Back Door, a women’s basketball student-athlete at Ocean State University, wants to take advantage of a “Cyber Monday” sale. Her team is playing on the road tonight, and she does not have her credit cards with her to make the purchase. The sport administrator traveling with the team offers to let Back use her credit card to take advantage of the sale, and Back will pay her tomorrow.
Is it permissible for the sport administrator to allow the student-athlete to use her credit card to make the purchase since she will be reimbursed tomorrow?
No. NCAA Bylaw 16.11.2.2 states that an institutional employee or representative of the institution’s athletics interests may not provide a student-athlete with extra benefits or services, including, but not limited to: [R]
(a) A loan of money;
(b) A guarantee of bond;
(c) An automobile or the use of an automobile;
(d) Transportation (e.g., a ride home with a coach), except as permitted in Bylaw 16.9.1, even if the student-athlete reimburses the institution or the staff member for the appropriate amount of the gas or expense; or
(e) Signing or co-signing a note with an outside agency to arrange a loan.
Daily Compliance Item 