Shot Block is a men’s basketball prospect that is going to visit Ocean State University (OSU) in a few weeks. Shot is going to fly to campus, but his mother is going to drive. Because his mother is a little uneasy about the drive, one of the OSU assistant coaches has offered to ride with her. Is this permissible?
Yes with conditions. NCAA Staff Interpretation- 8/24/12-Coach Traveling with Prospective Student-Athlete’s Parents to Campus on an Official Visit (I)- states that if a prospective student-athlete flies to an institution for an official visit and the prospective student-athlete’s parents drive to the institution’s campus to accompany the prospective student-athlete on the official visit, it is permissible for a member institution’s coach to ride with the prospective student-athlete’s parents from their home to the institution and back to their home, provided the contact with the prospective student-athlete’s parents occurs during a contact period (recruiting period in men’s basketball) and is counted as one of the in-person off-campus contacts that may occur with the prospective student-athlete. Also, in men’s basketball, an institution may reimburse the prospective student-athlete’s parents or legal guardians (expenses for up to two people) for the actual round-trip costs to accompany the prospective student-athlete on his official visit.
[References: NCAA Bylaws 13.02.4 (contact), 13.02.5.3 (recruiting period — men’s basketball), 13.1.5 (contacts), 13.5.2.2.1 (prospective student-athlete’s relatives or friends), 13.5.2.6 (transportation of prospective student-athlete’s relatives, friends or legal guardians) and 13.5.2.6.1 (exception — transportation expenses for a prospective student-athlete’s parents or legal guardians — men’s basketball), and staff interpretation (01/28/87, Item Ref: 4-a-(3), which has been archived] |