Academic Eligibility

To be eligible for competition, student-athletes are required to maintain progress toward degree by meeting the following:

• You must be enrolled full-time, which is a minimum of 12 credits, at all times during the semester.
• You must successfully complete at least 24 credits towards your designated degree program during the fall, spring and summer to be eligible next year. A minimum of 18 credits must be earned during the regular academic year.
• You must pass at least 6 hours each semester to remain eligible.

Additionally, student-athletes must:

• Have a 1.8 GPA prior to beginning their second year.
• Designate a degree prior to the beginning of their third year.
• Have 40% of their designated degree completed and 1.9 GPA prior to the beginning of their third year.
• Have 60% of their designated degree completed and 2.0 GPA.
• Have 80% of their designated degree completed and maintain a 2.0 GPA.

Student-athletes have 4 seasons of eligibility within 5 calendar years of their first term of full-time enrollment.

Benefits from Boosters

As a student-athlete, you need to be aware that there are limitations on the interactions which you may have with individuals the NCAA identifies as a booster.

The NCAA stipulates that once an individual has been identified as a "representative" of the University of Tennessee's athletics programs he or she retains this status forever. You as well as your friends or relatives may not receive an "extra benefit" from any individual that is being given directly or indirectly due to the fact that you are a student-athlete at the University of Tennessee.

The following is a sample of extra benefits or services that are prohibited under NCAA legislation:

• Car or any use of a car or other transportation
• Clothing
• Haircut or other miscellaneous service
• Gift(s)
• Money, loan(s), a guarantee of bond or signing / co-signing of a note to arrange a loan
• Ticket(s) for any kind of entertainment
• Payment of long distance telephone calls
• Free or reduced-price merchandise from a merchant (unless it is available to the general public)
• Free or reduced-price meals at a restaurant
• Free or reduced room and/or board from a booster (This includes in Knoxville, your home city or any other location)
• Members of the athletic department staff (including tutors) may not type reports, papers, letters, etc.
• Special discounts, payment arrangements or credit on a purchase (e.g., airline tickets) or service (e.g., laundry, dry cleaning)
• Tattoos
• Cover charges at nightclubs

Agents

You are not eligible in a sport if you have ever accepted money, transportation or other benefits from an agent or agreed to have an agent market your athletics ability or reputation in that sport.

You may NOT sign a contact with an agent or agree verbally to be represented by an agent until after your eligibility has expired.

Any questions regarding agents should be directed to the Compliance Office.

Student-Athlete Guide to Agents (PDF)

Amateurism

In order to maintain your amateur status and remain eligible for intercollegiate competition, you cannot receive any type of pay for play, either directly or indirectly.

All awards or cash prizes that you are not allowed to receive under NCAA regulations cannot be given in your name to another individual or agency.

Promotional activity requests (e.g., community service or appearances) must be initiated via the compliance website. Submission of a request does not ensure the request will be approved.

Gambling

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

You may NOT solicit a bet on ANY intercollegiate team or on ANY professional team.

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

Any violation of the above regulations will be sanctioned as follows:

• If the gambling activity involves the University of Tennessee, you will lose all remaining eligibility in all sports.
• If the gambling activity involves any other team aside from the University of Tennessee, you will be ineligible for a minimum of one year, at which time we may elect to seek reinstatement for you.
• Any subsequent violation will result in the loss of all remaining eligibility in all sports.

Any student-athlete who engages in activity designed to influence the outcome of an intercollegiate contest (ie: point shaving), shall permanently lose all remaining eligibility in all sports.

General Employment

All employment during the academic year must be pre-approved by the compliance office. Failure to do so jeopardizes your eligibility.

You may:

• Only get paid for work actually performed
• Only get paid at the going rate of pay
• Not use your reputation as an athlete to benefit your employer
• Not work in a local sports club in which your coach is involved during the academic year

Fee for Lesson

A student-athlete may receive compensation for teaching or coaching sports skills or techniques in his or her sport on a fee-for-lesson basis, provided the following conditions are met:

• Institutional facilities are not used
• To simply "play" against the student-athlete is not permitted (e.g., playing lessons)
• Must have prior approval by the Compliance Office and student-athlete must keep on file documentation of the recipient of the lesson(s) and the fee charged for the lesson(s) provided during any time of the year
• The compensation is paid by the lesson recipient (or the recipient's family) and not another individual or entity

Housing

All student-athletes must complete the housing form and turn it into the Compliance Office. Any changes in living arrangements during the academic year must be updated with the Compliance Office.

Vehicles

All student-athletes must register their automobiles with the University of Tennessee Parking Services Office. Unregistered vehicles may be towed by the University.

All student-athletes must complete an automobile form with the Compliance Office. Student-athletes are responsible for updating their automobile registration throughout the academic year.

Complimentary Admissions

If the sport in which you participate charges admission for home contests, you will be provided a maximum of FOUR complimentary admissions for each home contest.

All admissions are by a pass list and your guest MUST provide proper identification and a signature to be honored.

The sale or exchange of your complimentary admissions (by you or your designated recipient) for any item of value is a violation of NCAA regulations and jeopardizes your eligibility.

All complimentary admissions must be registered using Online Player Guest Management.

Outside Competition

You cannot participate during the academic year as a member of an outside team in any non-collegiate, amateur competition. The penalty for this violation is loss of eligibility for the remainder of that year and for the next academic year.

You are allowed to participate as an individual in outside competition during the academic year, as long as you represent only yourself and are not representing any team or club or receive expenses or compensation from any team or club.

In all sports, no cash prizes for any team member and all awards should conform to the regulations of the recognized amateur organization associated with the event.

Some exceptions that are available in all sports are: High School Alumni Games, Olympic Games, Official Pan American Tryouts and Competition, US National Teams and Official World Championships.

Promotions

You cannot allow your name, picture or personal appearance to be used to advertise or promote any commercial products, services, jobs or employers regardless of whether compensation is offered.

You can be involved in a promotional activity (e.g., half-court basketball shooting contest, involvement in a golfing money scramble) provided all members of the general public or student-body are eligible to participate and selected at random.

Charitable organizations often request assistance from student-athletes in fund-raising activities. Requests to participate in such activities are initiated in the Thornton Center.

Student-athletes may not miss class to participate in promotional activities.

Any questions about permissible activities should be directed to the Compliance Office.