Student-Athlete Handbook - Section 4
Compliance
AMATEURISM | NAME, IMAGE, AND LIKENESS (NIL) AND REVENUE SHARING | EMPLOYMENT | EXTRA BENEFITS | REPRESENTATIVES OF ATHLETIC INTERESTS | PRACTICE AND COMPETITON TIME | TEAM TRAVEL | TICKET POLICY | INVOLVEMENT WITH RECRUITS | IMPERMISSIBLE AGENTS AND ADVISORS | TRANSFER RULES
While enrolled at the University, student-athletes must be alert to situations that may affect their eligibility. Understanding the application of NCAA rules to real-life situations is not always easy. Student-athletes must recognize when they are involved in a situation where NCAA rules might apply and must contact the appropriate coach or the compliance office for assistance.
The information presented in this section addresses some general rules and situations. For questions regarding NCAA or Big Ten rules, student-athletes must always contact the compliance office directly.
Student athletes must maintain amateur status to be eligible to compete in intercollegiate athletics. This includes provisions allowing direct revenue sharing from schools and expanded opportunities for NIL compensation, which do not affect a student-athlete’s eligibility if managed through approved agreements.
In addition, student-athletes may still receive actual and necessary expenses for practice and competition from the University and in rare situations, they may also receive money from their respective sports national governing body or an amateur sports club, depending upon the type of competition and the circumstances related to each competition.
Because these policies are evolving and vary by school, all student-athletes and their families should consult the compliance office before accepting any payment, benefits, or agreements.
Beginning in the 2025–26 academic year, student-athletes are permitted to receive direct revenue-sharing payments from the University in addition to compensation earned through Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) activities. These changes are the result of the House litigation settlement, which provides for backpay to current and former student-athletes, replaces scholarship limits with roster limits, and establishes a cap on institutional revenue-sharing. Institutions may distribute up to twenty-two percent (22%) of defined athletics revenues, including ticket sales, media rights, NCAA and conference distributions, sponsorships, licensing, advertising, and royalties. This percentage is subject to annual increases.
All NIL and revenue-sharing activities are monitored through NIL Go. State law and Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) policy require that all NIL activities, regardless of value, be disclosed through NIL Go before a student-athlete receives payment or completes any related activity. Any NIL agreement valued at more than $500 must be in the form of a written contract. NIL compensation must reflect fair market value and must be provided only for legitimate work performed or services rendered. NIL payments may not be used as improper recruiting inducements or as pay-for-play arrangements.
Student-athletes may not use University trademarks, logos, uniforms, facilities, or other intellectual property in connection with NIL activities without prior written approval. The University retains all rights to its intellectual property, and any unauthorized use will be treated as a violation of institutional policy.
Failure to disclose NIL agreements may result in loss of eligibility and may affect future roster decisions. NIL agreements that are denied may be restructured and resubmitted for approval or appealed in accordance with University procedures.
Questions regarding NIL or revenue-sharing policies should be directed to Evan Taylor, Assistant Director of Athletics (etaylor6@illinois.edu).
Compensation for employment unrelated to name, image, and likeness activities may be paid to a student-athlete: (a) only for work actually performed; and (b) at a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality for similar services. To ensure compliance with the NCAA rules in this area, student-athletes should disclose all employment to the compliance office.
It is not permissible for student-athletes, or their relatives and friends, to receive any kind of “extra benefit” or “preferential treatment” that is not made available and provided to the general public or the general student body under the same terms and conditions in which it is made available and provided to student-athletes or their relatives and friends unless in connection with the use of the student-athlete's NIL. Compensation connected to a student-athlete’s name, image, or likeness (NIL) or direct payments permitted under NCAA revenue-sharing policies are not considered extra benefits but must be disclosed and approved by their respective reporting mechanisms. Any benefit offered outside of these approved pathways, including from staff members, boosters, business owners, or other third parties, remains impermissible.
Specifically, the NCAA defines an extra benefit as “any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution’s athletics interests to provide a student-athlete or the student- athlete’s relative or friend a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation”. Preferential treatment is receiving a benefit, discount or service based on an individual’s athletic reputation or skill or pay-back potential as a professional athlete.
Receipt of a benefit by student-athletes or their relatives or friends is not a violation of NCAA legislation if it is demonstrated that the same benefit is generally available to the institution’s students or their relatives or friends or to a particular segment of the student body (e.g., foreign students, minority students) determined on a basis unrelated to athletic ability.
Examples of Extra Benefits
The NCAA Manual specifically identifies several types of “extra benefits.” An all- inclusive list is not provided here, or in the NCAA Manual, but some examples include:
Discounts and Credits
Student-athletes and their relatives and friends may not receive a special discount, payment arrangement or credit on a purchase (e.g., greens fees, court time, airline ticket, clothing, rent, food) or a service (e.g., laundry, haircut, dry cleaning) unless it is offered and made available to the general public or the general student body under the same terms and conditions in which it is made available and provided to the student-athlete and their relatives and friends. Discounts or credits provided to student-athletes and their relatives and friends that are based upon the student-athlete’s participation in athletics, athletic ability, or notoriety achieved as a result of athletics are not permissible.
Free or Reduced-Cost Services
An athletics representative may not provide a student-athlete or their relatives and friends with professional services (for which a fee normally would be charged) without charge or at a reduced cost except as permitted by a specific NCAA rule. Professional services provided at less than the normal rate or at no expense to student-athletes and their relatives and friends are considered an extra benefit unless they are available on the same basis to the general student body.
Services provided to enrolled student-athletes such as the availability of tutors at no cost, academic counseling, and the availability of private computer labs in the Irwin Academic Center are examples of benefits that are permitted by NCAA rules.
Student-Athletes Selling Awards Received for Participation in Intercollegiate Athletics
Student-athletes shall not sell awards (including any item or clothing provided as an award) received for intercollegiate athletics participation or exchange or assign such an award for another item of value, even if the student-athletes’ name or picture does not appear on the award.
Entertainment Services
Student-athletes and their relatives and friends cannot receive services (e.g., movie tickets, dinners, use of car) from commercial agencies (e.g., movie theaters, restaurants, car dealers) without charge or at reduced rates, or free or reduced-cost admission to professional athletics contests from professional sports organizations, unless such services also are available to the student body in general.
With regard to “preferential treatment”, NCAA rules state that student-athletes and their relatives and friends cannot receive “preferential treatment, benefits or services because of the student-athlete’s athletics reputation or skill or pay-back potential as a professional athlete, unless such treatment, benefits or services are specifically permitted under NCAA legislation.” It is important to understand that if student-athletes or their relatives and friends receive an “extra benefit” or “preferential treatment” as defined by the NCAA, the student-athlete’s eligibility will be adversely affected. In all cases, the value of the extra benefit, or what was received as a result of preferential treatment, must be repaid if it is found that a violation of NCAA rules occurred. In many cases, the student-athlete will also be suspended and withheld from one or more future competitions.
Student-athletes and their relatives may come into contact with representatives of the institution’s athletics interests. These individuals are often referred to as “boosters”. The NCAA defines a “Representative of Athletics Interests” or a “booster” as anyone who has, at any time:
- Been a member of a sports booster club, such as the “Rebounders” or “Quarterback Club”;
- Donated to any of the University men’s or women’s athletic programs;
- Assisted in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes;
- Arranged for or provided summer employment for enrolled student-athletes;
- Assisted in providing any benefit to enrolled student-athletes or their families;
- Been involved in promoting the University athletic program;
- Purchased season tickets for University athletic events.
These representatives’ activities and their interaction with student-athletes and student-athletes’ relatives and friends are strictly regulated by NCAA rules.
Student-athletes’ participation in mandatory countable athletically related activities is limited to a maximum of four (4) hours per day and twenty (20) hours per week when the student-athletes’ sport is “in season”. Examples of countable athletically related activities include practice; competition; mandatory strength training or conditioning; individual workouts required or supervised by a coach; and mandatory or supervised film or videotape reviews.
Examples of activities that are not countable include: training table, physical rehabilitation, dressing, taping, academic study hall, compliance meetings, academic tutoring sessions, travel to and from practice and competition, medical exams or treatments, and voluntary workouts supervised only by strength and conditioning staff members.
During the declared playing season:
- Student-athletes must be given a minimum of one day off per week on which no countable athletically related activities can occur.
- A day of competition counts as three hours, regardless of the actual duration of the competition and the “pre-and post-game” activities.
- CARA may not be conducted following a competition on the same day that the competition occurs
- Practice may not occur between midnight and 5 am.
Student-athletes’ participation in countable athletically related activities that occur during their sport’s “off-season” during the academic year is limited to eight hours per week. Such participation is limited to mandatory strength training and conditioning. Four of the eight hours per week may be spent on individual skill instruction in all sports. While such skill instruction is not permitted in football during the off-season, eligible football student-athletes can watch video with their coaches for up to two of the eight hours permitted each week during the off-season during the academic year.
During the academic year outside the declared season, student-athletes must be given a minimum of two days off per week on which no countable athletically related activities may occur. No athletic activity may be required during a vacation period outside a student-athlete’s sport’s season.
Voluntary activities initiated by the student-athlete are not countable in the weekly hour limitations. In order for an activity to be considered voluntary, it may not be observed by coaching staff members.
There may be no incentive or penalty connected to a student-athlete’s participation in voluntary activity.
If a student-athlete feels he or she has been required to exceed weekly hour limitations or has not been given the required number of days off in a week, the student-athlete should contact the compliance office to determine whether an NCAA violation has occurred.
NCAA rules prohibit a student-athlete from missing class for the purpose of participation in any practice activities, except when a team is traveling to an away-from-home contest and the practice is in conjunction with the contest. These rules apply whether or not the class instructor monitors attendance or approves of the missed class time.
When a student-athlete travels with a varsity team, his or her transportation, lodging, and meals will be provided when traveling to away-from-home competitions. Student-athletes will be responsible for personal hotel charges on team trips, such as phone calls, pay-per-view movies or room service. Personal hotel charges must be paid at the front desk before the team checks out of the hotel.
Student-athletes eligible for complementary admissions into Basketball and Football games will receive their tickets through email from the DIA ticket office.
Student-athletes may not sell or exchange a complimentary admission for any item of value. Any violation of these rules will jeopardize the student-athlete’s eligibility with the NCAA. In addition, the University will impose a three-game suspension of privileges for the first offense. Any subsequent offense will result in the loss of complimentary admissions for the entire year.
Tickets are not guaranteed to be available for every game.
Student-Athlete Complimentary Admissions
For football games, tickets will be located in the student section. Seating will be based on when the student-athlete arrives. Floor seats will be distributed first, followed by best available seating in other areas of the arena. Be sure to come early to get close to the action.
For women’s volleyball matches, student athletes should bring their I-Card to receive free admission into the student section.
Involvement with Recruits
Student-athletes may contact prospects to encourage their enrollment at Illinois, but it may not be done at the direction and/or the expense of the University. Student-athletes may not telephone recruits but may accept telephone calls made at the prospect’s expense provided there is no direct or indirect involvement by athletics department staff.
Student-athletes may comment on social media about a recruit, provided such comments are not made at the direction of an athletics department staff member.
Student-athletes may be asked by a coach to host a recruit who is on an official visit to our campus. While serving as a host, student-athletes may be given host money for the purpose of entertaining the recruit. Host money may be used for food, arcades, movies, theaters, bowling, and other activities, but may not be used to purchase souvenirs or apparel items (e.g., hats, t-shirts, etc.) for the recruit. The use of alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling or any criminal activity should never be used as recruiting devices. Student-athletes may transport the recruit to activities within a 30-mile radius of campus but must not allow the recruit the use of a car. The University cannot provide the use of a car to student-athletes for the purpose of hosting a recruit. Student-athletes will receive a list of host instructions when given host money by the coach.
When hosting prospective student-athletes on-campus for recruiting visits, student-athletes are expected to abide by all University, Big Ten and NCAA rules as well as all local, state and federal laws. Participation in impermissible activities, either by the student hosts or by the recruits, may result in the loss of athletic scholarship and/or termination from the team for the student hosts.
The NCAA strictly regulates interaction with agents, advisors, and their representatives, or “runners” as they are commonly called. Student-athletes are permanently ineligible for participation in an intercollegiate sport if they have ever agreed (in writing or even just verbally) to be represented by an agent or advisor in the marketing of their athletic ability with respect to professional sports opportunities. However, under NCAA Bylaw 22.3.1 (effective August 1, 2025), student-athletes may engage agents or other professional service providers strictly to negotiate NIL opportunities, as long as these relationships are at fair market value and do not involve future professional playing contracts. Student-athletes and their relatives and friends are prohibited from receiving any kind of benefit or expense, such as transportation or clothing, from agents, advisors and their representatives. The NCAA considers violations of these rules to be among the most serious. Such violations result in student-athletes being withheld from competitions and have often resulted in student-athletes being declared permanently ineligible for all further intercollegiate competition.
The involvement of impermissible agent and advisor representatives, or “runners”, is an ever-growing concern in sports that have professional leagues. These individuals will often not tell the student-athletes or the student-athletes’ relatives and friends that they are being paid and supported by an agent. The “runner” may offer gifts, benefits or services to student-athletes and their relatives and friends, then later attempt to steer student-athletes and student-athletes’ families toward employing a certain agent or financial advisor.
“Runners” can be former college athletes, current or former professional athletes, or even apparent friends. However, do not be fooled. These individuals are surreptitiously jeopardizing the student-athlete’s eligibility and unethically attempting to manipulate some financial decisions that are very important to the student-athlete and his or her family. They are essentially trying to enrich themselves at the student-athlete’s expense.
DIA attempts to ensure that student-athletes and their families have the opportunity to make sound and carefully considered decisions related to potential professional athletics careers. It is important that these decisions be made in a protected environment that is free from the many unscrupulous influences in the highly competitive field of athlete representation. This is accomplished by the enforcement of a departmental policy that applies to impermissible agents and advisors.
Prohibitions and Restrictions
DIA policy prohibits any kind of in-person, telephonic, and/or electronic communication between impermissible agents, financial advisors and/or their representatives and any student-athlete, their parents, legal guardians, and/or relatives until the student-athlete has exhausted his or her eligibility, without the ex- press written authorization of the Associate Director of Athletics for Compliance. Such authorization can be provided only by the Associate Director of Athletics for Compliance and is provided only for in-person on-campus communication and telephonic communication that must occur in the presence of the Associate Director of Athletics for Compliance.
The policy also prohibits all direct correspondence and all other forms of written communication between impermissible agents, financial advisors and/or their representatives with any student-athlete, their parents, legal guardians and/or relatives until the student-athlete has exhausted his or her eligibility. The Associate Director of Athletics for Compliance shall distribute correspondence and all other forms of written communication from such agents, financial advisors and/or their representatives to any specified student-athlete, their parents, legal guardians and/or relatives prior to the time when the student-athlete exhausts his or her eligibility.
Student-athletes, their parents, legal guardians and/or their relatives must immediately report any in-person, telephone, and/or electronic communication made by impermissible agents, financial advisors and/or their representatives if the communication is in violation of the policy. They must also immediately report the receipt of any correspondence and/or any other form of written communication from impermissible agents, financial advisors and/or their representatives if the correspondence and/or written communication are received in violation of the policy. Such reporting must be made to the student-athlete’s head coach, academic counselor, the compliance office, or directly to the Associate Director of Athletics for Compliance.
If a student-athlete or the student-athlete’s family member wishes to communicate with an agent, financial advisor, or one of their representatives in any manner (e.g., in-person, via telephone, fax, letters, e-mail, etc.) with respect to professional sports opportunities, the student-athlete must make the request to the Associate Director of Athletics for Compliance, who will facilitate all related arrangements. It should be noted that adherence to the policy does not result in a complete ban on all communication with agents and financial advisors. Rather, the policy permits communication with agents and advisors if the communication occurs under specified conditions, including communication solely related to NIL opportunities.
If a student-athlete decides to transfer to another school after attending the University, there are some important things to take into consideration. The following is a summary and should not be considered a substitute for the actual wording of the transfer rules that are found in the NCAA and conference manuals. It is important for student-athletes to consult DIA’s compliance office and the compliance office at the school to which they intend to transfer, to discuss all applicable NCAA and conference rules that may affect eligibility.
- A student-athlete will need to send a written notification of transfer request to the Compliance Office and complete the NCAA Educational Module prior to being entered in the transfer portal.
- The Compliance Office must add the student athlete’s name to the Transfer Portal within 2 business days of receiving the written notification and confirmation of completed educational module.
- After the student-athlete’s name has been added to the portal, coaches at other four-year institutions will be able to speak to the student athlete about the possibility of transferring to their institution.
- If a student-athlete sends written notification of transfer to the Compliance Office during a semester, their athletic aid can be reduced or cancelled at the conclusion of that semester.
- If a student-athlete sends written notification of transfer to the Compliance Office between semesters (e.g., winter break, summer), their athletic aid can be reduced or cancelled immediately.
For information on Transfer Portal windows, please visit NCAA.org or contact the Compliance Office directly.
