What is a Representative of Northeastern's Athletics Interests/Booster?
Northeastern is responsible for ensuring that its various constituencies (e.g., University staff and faculty, student-athletes, alumni and friends) abide by NCAA rules and regulations. NCAA rules indicate that all alumni, friends, and employees of the university are categorized as "representatives of Northeastern's athletics interests". The NCAA stipulates that once an individual has been identified as a representative or "booster" of the university's athletics programs, he or she retains this status forever--even if the individual is no longer associated with the athletics program.
A representative of Northeastern's athletics interests (i.e., a booster) is an individual or a business that:
• Is or has ever been a contributor to Northeastern Athletics Development or any of the sport specific support groups under this umbrella; is or has ever been an employee of Northeastern; is the spouse of an employee of Northeastern; has ever made a donation of any kind to the Northeastern men's or women's athletics programs.
• Has ever purchased season tickets for any of Northeastern's athletics programs; has ever helped to arrange or to provide summer employment for enrolled student-athletes or for prospects who have signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI).
• Has ever contacted (by letter, telephone or in person) a high school student, grades 9-12, for the purpose of encouraging the student to participate in any of Northeastern's athletics programs; has ever assisted in providing any benefit to enrolled student-athletes or their families; has ever been involved in any way with any of Northeastern's athletics programs.
What is an Extra Benefit?
The NCAA defines an extra benefit as any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution's athletics interest ("booster") to provide a student-athlete (or a student-athlete's relative or friend) a benefit that is not generally available to other Northeastern students and his/her relatives and/or friends. Some extra benefits are but not limited to:
• Free or reduced-cost housing
• Transportation, an automobile or use of an automobile
• Services (e.g., movie tickets, dinners, use of a car) from commercial agencies (e.g., movie theaters, restaurants, car dealers) without charge or at reduced rates
• Cash, gift certificates or other items with value.
Information for:
Current Student-Athletes
Prospective Student-Athletes
Coaches Forms
Compliance Policies & Procedures Handbook (Word document)
Northeastern University Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity (
Title IX Coordinator, Mary Ann Phillips, m.phillips@neu.edu)
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