An extra benefit is any special arrangement by a Stanford employee or a representative of Stanford’s athletics interests (i.e., a booster) to provide you, your relatives, or your friends with any benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation. Receipt of a benefit is not an NCAA rules violation only if it is demonstrated that the same benefit is generally available to all Stanford students, or if it is available to a particular segment of the student body on a basis unrelated to athletics ability.

Accepting an extra benefit or preferential treatment can have serious effects on your athletic eligibility. Some examples of impermissible benefits include the acceptance of cash, a discount on any services because of your athletics reputation, free lodging and transportation. It is permissible to accept an occasional meal from a member of the Athletics Department Staff or a booster but check with your coach or the Compliance Services Office prior to the meal. Boosters are only to provide an occasional meal in their own home. If you are ever in doubt about a gift, benefit, or service, ask your coach or a member of the compliance staff.

Boosters
As a student-athlete at Stanford University, you will come into contact with many of our support groups and/or individuals who have made financial contributions to the Athletic Department or to the Buck/Cardinal Athletic Scholarship Fund. These people, better known as "boosters," or athletic representatives, may want to associate with you.

The Stanford University Department of Athletics is responsible for the control and conduct of the intercollegiate athletics program, and this responsibility includes accountability for the acts of athletic representatives (i.e., boosters). Once an individual has been identified as an athletic representative, he or she retains that identity forever and is governed by the same NCAA and Stanford University rules and regulations as our athletic staff members.

For more information about what a booster can and cannot do in regard to current student-athletes please refer to "Representative of Athletics Interest".

Receiving Benefits from Former Stanford Student-Athletes
Extra benefit rules include benefits that may be provided to you by former Stanford student-athletes. In general, you may only accept benefits from former student-athletes if the person was a teammate of yours at Stanford and if the benefits are similar in nature as that provided when you were both in school. For example, if a former teammate wishes to return to campus on an occasional basis and treat you to dinner, that would not be considered an extra benefit.

Examples of activities that are NOT permissible include:

• A former student-athlete paying transportation, lodging and meal expenses for you to attend a professional athletics contest in which the former student-athlete will be a participant.
• A former student-athlete providing you with rent-free housing.
• A former student-athlete providing you with a vehicle or use of a vehicle.