned camp or clinic provided they do not make a recruiting presentation.

Fundamental Skills Camp

Athletic department personnel may be employed in ANY capacity (e.g., counselor, guest lecturer, consultant) in a non-institutional, privately owned camp or clinic conducted under the following conditions:

• The camp or clinic is designed to develop fundamental skills in a sport (rather than refine the abilities of skilled participants in the sport).

• The camp or clinic is open to the general public (except for restrictions in age or number of participants).

• The camp or clinic is conducted primarily for educational purposes and does not include material benefits for the participants (e.g., awards, prizes, merchandise, gifts).

• Participants do not receive a recruiting presentation.

• All participants reside in the state in which the camp/clinic is located or within 100 miles of the camp/clinic.

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Thursday, November 4, 2010