"Can I take this kid to the game?" is by far the most common compliance question of former students, fans and members of the 12th Man Foundation. The prevalence of this question is a strong indicator of both the generosity of Aggies and of the importance of providing more Aggies with information on this popular subject.
An example of a typical scenario is as follows. Mr. Aggie phoned in and explained that his grandson's friend and fellow high school teammate, a prospective student-athlete and potential Texas A&M recruit, want to come to an A&M home game. Mr. Aggie indicated that he has provided his grandson's friends with tickets and travel to A&M home games for over 10 years. Mr. Aggie indicated that, once in College Station, he may bring his grandson and his friend to his family's tailgate as well.
The question: is this permissible according to NCAA rules? Yes, it would be permissible because:
- Mr. Aggie has a pre-existing relationship with his grandson's friends;
- Mr. Aggie's relationship with the prospective student-athlete does not originate in athletics; it originates in his grandson's friendship;
- Mr. Aggie did not arrange the proposed benefits; his grandson did;
- Mr. Aggie will be providing benefits that he has consistently provided to his grandson's friends, irrespective of athletic ability, for several years; and
- Neither Mr. Aggie nor his friends or family will solicit the prospective student-athlete's participation in athletics at Texas A&M.
The last item is necessary due to NCAA rules that preclude boosters from soliciting the enrollment of a prospect at Texas A&M. If you would like to bring a kid or a teenager who is a prospective student-athlete to the game and you are still unsure if doing so would violate NCAA rules, please contact Athletic Compliance or call 979-845-1904 or email us at compliance@athletics.tamu.edu.
