UIC Flames
Official Store

In order to keep you, our UIC student-athletes, up-to-date and informed regarding NCAA and University regulations that pertain to you, and to help you avoid activities that may jeopardize your eligibility to participate and compete, the following rules material has been put together for your benefit and information.

Summer Employment
1. All earnings from summer employment must be a rate of pay that is comparable with the going rate, in that locale, for the type of work performed.

2. You should be paid by check (not cash) for the hours that you actually worked. (Exceptions: Work such as babysitting, lawn work, etc.)

3. You cannot have transportation to and from work provided by your employer unless transportation is provided to all employees.

4. Your employer cannot provide you with any benefit or privilege that is not provided to all employees (e.g., meals, cars, entertainment at home, vacation trips, water skiing, etc.). One exception: A representative of UIC's athletic interests (which would include your summer employer) is permitted to provide a student-athlete with an occasional home meal. The meal must be at the representative's home and may not be in a restaurant and must be on an infrequent basis (i.e., once very few months). In addition, the representative is permitted to provide you with transportation for the sole purpose of attending this occasional home meal.

5. You cannot be paid for teaching or coaching sport skills in your sport on a fee-for-lesson basis. You can be employed by a community agency or club to teach sport skills as long as you have other duties and responsibilities.

Academic Year Employment
The NCAA's Board of Directors adopted legislation at its April 1998 meeting that allows student-athletes to receive employment earnings during the academic year. However, it is imperative that you keep in mind the specific guidelines that must be followed in the event that you decide to obtain on- or off-campus employment during the 2002-2003 academic year.

1. All earnings from academic year employment must be at a rate of pay that is commensurate with the going rate for the type of work performed.

2. You must be academically eligible in order to seek term-time employment.

3. You may not earn more than $2,000 from employment over and above the value of a full grant-in-aid.

4. You may work off-campus or on-campus, but not within the athletics department or in a facility owned or operated by the athletics department.

5. You and your employer must complete the Student-Athlete Term-Time Employment Forms and file these documents with the Compliance Office before you begin your employment.

Summer Competition
1. All Sports: You must have written approval from the UIC Athletic Department to participate in any official state games or to participate in any official tryouts and/or any competitions involving National Teams, the Pan American Games, or the Olympic Games.

2. Current student-athletes and recruited prospective student-athletes who are in the UIC area during the summer cannot participate jointly in recreational activities at the direction of, organized by, or observed by a UIC coaching staff member.

3. No more than the following number of UIC student-athletes with eligibility remaining may practice or compete out-of-season on the same outside amateur team during the summer:

Baseball - 4, Basketball - 1, Soccer - 6, Softball - 4, All other teams - No Limit [No other member of the UIC Athletic Department (e.g., coach, official, player, etc.) can be involved with the team in any way.]

4. Basketball League Play: Student-athletes may compete on only one team in one approved summer league between June 15 and August 31.

a. You may play only in a league approved by the NCAA. Be sure to ask your coach about this before you participate in a summer league.

b. You must have written permission from UIC's Director of Athletics.

c. You cannot play in an "All-Star" game of any type.

d. No more than one player with eligibility remaining from any single 2- or 4-year college can play on the same league team.

e. The league must be within 100 miles of your official residence or the UIC Campus.

What is an extra benefit?
An extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution's athletics interests to provide a student-athlete or a student-athlete's relatives or friends a benefit of which is not generally available to the institution's general student population or their relatives or friends or to a particular segment of the student population (e.g., foreign students, minority students) determined on a basis unrelated to athletics ability.

1. You cannot accept anything from an employee of UIC or a representative of our athletics interests (e.g., use of a car, clothing, gifts, money, tickets for any kind of entertainment, payment of long distance telephone calls, free summer storage space). Essentially, you must not accept benefits from individuals whom you are not naturally or legally dependent.

2. You cannot accept room and/or board from any employee or booster of UIC athletics.

3. You cannot accept free or reduced cost merchandise (e.g., athletic shoes, music cassettes/cd's, clothing) or services from a merchant unless that free or reduced cost item is also available to the general public.

4. You cannot accept a free or reduced cost meal from a restaurant. In addition, you may not eat at a restaurant as the guest of an athletics booster or an employee of UIC.

5. On infrequent, special occasions (e.g., student-athlete's birthday, Thanksgiving, etc.) you may accept an invitation to the home of an employee of UIC or an athletics representative for a meal. The employee or booster may provide transportation for you to attend this occasional meal at their home (provided the employee's or athletics representative's home is within 30 miles of campus or your home).

6. You cannot use an athletics department copy machine, fax machine, express mail service or make long distance phone calls using athletic department equipment.

7. Members of the athletics department staff are not permitted to type reports, papers, letters, etc. for any student-athlete.

8. You cannot receive a special discount, payment arrangement or credit on a purchase (e.g., airline ticket, clothing, athletic gear) or service (e.g., laundry, dry cleaning) from an employee of UIC or an athletic booster.

9. A UIC employee or a booster cannot provide you with a loan of money, a guarantee of bond, or the signing or co-signing of a note to arrange a loan.

10. A UIC employee or a booster cannot provide you with the use of an automobile for any reason.

The acceptance by you, your parent(s)/guardians(s), or friends of any extra benefit is a violation of NCAA regulations and places your eligibility for intercollegiate competition in immediate jeopardy. Please contact the Compliance Office or your coaches if you are offered any benefit from an individual whom you are not naturally or legally dependent.

Gambling
1. You may not knowingly provide information to individuals involved in organized gambling activities concerning intercollegiate athletics competition.

2. You may not solicit a bet on any intercollegiate team representing any institution or any professional team.

3. You may not accept a bet on any team representing the University of Illinois at Chicago or participate in any gambling activity that involves intercollegiate or professional athletics through a bookmaker, a parlay card or any other method employed by organized gambling.

Promotional Activities
1. You cannot allow your name, picture, or personal appearance to be used to advertise or promote any commercial products, services or employers/jobs (e.g., you may not model clothing, etc.), even if no compensation is received.

2. You cannot allow a commercial business to use your name or picture in a "name-the-player" contest.

3. You may be involved in a promotional contest (e.g., half-court basketball shooting contest) if you are selected for participation through a random drawing.

4. Any approved charitable appearance must occur without your missing any classes. (Approval to appear at any charitable activity must be received from either the Compliance or Life Skills Office).

5. Any questions about permissible activities should be directed to your coach, the Compliance Office or the Life Skills Office in advance of the activity, so as not to jeopardize your eligibility.

The importance of following all NCAA rules and regulations is imperative to maintaining the integrity of the University of Illinois at Chicago. We ask all alumni, current student-athletes, prospective student-athletes, their families and friends to help the University protect the athletic eligibility of our student-athletes and the reputation of the University by adhering to the rules and regulations of the NCAA and by contacting the Compliance Office or the NCAA with all questions.