NCAA Guidelines for Fund-Raising Activity
Niagara University and its staff, student-athletes and boosters (with limited exceptions*) are not permitted, directly or indirectly, to assist in raising funds for high schools or organizations that consist of any prospects. A prospect is any student who has entered the ninth grade.
NCAA Bylaw 12.5.1.1 Institutional, Charitable, Educational or Nonprofit Promotions
A member institution or recognized entity thereof (e.g., fraternity, sorority or student government organization), a member conference or a noninstitutional charitable, educational or nonprofit agency may use a student-athlete's name, picture or appearance to support its charitable or educational activities or to support activities considered incidental to the student-athlete's participation in intercollegiate athletics, provided the following conditions are met: (Revised: 1/11/89, 1/10/91, 1/10/92)
(a) The student-athlete receives written approval to participate from the director of athletics (or his or her designee who may not be a coaching staff member), subject to the limitations on participants in such activities as set forth in Bylaw 17; (Revised: 1/11/89, 4/26/01)
(b) The specific activity or project in which the student-athlete participates does not involve cosponsorship, advertisement or promotion by a commercial agency other than through the reproduction of the sponsoring company's officially registered regular trademark or logo on printed materials such as pictures, posters or calendars. The company's emblem, name, address and telephone number may be included with the trademark or logo. Personal names, messages and slogans (other than an officially registered trademark) are prohibited; (Revised: 1/11/89, 1/10/91)
(c) The name or picture of a student-athlete with remaining eligibility may not appear on an institution's printed promotional item (e.g., poster, calendar) that includes a reproduction of a product with which a commercial entity is associated if the commercial entity's officially registered regular trademark or logo also appears on the item; (Adopted: 11/12/97)
(d) The student-athlete does not miss class; (Revised: 1/11/89)
(e) All moneys derived from the activity or project go directly to the member institution, member conference or the charitable, educational or nonprofit agency; (Revised: 1/11/89, 1/10/92)
(f) The student-athlete may accept actual and necessary expenses from the member institution, member conference or the charitable, educational or nonprofit agency related to participation in such activity; (Revised: 1/11/89, 1/10/92, 4/28/05)
(g) The student-athlete's name, picture or appearance is not utilized to promote the commercial ventures of any nonprofit agency; (Adopted: 1/10/92)
(h) Any commercial items with names, likenesses or pictures of multiple student-athletes (other than highlight films or media guides per Bylaw 12.5.1.8) may be sold only at the member institution at which the student-athlete is enrolled, institutionally controlled (owned and operated) outlets or outlets controlled by the charitable or educational organization (e.g., location of the charitable or educational organization, site of charitable event during the event). Items that include an individual student-athlete's name, picture or likeness (e.g., name on jersey, name or likeness on a bobble-head doll), other than informational items (e.g., media guide, schedule cards, institutional publications), may not be sold; and (Adopted: 1/16/93, Revised: 1/9/96, 4/27/06 effective 8/1/06)
(i) The student-athlete and an authorized representative of the charitable, educational or nonprofit agency sign a release statement ensuring that the student-athlete's name, image or appearance is used in a manner consistent with the requirements of this section. (Revised: 1/11/89, 1/10/92)
NCAA Bylaw 12.5.1.1.2 Promotions Involving Commercial Locations/Sponsors
A member institution or a charitable, educational or nonprofit organization may use the appearance, name or picture of an enrolled student-athlete to promote generally its fund-raising activities at the location of a commercial establishment, provided the commercial establishment is not a cosponsor of the event and the student-athlete does not promote the sale of a commercial product in conjunction with the fund-raising activity. A commercial establishment would become a cosponsor if the commercial establishment either advertises the presence of the student-athlete at the commercial location or is involved directly or indirectly in promoting the activity. (Adopted: 1/10/92)