Wait... so, if someone gets in on a student pass, and then moves to an open seat not in the student section, that's an impermissible benefit? This rule come out of the Alabama High School Sports Association?
RU AWARE!
SUBJECT: Letter of Education – Special Seating for Student-Athletes
This email is to inform you of violations at other Division I institutions. To avoid similar violations, please read the information below and contact the Office of Athletic Compliance if you have any questions.
Student-Athletes Attending Rutgers Sporting Events:
All Rutgers student-athletes are able to receive a free ticket for their own personal use to any Rutgers regular-season home event in sports other than that in which they are a participant.
HOWEVER…
That ticket is only for seating in the general seating area of the facility used for conducting the event.
A violation occurs when a student-athlete or their family/friends, during the conduct of the event (including intermission), sits in special/VIP seating areas such as the press box, courtside, Audi Club, loge boxes, “stool section” at the RAC or bench area. This would be considered an EXTRA BENEFIT because it would be a special arrangement provided to the student-athlete or their family/friend that is not permitted by NCAA legislation.
The following are examples of how other institutions have violated this rule:
- Six student-athletes sat in courtside seats at a home basketball game, which are not considered general admission or general seating areas.
- Three student-athletes attended a men’s basketball game and used their student IDs to gain general admission, however during the course of the game, the student-athletes had gained access to a premium seating area.
- Three student-athletes received a meal and access to a suite for approximately 15 minutes by a booster during a home football game.
- The parent of a current student-athlete received suite access during a home soccer contest through a friend who is also a former assistant coach at the institution during an alumni reception.
- The brother of a student-athlete and his brother's friends received impermissible special seating when they had access to a suite in the soccer stadium for the first 35 minutes of the last home game of the season.
- Two student-athletes were given access to a men's basketball home contest through the coaches pass list rather than a student-athlete pass or gate list.
- A former assistant equipment manager provided two student-athletes with his personal complimentary admissions he received as an employee of the athletics department for a football game.
Penalties:
- Student-athlete will be immediately ineligible until reinstatement with the NCAA. (Not allowed to compete or travel until reinstated).
- Student-athlete will have to pay back the cost of the ticket(s). For example, if you sit court-side at a basketball game because there is an open seat, you will have to pay back the cost of that ticket – approximately $300 for a men’s basketball game or $100 for a women’s basketball game.
