The Ocean State University (OSU) men’s and women’s basketball programs will be participating in its conference media day this week. The men’s preseason pick for player of the year is an OSU student-athlete, so the coaches have asked Ocean Eleven, the Conference office, to provide expenses for his father to attend. Is it permissible for Ocean Eleven to provide such expenses to the parent?
No. NCAA Staff Interpretation- 10/8/13- Expenses for a Student Athlete’s Parents to Attend A Media Activity (I)– states that it is not permissible for a conference to provide actual and necessary expenses to the parents of student-athletes to attend a media activity (e.g., conference “media day”).
[References: NCAA Bylaws 12.5.3 (media activities), 16.02.3 (extra benefit) and 16.1.7 (expenses to receive noninstitutional awards); and staff interpretation (7/26/90, Item No. a), which has been archived]
Daily Compliance Item 