Date Published: October 15, 2012
Interpretation:
The academic and membership affairs staff confirmed that if a prospective student-athlete flies to an institution for an official visit and his or her parents or legal guardians 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 or legal guardians from their home to the institution and back to their home. In such circumstances, the 48-hour period for the official visit is initiated when the prospective student-athlete’s parents or legal guardians begin transporting the coach to campus. Any dialogue in excess of an exchange of a greeting with the prospective student-athlete’s parents or legal guardians prior to the trip to campus is a countable contact. Therefore, such contact may only occur during a permissible contact period (recruiting period in men’s basketball). At the conclusion of the 48-hour period, the coach shall immediately terminate contact with the prospective student-athlete and his or her parents or legal guardians.
