October 10th: Occasional Meals

Danny Dollars is a booster for Ocean State University.  Danny would like to provide an occasional meal for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams next month.

Is this permissible?  Is the answer the same if Danny were a booster for James River Institute?  Country Roads College?

Yes it is permissible at all three divisions with certain conditions that must be met.

Division I NCAA Bylaw 16.11.1.5 states that a student-athlete or the entire team in a sport may receive an occasional meal in the locale of the institution on infrequent and special occasions from an institutional staff member. An institutional staff member may provide reasonable local transportation to student-athletes to attend such meals. A student-athlete or the entire team in a sport may receive an occasional meal from a representative of athletics interests on infrequent and special occasions under the following conditions: [R] (Revised: 1/10/92, 4/25/02 effective 8/1/02, 4/29/10, 8/7/14)

(a) The meal may only be provided in an individual’s home, on campus or at a facility that is regularly used for home competition and may be catered; and

(b) A representative of the institution’s athletics interests may provide reasonable local transportation to student-athletes to attend the meal function only if the meal function is at the home of that representative.

Division II NCAA Bylaw 16.5.1

(f) Occasional Meals. (Adopted: 1/17/15 effective 8/1/15)

(1) Institutional Staff Member. A student-athlete or the entire team in a sport may receive an occasional meal in the locale of the institution on infrequent and special occasions from an institutional staff member. An institutional staff member may provide reasonable local transportation to student-athletes to attend such meals.

(2) Representative of Athletics Interests. A student-athlete or the entire team in a sport may receive an occasional family home meal from a representative of the institution’s athletics interests provided the meal is in the individual’s home, on campus or at a facility that is regularly used for home competition and may be catered. The representative of the institution’s athletics interests or an institutional staff member may provide reasonable local transportation to student-athletes to attend such meals.

(3) Occasional Meals to Team Members Provided by Relatives or Legal Guardians. Occasional meals to team members provided by the relatives or legal guardians of a student-athlete are permissible and may be provided at any location (e.g., tailgating).

Division III NCAA Bylaw 16.11.1.5 states that a student-athlete or the entire team in a sport may receive an occasional meal from an institutional staff member or representative of the institution’s athletics interests under the following conditions: [R] (Revised: 1/10/92)

(a) The occasional meal may be provided at any location in the locale of the institution; (Adopted: 1/10/92, Revised: 1/10/05, 1/9/06)

(b) Meals must be restricted to infrequent and special occasions; and (Adopted: 1/10/92)

(c) Institutional staff members and representatives of the institution’s athletics interests may provide transportation to student-athletes to attend such meals. (Adopted: 1/10/92, Revised: 1/10/95, 1/9/06)