Awards and Extra Benefits
The NCAA bans student-athletes from receiving any extra benefits. The NCAA defines extra benefits as any special arrangements by an institutional employee or representative of the institution’s athletics interests to provide the student-athlete or his/her relatives or friends with a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation.
Non-Permissible Benefits (examples are listed; however, this is not a complete list):
- Discounted or payment arrangements on a purchase (airline ticket, clothing) or service (laundry, dry cleaning)
- Free or reduced-cost services
- The use of a personal credit card for personal reasons without charge or at a reduced coast.
- Entertainment services (movies tickets, dinners, use of a car) from commercial agencies (movie theaters, restaurants, car dealers) without charge or at reduced rates.
- Free or reduced-cost admission to professional athletics contests from professional sports organizations (unless such services are also available to the student body in general.
- A loan of money or a guarantee of bond
- An automobile or the use of an automobile
- Transportation that is not generally available to the institution’s students or their friends/relatives.
- Signing or cosigning a note with an outside agency to arrange a loan.
Awards
- Student-athletes may receive any award(s) prior to initial full-time collegiate enrollment.
- Student-athletes who are enrolled full-time may not receive awards in the form of cash, gift certificates, a cash-equivalent award for athletics participation, or a country club/sports club membership.
   Exception: An individual may accept prize money in individual sports based on his or her place, finish or performance in an open athletics event; provided the competition occurs outside the institution's declared playing season during the institution's official summer vacation period, the prize money does not exceed the student-athlete's actual and necessary expenses and is provided only by the sponsor of the event, and actual and necessary expenses may not include the expenses or fees of anyone other than the student-athlete.
- Awards limitations apply to enrolled student-athletes who have exhausted their intercollegiate athletics eligibility. Awards to graduating seniors may not include cash, gift certificates, cash-equivalent award for athletics participation, or a country club/sports club membership.
- Awards presented by a member institution, conference or other approved agency must be uniform for all team members receiving the award.
Promotional Activities
- The use of a student-athlete’s name, picture and/or likeness to promote Fort Hays State University and athletic-specific events, activities and programs is permitted provided the material is produced by Fort Hays State University or through its Sports Information Office.
- The use of a student-athlete’s name, picture and/or likeness is not permitted to directly advertise, recommend or promote sales or use of commercial product of any kind. *Procedures are in place to allow these activities in certain instances. Contact the Compliance Office for approval.
