College coaches aren’t the only ones checking out your fly skills; the media are all over you, too. Getting ink in the paper and noise on TV are good for your resumé, but make sure they don’t damage your college eligibility. To avoid trouble, check out the NCAA’s R&R on publicity.

Campus visits

If media are at a college team’s competition, awards dinner or any other function, you are not allowed to be introduced or participate in any on-field activities.

Radio/TV Shows

During the recruiting period, being interviewed on a radio or TV program that’s hosted or arranged by a college coach is NCAA-illegal. Violating the rule won’t affect your eligibility, but it’s a mark against the school.

College game broadcasts

Showing video clips of your athletic skills and being interviewed during the broadcast of a college game are prohibited.

Photographs

During a campus visit, you can be photographed for promotional materials, such as the media guide, but the college can use the photo only to promote the sport’s season in which you’ll be participating only if you’ve signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) or have accepted a written offer to attend the school. The photo cannot be used in commercial advertising, such as newspaper ads.

Press conferences

A school cannot hold a press conference or other meeting to announce athletic commitments to the media. However, there is a one-time exception: the media can attend a school’s announcement of those who have accepted written offers or signed NLIs—although you and your family and friends cannot attend. If you want to announce your college athletic commitment, you have to arrange it independently, without the college’s involvement.

Media releases of official signing

Publicizing your athletic commitment to a school is allowed only after you’ve signed an NLI or accepted a written offer of admission. However, the school still cannot use your name or picture in a commercial advertisement.

For more information, visit www.ncaa.org.