Amateurism Status Criteria
NCAA amateur status may be lost as a result of activities prior to enrollment in college. You will lose your amateur status and thus be ineligible for intercollegiate competition in a particular sport if you:
- Use your athletic skill for pay in any form;
- Accept a promise of pay, even if the pay is to be received following completion of intercollegiate athletics participation;
- Sign a contract of any kind to play professional athletics;
- Receive, directly or indirectly, a salary, reimbursement of expenses or any other form of financial assistance from a professional sports organization above actual and necessary expenses;
- Enter into a professional draft subsequent to initial full-time collegiate enrollment;
- Enter into an agreement with an agent.
Prohibited Forms of Pay
Only amateur student-athletes are eligible for intercollegiate athletics participation. A professional athlete is one who receives any kind of payment for athletics participation except as permitted by NCAA legislation. Examples of prohibited forms of pay include:
- Direct or indirect salary, gratuity or comparable compensation;
- Any division or split of surplus (e.g., bonuses, game receipts, etc.);
- Cash or an equivalent as an award for participation in competition, even if permitted under the rules governing an amateur, noncollegiate event in which you are participating;
- Expenses from an outside amateur sports organization in excess of actual and necessary travel, room and board, and apparel and equipment for practice and competition;
- Any payment, including actual and necessary expenses, conditioned on place finish or performance or given on an incentive basis;
- Preferential treatment because of your athletics reputation or skill or future earning potential as a professional athlete.
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