March 7, 2006

Question:

May student-athletes accept gifts or other benefits from boosters after exhausting their athletics eligibility?

Answer:

No. Student-athletes are not exempt from the NCAA extra benefit rules simply because they have exhausted athletics eligibility. Institutional staff members, boosters, and other Baylor supporters are not permitted to provide former players with additional benefits even after the student-athletes compete in the last game of the last season of their eligibility. This principle is sometimes referred to as the "cradle to the grave" rule and its purpose is to prevent coaches and/or boosters from using the promise of post-eligibility rewards as a means of recruiting top student-athletes.