Kentucky Imposes Strict Rules on Players, Boosters and Use of Tickets

The University of Kentucky has adopted rules beyond NCAA requirements to govern contact between athletes and boosters, and to monitor players’ activities, it was announced in Lexington, Ky., Monday.

The new rules were issued in the wake of a story in the Lexington Herald-Leader that quoted former basketball players as saying they had received cash from boosters, sold their free season tickets for as much as $1,000 each and received excessive fees for speeches, all violations of NCAA rules.

The new rules require athletes to make written reports of speaking engagements, to provide information on summer jobs and to register automobiles with the university. Such reports are not required by the NCAA.

The rules also require athletes to give their free seats only to relatives or fellow students, and to make sure only those people occupy the designated seats. Coaches are responsible for ensuring that the rule is followed. The NCAA does not require a coach to ascertain who is sitting in players’ free seats.