Sunday, April 03, 2011

ATTN: Big Blue Nation

Big Blue Nation and Wildcat Faithful, please remember to be careful when it comes to internet postings on fan pages and whatnot.

See the release here from UK from a while back:
of the boards to NCAA regulations governing booster activity. The message boards offer a unique opportunity for our fans to discuss UK Athletics within a very large community. However, when it goes beyond discussion between fans and crosses the line into recruiting, we are responsible to the NCAA membership to report a violation and take steps to stop the activity.

In recent years, UK has also had to disassociate the owner of a message board from the athletics department for his participation in recruiting activities and his efforts to organize a recruiting network within the members of his board. We would much prefer to educate our fans, as we are doing, and work cooperatively to make sure violations do not occur.

In that vein, please be aware that NO written, telephonic or in-person communication is permitted between a recruit and a booster of an NCAA institution regardless of the medium. Please note the following paragraph describing the NCAA rule governing this type of contact and clarifying that anyone who encourages a recruit to attend UK is automatically considered a booster.

The NCAA rules which govern the actions that have been deemed impermissible in this instance are: NCAA Bylaw 13.01.4 prohibits a booster from “making in-person, on- or off-campus recruiting contacts, or written or telephonic communications with a prospect or the prospect’s relatives or legal guardians.” Many claim that they are not a booster because they do not contribute financially to the University. However, NCAA Bylaw 13.02.13 states that one criteria defining someone as a booster is anyone “who is known (or who should have been known) by a member of the institution’s executive or athletics administration to be assisting in the recruitment of prospects.”
The only reason I'm posting this is because I love Kentucky basketball. The last thing we need is inappropriate contact with prospective recruits--especially those that still have Kentucky on their list.

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